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.
You're obsessed and distressed ‘cause you can't make any sense
Of the ludicrous nonsense and incipient senescence
That will deem your common sense useless
This ain’t no recess
I want to believe in you, but my plan keeps falling through
I know I have to face the harshness, grin and bear the truth
And I have to walk this mile in my own shoes
(But I'm no fool!)
I'm materialist
A full-blown realist
I guess I'm full of doubt
So I'm prone to have it out
With you
I'm materialist
There ain't no fear in this
It's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mystery
With me
Mind over matter, it really don't matter
If the street's idle chatter turns your heart strings to tatters
Flatter hopes don't flatter and soul batter won't congeal to mend a life
That’s shattered into shards
Was it in the cards?
The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak
I must confess, at times I indulge it on the sneak
But generally my outlook's not so bleak
(And I'm not meek!)
I'm materialist
Call me a humanist
I guess I'm full of doubt,
So I'll gladly have it out
With you
I'm materialist
I ain't no deist
It's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mystery
With me
Like Rome under Nero, our future's one big zero
Recycling the past to meet the immediate needs
And through it all we amble forth to persevere and climb
Our mountains of regret to sow our seeds
I'm materialist
I'm materialist
I'm materialist
I'm materialist!
Of the ludicrous nonsense and incipient senescence
That will deem your common sense useless
This ain’t no recess
I want to believe in you, but my plan keeps falling through
I know I have to face the harshness, grin and bear the truth
And I have to walk this mile in my own shoes
(But I'm no fool!)
I'm materialist
A full-blown realist
I guess I'm full of doubt
So I'm prone to have it out
With you
I'm materialist
There ain't no fear in this
It's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mystery
With me
Mind over matter, it really don't matter
If the street's idle chatter turns your heart strings to tatters
Flatter hopes don't flatter and soul batter won't congeal to mend a life
That’s shattered into shards
Was it in the cards?
The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak
I must confess, at times I indulge it on the sneak
But generally my outlook's not so bleak
(And I'm not meek!)
I'm materialist
Call me a humanist
I guess I'm full of doubt,
So I'll gladly have it out
With you
I'm materialist
I ain't no deist
It's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mystery
With me
Like Rome under Nero, our future's one big zero
Recycling the past to meet the immediate needs
And through it all we amble forth to persevere and climb
Our mountains of regret to sow our seeds
I'm materialist
I'm materialist
I'm materialist
I'm materialist!
Lyrics submitted by nfgpunk023
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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.
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KillboyPowerhead... The Materialism refered to in this song is the scientific and philisophical use of the word. The sense you are speaking of is economic. It seems quite clear to me that it is this Philisophical Materialism that Greg is speaking of (lines like "[I'm] a full out realist", "don't talk of hidden mysteries with me", and "I aint no deist" are my evidence).
I personaly think the reference to Nero is simply to emphasize the line "our future's one big zero"
This was a really hard song to figure out, since I don't have a PhD from Cornell like a certain band member... but I think I got the better parts correctly.
All I have to say is that Greg Graffin has amazing word power. No one can write songs like he can.
yeah, these lyrics are mostly all wrong.
I know what a lot of these are, but I was wondering if anybody wanted to define all these different little association things so I have a clearer idea about what he is talking about: Materialist, Realist, Deist
Materialist is a philosophical approch to life where you believe that nothing exists except matter
Here are the corrected lyrics: You're obsessed and distressed Cause you can't make any sense of the ludicrous nonsense and incipient senescence that will deem your common sense useless this aint no recess! I want to believe in you, but my plan keeps falling through I know I have to face the harshness, grin and bear the truth And I have to walk this mile in my own shoes (and I'm no fool!) [Chorus] I'm materialist a full-out realist and I guess I'm full of doubt so I'm prone to have it out with you I'm materialist There ain't no fear in this it's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mysteries with me... Mind over matter, it really don't matter If the street's idle chatter turns your heart strings to tatters Flatter hopes don't flatter and soul batter won't congeal to mend a life that is shattered into shards Was it in the cards? The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak I must confess, at times I indulge it on the sneak but generally my outlook's not so bleak (and I'm not meek!) [Chorus] I'm materialist a full-out realist and I guess I'm full of doubt, but I'll gladly have it out with you I'm materialist I ain't no deist it's there for all to see, so don't of hidden mysteries with me Like Rome under Nero, our future's one big zero Recycling the past to meet the immediate needs And through it all we ramble forth with persevere and climb Our mountains of regret to sow our seeds I'm materialist I'm materialist I'm materialist I'm materialist (hold)
I just love how he pronounces 'Materialist' as "Matter-Realist". Makes it alot easier to explain to someone he isn't talking about being a good consumer.
Materialist: No God, Pixie, Gnome, Ghost, or Spirit will get us out of this mess. Guess we'll have to realize that we have to fix our own problems.
"The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak, and imust admit attimes i indulge it on the sneak, but generally my outlook's not so weak" - This, to me, is Greag saying that people believe in meaningless religions because it makes them feel stronger, and that he himself sometimes feels that way, because it's easier to think that there is a God than to feel alone!
I know this is song meanings, but this song just has an awesome intro, i could listen to that bass at the start alllllll day!