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.
I met him at a party and he told me how to drive him home
He said he liked to do it backwards
I said, "That's just fine with me,
That way we can fuck and watch TV."
It was four a.m. and the light was gray, like it always is in paperbacks
He asked if I liked playing jacks
I told him that I was good to sixes
But all hell broke loose after that
I told him that I knew Julia Roberts when I was twelve at summer camp
We didn't say anything after that
I dropped him off and I drove on home
'Cause secretly I'm timid
He said he liked to do it backwards
I said, "That's just fine with me,
That way we can fuck and watch TV."
It was four a.m. and the light was gray, like it always is in paperbacks
He asked if I liked playing jacks
I told him that I was good to sixes
But all hell broke loose after that
I told him that I knew Julia Roberts when I was twelve at summer camp
We didn't say anything after that
I dropped him off and I drove on home
'Cause secretly I'm timid
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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
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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,
it's about not having sex. she meets a guy at a party, shares inane conversation with the intention of having sex but she ends up just driving him home. she's secretly timid, as much as she'd like to think she's brave and brazen by doing the driving and having all these thoughts of sex and leading the conversation into sexual territory, she's very shy.
I think it's about a girl who's not just timid but also naïve. She intends to do something spontaneous/ something to show that she's mature (have sex with someone she barely knows) but she doesn't know how to go about it. He talks about kinky things: doing it backwards and the thing with jacks but her mind is too innocent to know how to respond properly. She's thinking about things children would think about: TV, summer camp, etc. When she talks about her skills in the actual kid's game as opposed to in the bed, perhaps he realizes how innocent she really is because that's when "all hell broke loose".
also she tries to play it off like she changed her mind at the end and decided just to drop him off at his house instead of going inside. "SECRETLY I'm timid" But 1. there was no chemistry between them and 2. as I mentioned before, the guy probably realized that she didn't know what she was doing. Her timidity probably wasn't such a big secret, at least, not to him.
I think she's found a boy that she really likes at a party, as clearly stated, and agrees to have sex with him even if it's degrading (fuck & watch TV). Afterwards, she takes him and he tries to make conversation, but they're both so mismatched they can't create a dialogue. Then at the end, you realize that she did this even though she's still vulnerable and shy.
well, i think you summed it up wonderfully :). However, I did not know that Ben Folds covered this. I found that to be a pleasant surprise.
I saw Ben Folds cover this when he was part of The Bens and shouted "Liz Phair rules". He looked at me funny. :-)
I don't really get the second verse.
Is he mounting her doggy style?
I really don't get that either.
I think it's referring to the game jacks... y'know, the one little girls play by bouncing a ball and picking up the little metal things. She can get to six, but no more...
I think the game jacks (being played by children) means that she is to young for him like they have nothing in common because she is so much younger. I also think that she had a one night stand with him and she wanted it to be more than that but he didn't. Like the verse "the light was gray Like it always is in paperbacks." Paper backs being romance novels and in her mind it was like a fairy tail at first.
when she talks about playing jacks, i think i get it. or maybe i'm a sicko. oh well, here goes. no i cant say it!!!!
alright never mind i don't know if playing jacks os sexual or what. but i do know this: i completely agree with blair23.