It's Too Close For Comfort

This is a new song by Rihanna and where she has been sort of a guilty pleasure for me that trends toward the Hip Hop remix side of Dance; I enjoy cranking up her tunes in my car. It’s funny that I sought out this song because it was speaking to me as with other songs as of late. But now that I’m looking at the actual lyrics it doesn’t say anything I thought it did. I decided to post the song anyway.
As I know from writing my own lyrics for songs, I’m more of a “big picture” storyteller, while my friend Cale is more of an abstract emotional writer. Most Pop songs are snapshots of a single moment in time in order to get as many people as possible to feed their own experiences into the greater meaning and immediately relate as if the song was written just for them. I feel like this is a good example of a “snap shot” moment but I have no idea where she’s going with this (not that Rihanna wrote this or any of her songs, I’m sure). There is a movie that is called “Disturbia” based off Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear window”. Neither have I seen so maybe that’s what I’m missing. Either way it’s a great song and an exercise in interpretation. What do you think it’s about?

Disturbia
By Rihanna

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
(What's wrong with me?)
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
(Why do I feel like this?)
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
(I'm going crazy now)
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

No more gas in the rear
Can't even get it started
Nothing heard, nothing said
Can't even speak about it
I'm alive, I'm ahead
Don't want to think about it
Feels like I'm going insane
Yeah

It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you
And consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
It's too close for comfort

Put on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out you might just go under
Better think twice
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise
Your mind is in Disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Your mind is in Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like
Disturbia
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum (x 4)

Faded pictures on the wall
It's like they talkin' to me
Disconnected unknown calls
The phone don't even ring I gotta get out
Or figure this shit out
It's too close for comfort

It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you
And consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
I feel like a monster

Put on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out you might just go under
Better think twice
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise
Your mind is in Disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Your mind is in Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like
Disturbia
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum (x 4)

Release me from this curse I'm in
Trying to remain tame
But I'm struggling
If you can go go go
I think I'm going, ah ah ah

Put on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out you might just go under
Better think twice
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise
Your mind is in Disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Your mind is in Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like
Disturbia
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum (x 4)