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.
we lifted the body from the water like a gown
you took off your bra to wrap the wound
though the man was dead, and there was no need
then your face turned red, when you said to me
i'll suck the marrow out
and rape your hollow bones yoni
alone putting three coins into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement on fairmount street
putting three quarters into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement, i feel
like a loop of the last eight frames of film
before a slow motion lee harvey oswald
gets shot in the gut and killed,
alone putting three coins into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement on fairmount street
billy the kid did what he did and he died
you took off your bra to wrap the wound
though the man was dead, and there was no need
then your face turned red, when you said to me
i'll suck the marrow out
and rape your hollow bones yoni
alone putting three coins into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement on fairmount street
putting three quarters into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement, i feel
like a loop of the last eight frames of film
before a slow motion lee harvey oswald
gets shot in the gut and killed,
alone putting three coins into a washing machine
next to a caulked cracked wall
in the basement on fairmount street
billy the kid did what he did and he died
Lyrics submitted by oh ok
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way to lay it down. it's really not that obvious, but that's definitely what this is. im glad to see this realistic why? interpretation, because his songs are obviously not "its about him being sad about his girlfriend" or some shit.
You're fucking stupid for believing that bullshit.
And voting for Ron Paul
This is my first post on songmeanings, but not my first time here. I just felt compelled to respond:<br /> <br /> Ahaha. The Ron Paul Devolution.
I feel it's important--although a small change--to note that at least one of the times, he says "Billy the Kid did what he did, THEN he died"--this puts across more the idea of serving a purpose of some kind, or at least the order of things.
I'm not sure why such a parallel needs to be drawn with the demise of cLOUDDEAD and all that. How many times have you been doing something horribly boring and imagined yourself living a more exciting life to pass the time? Maybe he's a "sad assassin" because he's stuck in the basement on Fairmount Street washing his clothes and he wishes he could be out in the world murdering folks and gettin' it on with the ladies.
It's a very visual song, starting with a scene of action-movie tension and unexpected sensual allure, and then flipping to an ugly laundry room where he sits alone, perhaps waiting for the spin cycle to finish. I think these lines:
in the basement, i feel like a loop of the last eight frames of film before a slow motion lee harvey oswald gets shot in the gut and killed
point to his longing for adventure and excitement (and on another level, for the release of death), even after coming back to his rather uneventful reality. Before Oswald was killed, he was, after all, just going about his daily activities, without any indication that his life was about to end, and then... BAM. If it could happen to Oswald, why couldn't it happen to Yoni, sitting there in that basement?
There's just so much in the song that's right there in front of your face that I don't feel the need to take it beyond that to a metaphorical level. It's a wonderful snapshot of someone's -- really, anyone's -- state of mind in a moment of boredom.
I know this song is pretty obvious but I'll add my two cents anyway.
This is clearly Yoni coming to terms with the death of cLOUDDEAD; the resentment that was evident at the end of their run is the second stanza, the futile attempt at revivification (the bra-tourniquet bit) is Ten, and Billy the Kid is an allegorical representation of the group.
"Three coins"? Obviously the three members Yoni, Adam, and David. The solitude is obviously due to the fat that the group is over. This song is about making sense of a personal tragedy, obviously, not the group itself. The reference to Fairmount Street is clearly reminiscent of the last line of Apt. A; "33 E. McMillan St. Apt." An apartment on McMillan St with a laundromat on fairmount. Sound familiar to anyone?
Obviously, clearly.
Very nice interpretation.<br /> Even though that's Yoni's reason for the song, I for some reason see it completely differently. I kind of take the first part more literally for some reason. It makes me feel a certain way that I can't really explain.
"Three coins"? This is a clear reference to the documentary Loose Change as well as a reference to WTC1, WTC2 and WTC7. "Why did the third coin fall into the washing machine with the rest?" Yoni is asking us.
The dead body is simply an abstraction of Ground Zero (the site of these controlled demolitions); the tourniquet is the United States' so-called "War on Terror." Here, Why? is reminding us that such retaliatory action won't bring back the loved ones we lost in these tragic controlled demolitions.
Billy the Kid was an outlaw in the Wild West. He was killed because of the crimes he committed. George W. Bush is also considered by many, including Why?, to be an ignorant criminal and self-styled cowboy. In this refrain, Why? is pointing out that, if Billy the Kid deserved death for his relatively minor crimes, shouldn't George W. Bush and his administration face the same justice?
The line about Lee Harvey Oswald being murdered is Why? drawing a parallel between 9/11 conspiracy and JFK conspiracy. It's frightening, the lengths the government and Illuminati are willing to go in order to keep the truth from us.
911Truth.com RonPaul2008.com LooseChangeTheFinalCut.com
That would make sense, except Yoni is Jewish and everyone knows the Jews did WTC.
ronpaul2008's post = worst, most nonsensical, non-sequitur interpretation of any song ever. Who would expect any less from someone who was fooled by Loose Change?
I'm not sure about the idea that this song is about the breakup of Clouddead, either. I mean, Elephant Eyelash DID deal a lot with the death of a relationship, and there IS in fact a line about a "she" looking at him and threatening to suck out his marrow.
Why would this song NOT be about a girl, or the emotions she provoked? For what reason could the "body" not be a metaphor for what's left over after the death of their relationship? I don't know for sure, but I'm also confused by the degree of certitude some of you other guys are displaying.
I'm sure he's latched on to Obama by now, don't worry.
Oh ya um why is Ten raping Why's bones again?
I don't know much about cLOUDDEAD's disbandment, but maybe he felt that he was creative force behind the band and that the others were riding him to try to continue putting out music, ie Ten.
I don't know much about cLOUDDEAD's disbandment, but maybe he felt that he was creative force behind the band and that the others were riding him to try to continue putting out music, ie Ten.