"Obstacle 1" is a song from Interpol's first album, Turn on the Bright Lights.
It has been considered by some to be a defining example of the "love-it-or-hate-it" aura that fans and critics say surrounds the band; some fans truly enjoy the song, and some prefer to avoid it. The song, inasmuch as it can be defined by a single genre, most fits with the post-punk revival sound that Interpol has become known for, although it is noticeably different from most other songs they have recorded. With a louder, more electric sound, "Obstacle 1" contrasts with the rest of Turn on the Bright Lights.
The song's lyrics carry no obvious meaning other than a subtle underlying theme of yearning and love. As with many of Interpol's cryptic lyrics, this was perhaps a deliberate choice to allow the listener to either interpret as they feel the song resonates with them or to simply enjoy the sound without having to decode a meaning (compare with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós's use of a gibberish language, "Hopelandic", to the same end).
In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Obstacle 1" at number 91 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
