Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Ten fingers counting we have each
Nine planets around the sun repeat
Eight ball the last, if you triumphant be
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
Six senses feeling
Five around a sense of self
Four seasons turn on and turn off
I can see three corners from this corner
Two's the perfect number
But one, well
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
We can't do a thing about it
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Yeah, well
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
('Roi!)
(yeah)
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
We can't do a thing about it
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Nine planets around the sun repeat
Eight ball the last, if you triumphant be
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
Six senses feeling
Five around a sense of self
Four seasons turn on and turn off
I can see three corners from this corner
Two's the perfect number
But one, well
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
We can't do a thing about it
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Yeah, well
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
('Roi!)
(yeah)
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes
Oh, Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone will come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
We can't do a thing about it
Too many choices
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
Too many choices
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I was on a recent trip to Argentina and talking to someone about living in Brazil during the cold war. I began to cry because I remembered that I was terrified during the time period that the United States would be attacked and I wouldn't have a country to come home to. For those of you who were really young when the cold war ended, you may not realize that it was really a war. While the violence was not explicit, it was there daily... This song is a protest against the arms race and the ideology that backed it. If you compare the song to the poem it is based on, it is a very stark criticism of the destruction of everything we hold so dear. Today we have other threats that we must deal with (See Al Gore's movie). This song also criticizes totalitarianism (thus the lyrics: If you don't get in line we'll lock you away) and makes fun of governments that claim people can do what they want yet lock them away for their opinions. Remember Dave lived in an authoritarian state, (South Africa during apartheid). Dave also ridicules imperialism and colonialism in other songs. If you are not up on cold war history I would suggest looking at some of the sites on exactly what nuclear destruction can cause. The pictures are very graphic and disturbing.