The Strokes

Released: July 30, 2001

Songwriter: Julian Casablancas

Producer: Gordon Raphael

[Verse 1]
Soma is what they would take when
Hard times opened their eyes
Saw pain in a new way
High stakes for a few names
Racing against sunbeams
Losing against fig trees
In your eyes

[Chorus]
And I am
Stop
And go
In your eyes
See, I am
Stop
And go
In your eyes

[Interlude]
Let's go

[Verse 2]
When I saw her for the first time
Lips moved as her eyes closed
Heard something in his voice
"And I'll be there," he says
Then he walks out
Somehow he was trying
Too hard to be like them

[Chorus]
And I am
Stop
And go
In your eyes
And I am
Stop
Oh, darling let me go

[Outro]
Tried it once and they liked it
And tried to hide it
Says, "I've been doing this twenty-five years"
Well, I'm not listening no more
And these friends, they keep asking for more
Oh, yeah, oh, but that's it

The Strokes burst onto the scene at a time when rock fans were desperate for an alternative to the rap-rock that was dominating the airwaves. That the band lived up to expectations after being hailed ‘saviors of guitar rock’ solely based on the strength of a three song EP is a testament to the quality of their flawless debut, July 2001’s Is This It.

Ultimately, they are a band that truly relies on the strength of the entire lead singer Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, drummer Fabrizio Moretti, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., and bassist Nikolai Fraiture. However, much of The Strokes' output has been influenced by the domineering vision of Casablancas' songwriting.

Before he took a small step back on their third album, January 2006’s First Impressions of Earth, and then isolated himself to record March 2011’s Angles, Casablancas was involved in almost every step of The Strokes' recording process. He wrote all of the lyrics and the music on their first two albums and was constantly involved in the mixing of the records.

more tracks from the album

Is This It

From the album

Is This It (2001)

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The Strokes

Is This It