Rubberneck Lions

The song was called Rubbernecking Lines before the album was released. I suspect to clean it up for the masses. It's about drugs

Bit of a long shot, because I don't know if this happens in USA... but is this about someone who lives on benefits and doesn't work?

I seem to derive this from "I choose to live on water and bread Cause of the rubberneck lions as I lie bed"

n 1: a tourist who is visiting sights of interest [syn: sightseer, excursionist, tripper] 2: a person who stares inquisitively v : strain to watch; stare curiously; "The cars slowed down and the drivers rubbernecked after the accident"

Hmm.

a failed suicide

I think it's talking about a person who possibly attempted suicide by drugs (he's hallucinating the lions that appear to be 'rubbernecking'). The being failed the suicide and continues to be addicted to the drug.

My 'evidence' making it plausable that the man was a drug addict: "Aaron looked to Moses for his daily bread."

my thoughts is that its not suicide but a atempted murder..i mean why would there be a double barrel under his pillow you know...i mean that line just kinda throws me off that it was suicide....maybe hes on one of those permanent trips off a hallucinagin and he sees all this shit and it freaks the hell out of him...and maybe only water and bread because he thinks meat will attrach the lions...idk...kinda of an out there meaning of the song...but i mean les and trey are pretty out there

I beleive it's about oxy's/heroin abuse as you get the nods and don't want to be bothered as it makes you quite edgey. Also at the time Trey was still using.

Rubber necking is when people stop an stare or cant take their eyes or sttn off of something. So i think hes saying he just wants to disappear because he has all these rubberneck lions who look to him like he is more than what he is. They feast off his energy. So he wants to just get away for a while. Hence you dont wake a man when hes trying to be dead. An the double barrel under his head is like a warning, leave me alone i want to be by myself. He says im cold and im lonley but ill come around black clouds hanging over shady grounds. Hes saying look you people dont really care about me personally you dont even take the time to know me. So hes cold an lonley because these people give him all this attn for whatever reason an he dosnt want it like that he wants real relationships. So hes saying look just give me my space an ill be back around. Right now i just want to do me. I just want to live on water an bread like anyone else but you guys make it hard. But they dont listen to him. The last verse well im old but im homely but would you come around is him saying can i just have a normal relationship with people i want to have what others have im humble an want real relationships. But eRs are def to hear a sound means they dont listen. He then uses the nature of moses life which was much like this. People always looked to him but rarley listened. Moses carried a heavy burden an was quite lonley. People only looked to him for his ability to supply there daily bread on behalf of God. His people where rubberneck lions.once they get what they got what they wanted they left. But they always came back for more like a lion to the feast.

Saw them in 2006 and they played this song. I am with the other commenter that mentioned opiate abuse. Will cite a few verses and my interpretation of them.

Runnerbeck lions sounds like rubbernecking lines which is doing lines.

I bough a cactus from a miser named Fred.

Cacti have needles. Basically saying he bought a needle from a bum.

I choose to live on water and bread.

Dope addicts fed their habit above all else.

Well I'm cold and I'm lonely but I'll come around. Black clouds hanging over shady grounds.

Describes the feelings of a dope addict looking for a fix. He feels horrible but he will come over to a sketchy place to get his fix.

I never listen to a word you said.

Someone obviously told him not to get into opiates.

Never mess with a man while he's trying to be dead.

Dope addicts don't want to be bothered while they are high.

Well I'm old and homely but would you come around.

After years of addiction it's hard to keep old friends. Addicts rarely leave their house other than to feed their habit.

As others have said this reflects mostly heroin abuse and trey anastio was well known to be in that scene when this song was written. Masterpiece for sure.