Song Review: “Pink City” by Sophie Baetz | A Jazz Discovery

Lyrics of Sophie Baetz – Pink City

I know you want change to come
But change sure don’t come overnight
I know you worked so hard for so long
And now you’re ready for a new life
Come over to Pink City, where the grass is always green
And I promise it’ll make your time worthwhile

Go big, find your name in the lights
But the stars in the sky feel further away from where you’re standing
Understand, the city don’t love you back
But do the cracks in the mirror still reflect ya?

Did you bring your past?
Pretty sure I packed it!
What about your doubts?
They’re right where I left ‘em
Did you take your time?
Time is money, and I’m out of both
Thought I could outrun doubt with a brand new view
But my past got legs — and it ran there too
If you think your ghosts won’t follow you
I hate to break it to you — now they got more room to move

Heads turning, eyes rolling,
concern, advice, and nice clothing
How do I stop this?
Maybe I should try to provoke it
TV has spoken, now I’m hoping to go
where the kind and like-minded help me till I owe ‘em

I’ma pack up then, make friends with a dead end
Don’t know what I expected, but it ain’t that
To be honest, this ain’t that bad
Now I can have them all celebrate my absence
But the need for success is attacking me
Like a spreading infection that sneaks
up from behind like an assassin or thief

Second-guessing ain’t as effective
as accepting the fact that this obsession
led to missing my exit
I’m left with hypothetical questions
Like: What perspective would it take
to shake a fucking radical skeptic?
Instead of answers, I collected confessions
and left them in Pink City’s possession to stay protected

Go big, find your name in the lights
But the stars in the sky feel further away from where you’re standing
Understand, the city don’t love you back
But do the cracks in the mirror still reflect ya?

Why should I keep my hopes high but my expectations low?
They say they want what’s best for me — but how would they even know?
If I can’t trust no one, then who am I supposed to ask?
Why do I get so mad about the way people act?
I know I can make it — but what does that mean?
Can dreams even survive routine?
Why do they think Pink City will provide a better life?
Why am I even asking, standing by the city sign?
I want a fire but don’t want the flames to burn out quick
If I paint this city blue, will it always turn pink?
If hard work is noble, why is no one impressed?
If this town is dead, then I’m off to the next