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.
Everything is good and brown
I'm here again
With a sunshine smile upon my face
My friends are close at hand
And all my inhibitions have disappeared without a trace
I'm glad, oh, that I found
Ooh, somebody who I can rely on
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, you and I go deeper
Maybe I'm gonna have to get high just to get by
Now, you know I got that
I got that cheeba, cheeba kinda space cowboy vibe
Everything is good, oh, and green
Say, I'm red again
And I don't suppose I'm coming down
I can see clearly, so high in sky
A man with psychedelic picture frames
Of happiness to shade his eyes
He's glad, oh, that he found
Somebody who he can rely on
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, help me go deeper
You and I, you and I, you and I, hey, oh
Now, this is the return of the space cowboy
He's got that, he's got that interplanetary, good
Good vibe zone
Oh, good times, hard times, good vibes, hey
Oh, I like what you're doing on that, yeah
This time
Oh now, now, this is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, hmm, interplanetary, good vibe zone
At the speed of cheeba, oh, you and I, you and I go deeper
Hey, maybe I'm gonna have to get high this time
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, oh we're going deeper
You and I, you and I, you and I
You and I, you and I, you and I
You and I, you and I, you and I, hey
We're going deeper, yeah
We're going deeper, yeah
We're going deeper, yeah
Now, this is the return of the space cowboy
Good times, hard times, good vibes, oh
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Ha-ha-ha
Yeah, aw, hmm, I know from where it's comin' from
Now we're going, people
At the speed of cheeba
You and I go deeper
I'll stay with you on this
On this interplanetary level
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, hey, a good vibe zone
Speed, speed, at the speed of cheeba
Oh, you and I, you and I, oh, you and I go
Hey, hey, hey, you and I go deeper, deeper
I wanna go, I wanna go deeper with you
You know, you got that, you got that space cowboy vibe
Interplanetary, good vibes, good vibes, good times
At the speed of cheeba, I got cheeba on the brain
Go now, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go
I'm here again
With a sunshine smile upon my face
My friends are close at hand
And all my inhibitions have disappeared without a trace
I'm glad, oh, that I found
Ooh, somebody who I can rely on
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, you and I go deeper
Maybe I'm gonna have to get high just to get by
Now, you know I got that
I got that cheeba, cheeba kinda space cowboy vibe
Everything is good, oh, and green
Say, I'm red again
And I don't suppose I'm coming down
I can see clearly, so high in sky
A man with psychedelic picture frames
Of happiness to shade his eyes
He's glad, oh, that he found
Somebody who he can rely on
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, help me go deeper
You and I, you and I, you and I, hey, oh
Now, this is the return of the space cowboy
He's got that, he's got that interplanetary, good
Good vibe zone
Oh, good times, hard times, good vibes, hey
Oh, I like what you're doing on that, yeah
This time
Oh now, now, this is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, hmm, interplanetary, good vibe zone
At the speed of cheeba, oh, you and I, you and I go deeper
Hey, maybe I'm gonna have to get high this time
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Say, at the speed of cheeba, oh we're going deeper
You and I, you and I, you and I
You and I, you and I, you and I
You and I, you and I, you and I, hey
We're going deeper, yeah
We're going deeper, yeah
We're going deeper, yeah
Now, this is the return of the space cowboy
Good times, hard times, good vibes, oh
Interplanetary, good vibe zone
Ha-ha-ha
Yeah, aw, hmm, I know from where it's comin' from
Now we're going, people
At the speed of cheeba
You and I go deeper
I'll stay with you on this
On this interplanetary level
This is the return of the space cowboy
Interplanetary, hey, a good vibe zone
Speed, speed, at the speed of cheeba
Oh, you and I, you and I, oh, you and I go
Hey, hey, hey, you and I go deeper, deeper
I wanna go, I wanna go deeper with you
You know, you got that, you got that space cowboy vibe
Interplanetary, good vibes, good vibes, good times
At the speed of cheeba, I got cheeba on the brain
Go now, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go
Lyrics submitted by Crimson0311
Space Cowboy Lyrics as written by Jason Kay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about getting high on great cannabis. You can take whatever meaning you like from this song and thats fine as well.
The music video gives clues, he points to his eyes on the 'Say, I'm red again' part, indicating red eyes. The disco lights in the background are shaped like the leaves of the plant. The addidas shirt.
'A man with psychedelic picture frames Of happiness to shade his eyes' - it's about the sunglasses often used to hide the eyes.
Although at first sight this song seems about smoking out, I think it means more than that. It's about how love gets you high, much like "Cheeba". Jay doesn't say "I smoked some Cheeba and I feel awesome!" etc., instead he says "At the speed of Cheeba, you and I go deeper", which clearly indicates a love theme which perhaps overrides the drug theme also present in the lyrics. There are many more instances where this seems more about love than anything else. Examples include "I'm glad that I found somebody I can rely on" or "He's glad he found somebody he can rely on" and the repetitious use of the phrase "you and I" later on. It seems that love gets JK "so high in the sky" that he ends up in that "interplanetary good vibe zone", which perhaps inhabits the mysterious space cowboy or even Mr. Moon! Indeed, the emancipatory nature of love is a theme central to the entire album. Love gives "flowers for my pain" in Mr. Moon, and "sunshine in my life" in Light Years. There are so many more examples! Another piece of evidence for the love theme in the Space Cowboy is the musical development which reaches such a huge climax toward the end that it seems reminiscent of an orgasm.
I really love to listen to this song - especially at quiet evenings. strange nobody put a comment on this song yet
what's it about? lol
It seems like it's about general happiness. It's almost to relaxing to be true :D
hehehe yea
I love this song it's about someone returning from a jounrey and everything is good the sky is blue and good and maybe jay getting high he will feel the same way without going on a jounrey.
I think he's so high in this song. He's on a wonderful happy journey in his head. At the speed of Cheeba? he's tripping with a good friend or two.
lol...I can't believe nobody said it until Atrus. This song is so clearly about smoking out and everything mellowing out and feeling good. I know that and I've never even been to the Interplanetary good-vibe zone... ;)
lol yes that's true this is a very "high" song :p