The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Where have you gone again my sweet?
Everybody wants to know
Where have you gone again my sweet?
Everybody wants to know
Where you gone?
I'm just a ghost, I'm on your street
Waitin', when you comin' home?
Gone so long
Where you gone?
On a long slow goodbye?
On a long slow goodbye...
In every voice, I hear you speak
Waitin' by the telephone
I close my eyes, I just can't sleep
Roll & tumble all night long
All night long
Where you gone?
I close my eyes, I just can't sleep
Where have you gone again my sweet?
On a long slow goodbye?
On a long slow goodbye...
Goodbye
Everybody wants to know
Where have you gone again my sweet?
Everybody wants to know
Where you gone?
I'm just a ghost, I'm on your street
Waitin', when you comin' home?
Gone so long
Where you gone?
On a long slow goodbye?
On a long slow goodbye...
In every voice, I hear you speak
Waitin' by the telephone
I close my eyes, I just can't sleep
Roll & tumble all night long
All night long
Where you gone?
I close my eyes, I just can't sleep
Where have you gone again my sweet?
On a long slow goodbye?
On a long slow goodbye...
Goodbye
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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.
Mountain Song
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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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Is this song not written by alain johannes about the pain he felt about the fact natasha schneider (his wife and multi instrumentalist on lullbaies to paralyze and tours)about her diagnosis with cancer and in the end her sad passing away or her "long slow goodbye" rip natasha love qotsa.
it depends on when Natasha was diagnosed, given that the album came out in 2005 while she passed away in the summer of 2008. interesting interpretation, nonetheless.
@Forage17 This is what the song is, the fact that heknows that she is going to die and that he has to live with himself as she dies, slowly. The pain really does come through.
Sounds pretty obvious to me, but i think its about a guy who is kind of left by some girl and hes just expecting to get some response back from her, but shes not calling; shes completely forgotten about him?
Has anyone ever noticed this music slightly sounds like a slowed down 'go with the flow'? with a few differences? Me and my friends noticed this once and since the horns at the end 'connect' it to Songs for the deaf, I'd go as far as saying this song is the aftermath of the relationship described on 'go with the flow'.
just speculation though, love it :)
@Cisquo That's because it features the same chords as go with the flow...
just an idea:
Alzheimer's disease. They nickname it "The long goodbye", and certain lyrics in the song have a slight connection to the effects Alzheimer's has eg "Waiting, when you coming home?" "Waiting by the telephone"
If anyones ever known someone with Alzheimer's, you would probably see the connection. So maybe someone in the band knew someone who had it? (ps, N0 C0DE you're right, Lanegan did co-write it)
I just have to comment on what messiah4theanimals was saying. I think that the songs at the end that worked to draw it out were actually the last songs. The last ones were the odd ones. Self Titled had "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" with the weird beeps and stuff at the end with the message from Nick. R had "I Think I Lost..." and SFTD had "Mosquito Song" They were the odd ones out that really made the album stand out.
it's so typical of queens to have a track like this to end the album, something on the end to draw it out, in this case horns.
for the first album it was you can't quit me baby, rated had i think i lost my headache (also horns) and sftd had a song for the deaf...if that makes any sense.
I don't have the booklet in front of me, and it may not even say it in there, but this song REEKS of Mark Lanegan.......
It has Him written all over it.... that's not a bad thing Either... Mark is amazing...This song is amazing too...
Followup to the last comments ... Mark Lanegan is, as we all know, blues-informed, and this is very audible on this track. Total blues all the way, straight up; the feel, the chords, the progression. And ofc. the lyrics(!) bear unmistakeable blues imagery ("Roll & tumble all night long" etc.) Love this stuff!
@schism: I like that interpretation. And one could think in this context of any deadly sickness a beloved persons suffers from. But however, if this song is about a lost love or dying people it is sad anyway. And as I am a girl, I looove sad songs.
since when do girls love sad songs?
I think that its a father, that waits for his Daughter to come back from somewhere, and it is already late in the night, or maybe even a few days since she disapered; and he is worry about her.