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Cake — The Distance
Album: Fashion Nugget
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1288









Released: 1996
Length: 2:57
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Engines pumping and thumping in time
The green light flashes; the flags go up
Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup

They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank
Fuel burning fast on an empty tank
Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns
Their prowess is potent and secretly stern

As they speed through the finish, the flags go down
The fans get up, and they get out of town
The arena is empty, except for one man
Still driving and striving as fast as he can

The sun has gone down and the moon has come up
And long ago somebody left with the cup
But he's driving and striving and hugging the turns
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns

He's going the distance
He's going for speed
She's all alone (All alone)
All alone in her time of need

Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's going the distance
Ahh, ahh

Yah! Oh!

No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no line
He's haunted by something he cannot define
Bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse
Assail him, impale him with monster truck force

In his mind, he's still driving, still making the grade
She's hoping in time that her memories will fade
'Cause he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse

The sun has gone down and the moon has come up
And long ago somebody left with the cup
But he's striving and driving and hugging the turns
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns

'Cause he's going the distance
He's going for speed
She's all alone (All alone)
All alone in her time of need

Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's going the distance
He's going for speed
He's going the distance
Ahh, ahh, hey!

Hey!
Comments (81)add comment
Wow, didn’t know that was a Cake tune , I’ m not familiar with the band. Great!
Posted 7 months ago by jjbournisien    [ Reply ]
WHERE IS THE 11 BUTTON!!!!!!
Posted 1 year ago by TDS513    [ Reply ]


Not a big Cake fan but what the hey...
Posted 1 year ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
 UltraNurd wrote:

Love the alliteration in this one. Great lyrics, albeit a bit nonsensical.


Nonsensical?  

How's this: It's about a less-than-successful romantic pursuit. The guy's going for speed and etc. The woman disengages, however, and the guy doesn't even notice because he's thinking of someone for whom he still burns and focused intently on his quest -- perhaps this one, perhaps the one who got away.
Posted 1 year ago by unclehud    [ Reply ]
This album was my introduction to Cake. I am now a dedicated casual fan.
Posted 2 years ago by Ralf    [ Reply ]
In this I believe were sacred hints of WE ARE BUILDING A RELIGION; WE ARE BUILDING IT BIGGER, and I've always loved how they get so fun and funky!
Posted 2 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
 velsd wrote:

I still sometimes think of the woman sitting next to me during their concert in Antwerp last year... next time I'll talk to her.




Go for it! If you get another chance, don't chicken out! If you get to meet her, let us know how it turns out! Good Luck!
Posted 3 years ago by eileenomurphy    [ Reply ]
I love Cake, but this is not one of my favorite tunes by them.
Posted 3 years ago by eileenomurphy    [ Reply ]
not "rock"...
Posted 3 years ago by john_m_hopkins    [ Reply ]
I still sometimes think of the woman sitting next to me during their concert in Antwerp last year... next time I'll talk to her.
Posted 4 years ago by velsd    [ Reply ]
music for when ur italian and in a horse race across the usa for a large sum of money
Posted 4 years ago by howley    [ Reply ]
...not Rock,,,
Posted 4 years ago by john_m_hopkins    [ Reply ]
It gets no worse. This is the song they play forever over the intercom in hell.
Posted 15 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
Hey! {#Daisy}
Posted 15 years ago by coffee-eyes    [ Reply ]
Yuk.
Posted 15 years ago by LastChance    [ Reply ]
 lmic wrote:
Funnily, I never cared much for this song til seeing them do it live. Now I'm hooked!
 
I'm not hooked on Cake but I always thought this song was funny...particularly with the spoken lyrics, stripped-down groove, silly gangsta rap keyboard treatment (circa early-to-mid-90s).

Videos:

MTV-style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PU5CVSegg&feature=related

Live version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKax7euEM5Q&feature=related


Posted 15 years ago by Tim_in_N_FL    [ Reply ]
What a great love song...of sorts.
Posted 15 years ago by coolpeople_rule    [ Reply ]
 paraclete wrote:
Great pair of songs with this one and the prior one (Depeche Mode - Route 66)

 
ABSOLUTELY! 

Posted 16 years ago by paraclete    [ Reply ]
 Canoe52 wrote:
Rap on RP?...Please!!!

Cake classified as Rap?...Please!!!

Rap: Urban, typically African-American music that features spoken lyrics, often reflecting current social or political issues, over a background of sampled sounds or scratched records. Rap - is just somebody getting something off his chest. That’s all it is. — Ice Cube

Posted 16 years ago by wmstadler    [ Reply ]
 Xeric wrote:
All the way from one to zero. I like some Cake tunes quite well, but this ain't one of 'em. One I like, or a tune.
 
well, it wasn't written by mcrea but by a member of the band that left after the first album ....

Posted 16 years ago by federico    [ Reply ]
Ericac wrote:
I just never know what to expect from Cake. It's always an interesting road.
I usually expect crap.  I am never wrong.


Posted 16 years ago by RadioDoc    [ Reply ]
Great pair of songs with this one and the prior one (Depeche Mode - Route 66)

Posted 16 years ago by paraclete    [ Reply ]
{#Dancingbanana_2}
Posted 16 years ago by aquadonia    [ Reply ]
I just never know what to expect from Cake.  It's always an interesting road.
Posted 16 years ago by Ericac    [ Reply ]

For some reason I thought Bill refused to play this Cake classic.  Although it's overplayed on CC, I enjoy it from time to time.

Posted 16 years ago by MonkeyPod    [ Reply ]
This one reminds me of a large turd for some reason.
Posted 16 years ago by miahfost    [ Reply ]
This one reminds me of Rage Against The Machine for some reason.
Posted 16 years ago by sdn    [ Reply ]
Posted 16 years ago by liser    [ Reply ]
Funny It is the only one I can tolerate.Xeric wrote:
All the way from one to zero. I like some Cake tunes quite well, but this ain't one of 'em. One I like, or a tune.
Posted 16 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
S-curvy wrote:
This is why we dig RP! By virtue of some mysterious DJ "medications and preparations" (thanks Frank) Bill successfully navigates between Beethoven, Miles, and Cake. Nay-sayers, this is great radio, open the shutters to your minds....
To whatever extent your talkin' to me, dude, this: I love (and financially support) this radio station precisely because it plays new, different, and unfamiliar music. If some of that music happens to totally suck, so much the better. Trying to please everyone is, after all, the Clear Channel model. . . .
Posted 16 years ago by Xeric    [ Reply ]
Cake goes the Distance. I love this song; it reminds me of better (or at least more exciting) days gone by.
Posted 16 years ago by jpgr69    [ Reply ]
This is why we dig RP! By virtue of some mysterious DJ "medications and preparations" (thanks Frank) Bill successfully navigates between Beethoven, Miles, and Cake. Nay-sayers, this is great radio, open the shutters to your minds....
Posted 16 years ago by S-curvy    [ Reply ]
kalkin84 wrote:
this song goes the distance
All the way from one to zero. I like some Cake tunes quite well, but this ain't one of 'em. One I like, or a tune.
Posted 16 years ago by Xeric    [ Reply ]
Cake on RP. It's why there's radioio.com.
Posted 16 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
redeyespy wrote:
Part of that lamentably deceased genre of Perfect 90s "Alt Radio" Gems (see also: Jimmy's Chicken Shack's "High"). Just an infectious, breathless, insanely rhythmic tune. The icing on the, er, cake is McCrea's mysterious ability to make his vocal sound frantic and sardonic simultaneously. A wry sort of victory, that.
Yeah. You make it sound real good. Franticly sardonic. My favorite. Not.
Posted 16 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
This is the kind of song you could hear once a year and be okay with.
Posted 16 years ago by RobotDeath    [ Reply ]
Part of that lamentably deceased genre of Perfect 90s "Alt Radio" Gems (see also: Jimmy's Chicken Shack's "High"). Just an infectious, breathless, insanely rhythmic tune. The icing on the, er, cake is McCrea's mysterious ability to make his vocal sound frantic and sardonic simultaneously. A wry sort of victory, that.
Posted 17 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
It buuuuurns!
Posted 17 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
this song goes the distance
Posted 17 years ago by kalkin84    [ Reply ]
Jared wrote:
If he played all of my favorite Cake songs, we'd hear more from Comfort Eagle.
Yes, exactly.
Posted 17 years ago by prickelpit96    [ Reply ]
...guh - bowel shaking earthquakes always make me feel ill...
Posted 17 years ago by mandolin    [ Reply ]
I never really dug this song, and I almost skipped out on Cake because of it. Fortunately I got turned on to some of their other work and therefore able to "discover" this great album.
Posted 17 years ago by smdeeg    [ Reply ]
It's funny - I like this a lot, but at the same time I could see why some would hate it. Me likes me Cake!
Posted 17 years ago by MojoJojo    [ Reply ]
Jared wrote:
If he played all of my favorite Cake songs, we'd hear more from Comfort Eagle.
Motorcade of Generosity, for me. The first, the finest.
Posted 17 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
Wizzuvv_oz wrote:
RP seems to play all of my favorite Cake songs. I dig it. This was a great album IMO
If he played all of my favorite Cake songs, we'd hear more from Comfort Eagle.
Posted 17 years ago by Jared    [ Reply ]
Funnily, I never cared much for this song til seeing them do it live. Now I'm hooked!
Posted 17 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
RP seems to play all of my favorite Cake songs. I dig it. This was a great album IMO
Posted 17 years ago by Wizzuvvoz    [ Reply ]
Not a great set this afternoon.
Posted 17 years ago by jagdriver    [ Reply ]
Love the alliteration in this one. Great lyrics, albeit a bit nonsensical.
Posted 17 years ago by UltraNurd    [ Reply ]
Killer arrangement!! LOVE THAT BASS!
Posted 17 years ago by DoctorHooey    [ Reply ]
All right. Aw, no.
Posted 19 years ago by poprocker1    [ Reply ]
Schmackdown wrote:
Fantastic band. This isn't one of their best, but none of the traditional radio releases are anyway. RP's Cake lineup features some of the band's worst tracks("friend...", "never there", "...screws"), but FWICT that's pretty much RP's MO: great bands, crappy or played-out selections, some great diamonds in the rough and a great place to find some new-to-me artists.
Well said, and I tend to agree. Although I think that "Never There" is pretty good, if not groundbreaking.
Posted 20 years ago by Shimmer    [ Reply ]
Good rock instrumentation, understandable lyrics, and so amusing as well!
Posted 20 years ago by rKokon    [ Reply ]
This is lame.
Posted 20 years ago by drH    [ Reply ]
Posted 20 years ago by indigo_xia    [ Reply ]
This goes well with the two cups of coffee I just slammed. Unfortunately it doesn't go well with my writing assignment.
Posted 21 years ago by Pez    [ Reply ]
i'm with all the others about playing some better cake tunes. they are such a great band, it's a shame that some people only hear their moments of mediocrity. more cake!!! better cake!!!
Posted 21 years ago by cyndromeda    [ Reply ]
Socially conscious and intelegent: Yes. Rockin': Hell Yeah :bananabanger:
Posted 21 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
Fantastic band. This isn\'t one of their best, but none of the traditional radio releases are anyway. RP\'s Cake lineup features some of the band\'s worst tracks(\"friend...\", \"never there\", \"...screws\"), but FWICT that\'s pretty much RP\'s MO: great bands, crappy or played-out selections, some great diamonds in the rough and a great place to find some new-to-me artists.
Posted 21 years ago by Schmackdown    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by stripes: Not my favourite cake song by any means. There are much better ones to play.
Maybe in your opinion, hey maybe in mine too. BUT, the same will be said for any song, or do you think that there is one song that we're all gonna nod sagely and say, yep, that's the one we should play.
Posted 21 years ago by stubbsz    [ Reply ]
Not my favourite cake song by any means. There are much better ones to play. :roll:
Posted 21 years ago by stripes    [ Reply ]
Posted 21 years ago by rgio    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by SnackBox_Acid: I am amazed at how frequently they are played here on RP...why?!?! If you want The Real Deal: just listen to Beck, not Beck Jr.
I rarely get defensive about a band, but Cake is a socially conscious band whose music reflects political and social critiques in clever and intelligent lyrics and innovative music. For example, the title track Fashion Nugget is a brutal critique of capitalism that I found to be right on - and have been intrigued by them ever since. And the reference to a similarity to Beck just doesn't hold water since IMHO they are nothing alike. While I appreciate opinions, Cake is worth your while to take a second look at, I think you might find more reasons than one why RP plays this band, although I think, not nearly as frequently as they should.
Posted 21 years ago by marycrichards    [ Reply ]
ahh my first illegal download... and now I have 3 Cake Albums legally.
Posted 21 years ago by stubbsz    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by bluebulb: Catchy tune...and this is their best album to date... You can't help but rattle along to this one. I recommend listening while speeding on the freeway...and just try to keep your foot off the gas!
Very fun - especially banging on the stearing wheel to the drum part.
Posted 21 years ago by csnyder    [ Reply ]
Like mold in a fine cheese, these guys have really grown on me in the past few years.
Posted 21 years ago by OmegaConcern    [ Reply ]
I haven\'t heard a single song by this group that I could listen to for more than a few seconds. Please RP, spare us more Cake.
Posted 21 years ago by MsJudi    [ Reply ]
cake is one of the worst and most gimmicky bands i have ever heard. their 15 minutes well over. let them fade into oblivion.
Posted 21 years ago by downbylaw    [ Reply ]
You can NEVER play enough Cake. What an incredible band. MORE CAKE! MORE CAKE!
Posted 21 years ago by MiataDJ    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by bluebulb: ...and this is their best album to date...
Yikes! How sad for them. I like a lot of different styles of music and think most of the complainers here need to lighten up, but I find this tune to be simply wretched. It gets only the second "1" rating I've given on RP. So very, very, very bad. I feel dirty...
Posted 22 years ago by rcurrier    [ Reply ]
Catchy tune...and this is their best album to date... You can\'t help but rattle along to this one. I recommend listening while speeding on the freeway...and just try to keep your foot off the gas!
Posted 22 years ago by bluebulb    [ Reply ]
\"bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse..\" I think i\'ve had those before.. :D
Posted 22 years ago by JCJ    [ Reply ]
Neat. I remember this from days gone by, but never made the connection between this song and all the other Cake tunes. :)
Posted 22 years ago by catsoup    [ Reply ]
Hahaha, just looked for Fun Lovin\' Criminals at AMG, guess who they compare them with?!
Posted 22 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by lily33: hey! i love G Love & Special Sauce! good call!! i'll keep my fingers crossed. in the meantime, i enjoy cake, too.
hi lily33. Yes you're right, why not play them both. Cake with a special sauce, curious 'bout that. :-) In the meantime G. Love is on the playlist as well and I start liking Cake (the band) more and more. They differ enough after all. Cake's just more of a (funny) rockband. A bit like the Presidents Of The USA or The Fun Lovin' Criminals (are they already on the playlist?) And now I'll stop comparing!!! :p
Posted 22 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]
RP pretty often plays Cake, which make me wonder why G Love & Special Sauce isn\'t on the playlist as well. That\'s a so much more loose, playful and groovin\' kinda mix of rap, rock, blues and folkmusic. More original too. Maybe sometime(?). Hope so.
Posted 22 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]