Red Flags & Green Lights
Alex Wilson
Description
A high-energy, synth-driven pop song about the thrill and danger of attraction. The protagonist is drawn to a charismatic but unpredictable individual, knowingly ignoring obvious warning signs ('red flags') which, in the heat of the moment, seem like exciting invitations ('green lights'). The song uses driving metaphors to convey a sense of reckless abandon and the intoxicating allure of a risky romance. The production blends modern pop sensibilities with subtle electronic elements and a hint of 80s synthwave influence.
Lyrics
Intro (SFX + hook) Turn signal on—heart says go. (Turn signal fading in and out, tire screech subtly layered) Verse 1 You text "we're fine" with a crying face, Say you hate games then set the pace. You wear caution tape like it's a scarf, Kiss me once and call it smart. You draw boundaries with a neon pen, Then trip the line and cross again. Every no is wearing heels tonight— Every wrong turn feels so right. Pre-Chorus I know the map says slow it down, But you look like a fast-lane town. If danger had a little crown, I'd bow—I'd bow. Chorus All your RED FLAGS look like GREEN LIGHTS when I'm with you, Every warning reads like "race me" in that view. If I crash, I'll write it off as proof, That I was alive in your lane, in your truth. All your RED FLAGS—yeah, I ran right through— Because every red looks green on you. Post-Chorus (chant) Red—green—go. (Go.) Red—green—go. (Go.) I should know better—don't. (No.) Verse 2 You talk clean, then you smudge the glass, Promise Sunday, show up last. You say "space," then stand too close, Say "we'll see," but you already know. We're a yellow light on a rainy street, We blink—then jump both feet. If common sense is traffic law, I'm laughing in the mirror's fog. Pre-Chorus I know the rulebook, read it twice, Still choose thrill over good advice. If loving you is overpriced— Swipe twice, swipe twice. Chorus All your RED FLAGS look like GREEN LIGHTS when I'm with you, Every warning reads like "race me" in that view. If I crash, I'll write it off as proof, That I was alive in your lane, in your truth. All your RED FLAGS—yeah, I ran right through— Because every red looks green on you. Bridge (half-time) Hands at ten and two on a heart that spins, Airbag truth when the night begins. If wreckage is a kind of art, Paint me fast inside your dark. Chorus All your RED FLAGS look like GREEN LIGHTS when I'm with you, Every warning reads like "race me" in that view. If I crash, I'll frame it like the moon— A bright mistake I'd make by noon. All your RED FLAGS—yeah, I ran right through— Because every red looks green on you. (Go—go—go.) Tag (spoken-sung) Turn signal on—heart says go. (Echoed, almost a question)