What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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This line alludes to “America the Beautiful,” making a comparison between the mythical state of Atlantis, and the state of America right now.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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In mythology, Atlas is the titan responsible for holding the sky up, lest it crash to the ground and kill us all.
We name books of maps after him in return.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Cats are known for the same thing.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Jonny’s goal is to be waiting at the concourse when his girl’s plane lands,
And the song is about his journey to make it there before the girl.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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This verse happens well after the first one. Jonny expected to catch her at the gate when she landed, but missed her.
This verse is a second message, where he may be starting to realize that it wasn’t meant to be with this woman.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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He has his hand out the window, letting the wind push it up and down.
He’s driving at night; which is why it’s very cold outside.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

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Splendor in the Grass is a 1961 movie about a Kansas girl whose heart is broken by a handsome, powerful man, driving her to madness.
In this story, he compared himself to the girl.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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This line makes the listener wonder if this is not the first airport that Jonny has ambushed this woman at.
The meeting he’s headed to is an ‘encore’ of the one they had at St. Louis.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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This line frames the rest of the song as a message left on the phone of Jonny’s love interest, who may in fact be fleeing from him.
It can be inferred from the song that he’s stalking her, although it’s never outright said.

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What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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This track is a story about Jonny 5 and a romance that he’s trying to save. It’s told in two parts in the form of voicemails left on his love interest’s phone.

The first message is left as he’s racing down the highway in his car, not having slept or eaten in almost a day or more. He’s trying to drive the distance from his hometown (Denver) to the airport his girl is en route to, most likely to confront her in some way.

The second message is left after the failure of his mission in the first, and he’s now on a flight of his own, trying to catch up to her once again.

The song has a tone of futility and naivety to it, as it seems like the woman he’s chasing never really considered Jonny a romantic interest. He’s taken what few positive signals he’s gotten to heart though, and is now obsessed with her, thus the great lengths he’s going to in order to intercept her on her trip.

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