Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
There must be a forecast
That you won't let yourself see
So you keep watching as you're driftin'
Sail away from what you need
Why don't I just give you
Everything you'll take from me
'Cause nobody owns anything
If everyone is free
That's why
This ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we could carry on
God fearing people at the bottom of the sea
Walkin' without lanterns let a stone skip over thee
Hi ho we're weightless in the sea
Hi ho be gone and lets just dance
Waltz above the ocean
This ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we might carry on
Let it be sung so we
Let it be sung so we could carry on
I've heard all of the stories
And in them I've put my trust
You gotta touch the bottom before you can come back up
And I know what you're heart is telling you
'Cause my hearts telling me the same thing too
That this ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we might carry on
Let it be sung so we
Let it be sung so we could carry on
That you won't let yourself see
So you keep watching as you're driftin'
Sail away from what you need
Why don't I just give you
Everything you'll take from me
'Cause nobody owns anything
If everyone is free
That's why
This ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we could carry on
God fearing people at the bottom of the sea
Walkin' without lanterns let a stone skip over thee
Hi ho we're weightless in the sea
Hi ho be gone and lets just dance
Waltz above the ocean
This ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we might carry on
Let it be sung so we
Let it be sung so we could carry on
I've heard all of the stories
And in them I've put my trust
You gotta touch the bottom before you can come back up
And I know what you're heart is telling you
'Cause my hearts telling me the same thing too
That this ship is goin' down
Desperately I need a sound
A song to sing so we could carry on
Just let it be sung so we might carry on
Let it be sung so we
Let it be sung so we could carry on
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The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
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.
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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."
the song is about surfing and wiping out...ill give you a verse to verse break down.
Verse 1 (Jack Johnson)- when you are surfing you pay attention to the forecast a lot to kind of give you an idea of how strong the rip current is and how high the waves are. but usually you go out anyways even if its flat and as you drift with the current you watch the horizon for wave peaks. And while your waiting your drifting from your personal life. and the second stanza of verse one talks about how people give each other tips and helps each other out and its pretty much like a whole community out in the line up where "nobody owns anything and everyone is free."
Chorus- This is the wipe out. The ship is you and the board. and the sound is guidance so "desperately i need a sound" is a prayer for help. the song is again a metaphor for help so that they can carry on surfing.
Verse 2 (Matt Costa)- Basically in this verse Mother Ocean plays the role of God. If you fear the ocean while your surfing you are going to wipe out and end up "at the bottom of the sea" no matter what you do. you shouldn't really be out in the line up if you arent confident enough to handle the waves that what the whole "Hi Ho" part is about telling the people who lack that confidence to leave before they get seriously hurt. and the whole dancing the waltz above the ocean is a metaphor for surfing so "...let's just dance/ waltz above the ocean" is saying forget them lets just continue surfing.
Verse 3 (Zach Gill)- The stories are surfing legends that people pass around and tell about wipe outs they have experienced and most surfers believe them. and when you do wipe out you have to touch the bottom so you can push off of it to get back to the surface. cause when your in the water after a wipe out you have no idea which way is up. so yo should try to reach the bottom so you can position yourself. and what your heart is telling is instinct which is to survive.
I do agree with koukla and i think the song is about surfing and in this case surfing (especially the wipe out) is a metaphor for getting through rough times.