| Band of Horses – The Funeral Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Ok, i know that songs mean different things to everyone, and sometimes it's easy to think that a song is specifically about something you personally understand or have been through. In this case, however, I am almost sure I understand this song. My girlfriend of 6 years became addicted to heroin a good few years back. She was intelligent, beautiful, and had the best sense of humor, but her self-hatred brought about on her by her father was absolutely crushing to her soul. I knew after about a year of knowing her, that she would in fact somehow die from something she did to herself. At first I thought suicide, but as she slipped into heroin addiction I realized what really was going to happen. I talked to her mother about this time and time again, as we tried to find a solution but nothing worked. We always said that we were just "waiting for the funeral" as we cried and tried to cope with the situation. We knew it was coming, and it was something we had already accepted in a weird way before it even happened. The more and more I see this happen to others, the more I see there story is the same, and these lyrics are just so dead on. Before I ever heard this song, these events transpired and when I heard the song for the first time it almost put me to tears and I could have sworn it was written for me (yeah right I know, but I do think it was for people in my situation) Heroin kills many people who are full of self-hatred and recklessly abuse the dangerous drug because they do not care about themselves or their life. "Really too late to call So we wait for the morning to wake you That's all we got" The door is locked. Is she dead? Or has she just OD'd somewhat and is so passed out she is not awake or cannot hear the phone or door. These are the worst mornings, nail biting as you assume the worst. Always ready and thinking of that goddamn funeral that is so imminent. "I'm coming up only to show you down for I'm coming up only to show you wrong" She is making a mistake, I've tried using the drug myself to get on her level and try to explain, or at least understand more so I can help... I've tried everything. And in the end, the funeral still comes as you knew it would. And it's a billion day funeral because the sorrow is still so strong as you realize how naive and upset everyone around you is. You thought you were ready for this day, but as it turns out, you re-live all the sorrow a million times each time you see someone cry and want an explanation for how this all happened. Longest day of my life, and the one I had anticipated the most. Throughout it all, at every occasion, we were ready for the funeral. But it didn't make it any better. Very sad song. I could be totally wrong. But my experiences made this song mean a lot to me, and it almost seemed too coincidental, but then again who knows? |
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| Lou Reed – Perfect Day Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Beautifully fucking illustrated. "You made me forget myself, I thought I was someone else, someone good" No explanation needed. As a former opiate addict, I totally identify with song and many others that are about this subject matter. "You're going to reap just what you sow" - The absolute expected and certain reward for what you work or steal for (junkie or functional addict) You live your live and struggles all for what you can obtain as far as the drugs go. Opiates DO take on a personality, as i mentioned in a pervious comment, better than your mother, sister, best friend, girlfriend, guardian angel, this drug knows and LOVES you just for who you are and it equalizes and balances you and keeps you in your prime (as far as you delusional opiate addict self can believe). The problem comes when this lover if yours starts completely fucking over you and everyone around you. Then you quit, and that is a struggle to be spoken about in a different place. Good interpretation though, nail on the head, like. | |
| Lou Reed – Perfect Day Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Coming from a former Heroin addict. This song IS about heroin. No matter what you take away from this song, anything is great btw, don't want to put anyone down. This song is quite most likely referring the double edge sword that is opiate/heroin addiction. So I may be a little biased on this song meaning because of my previous opiate addiction and seeing trainspotting, but it describes to a TEE what i experienced as a heroin addict. Feel no pain, no emotions, no harm, no foul, no hardships. Things may not be GREAT, but it just kept me hanging on. Problems fell by the wayside, for all I care I was a weekend warrior who only cared about heroin when not working. This relationship is unrealistic as heroin slowly seeps into your life as a functional addict. Eventually you need it to deal with any aspect of life. Death in the family? Unbearable, use heroin. Life? Unbearable, use heroin. Boredom? Lovelessness? Depression? Insomnia? No matter, heroin will be your girlfriend, your close friend, your hero, hell it even has a GREAT personality. Take what you will from this song, but I am pretty sure I get it. |
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| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Oh I think the drug reference is quite clear....the Cobain reference....not so much. You are right in your Frank Sinatra analogy. But I do not think every person who hears a tale about Cobain in this song is wrong...just misguided, I would need more specifics to be convinced of such a reference. What is important about music, however, is that you interpret in a way that affects you the most, for the better. IF some people walk away with a Cobain reference and feel more resolved about the issue then go them. Personally, I walk about from the song with more resolve in my mission to stay clean from heroin. That's just my journey and one that always needs reinforcement and strong resolve, which I many times obtain from the genius found in contemporary music. Just me though. | |
| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Excellent interpretation or obscurity of this, or really, any song. You are correct, a song is interpreted as what YOU think or WANT it to be; once it is released. And while I HIGHLY doubt this song was ever MEANT to be about Kurt, it's meaning still rings true with many Cobain fans. I have a very different interpretation and feeling about what the song means to me, equally, more, or less valid than the truth means little. | |
| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| I can completely see where you are coming from. But if you know music like I do, and you know drugs and addiction like I do, You WILL see the reference in this song. Sure SOME songs may not be about what we think, but most of the time we can see right through songs that ARE meant to be about addiction. It is not hard, we see them all, some things are explained in no other way. This song, however, is an exception. I think it could be about something else but my money and past experiences are on that it IS about addiction "You burn me once again" The entire music video reminds me of heroin. Nesse being heroin. Heroin just tries to be your fiends, intentions regardless it fucks up EVERYTHING. Eventually you have to kill it just to get along and that can be hard and heartbreaking. Yes, HEARTBREAKING. Giving up heroin as a heroin addict is like giving up that girl that you love sooo much and are so infatuated with. Try giving up the girl of your dreams for no well explained reason and just having to move on. Much like giving up opiates/heroin plus all the physical sickness and mental horrors. | |
| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| From Covington KY. Lived in Lexington for 3 years. Not so sure if this is a COMPLETE reference to Aberdeen KY, but I think it is a reference to the addiction/affliction that curses all of Cincinnati and the lower mid-east cities such Louisville, Bowling Green, and others. Opiates / Heroin is the biggest and almost exclusive drug of the ENTIRE metropolitan statistical area | |
| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| From Covington KY. Lived in Lexington for 3 years. Not so sure if this is a COMPLETE reference to Aberdeen KY, but I think it is a reference to the addiction/affliction that curses all of Cincinnati and the lower mid-east cities such Louisville, Bowling Green, and others. Opiates / Heroin is the biggest and almost exclusive drug of the ENTIRE metropolitan statistical area | |
| Cage the Elephant – Aberdeen Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Finally, someone who understands. I have been through it as well, I get the song. Haplessness *You burn me once again" it will NEVER get better "Never saw my dark side in your eyes" and "cut the cord, she's a creep" The never ending but hopeless relationship, it always comes back, it always gets the best of you. Good luck my friend. No matter WHAT your intentions are the SAME thing will happen. This is expressed by the music video. Nesse just wants to be friends with the people of aberdeen or whatever town. But her traits and ways are too destructive, the only end result is deaths on both sides. The very reality of this problem. The very nature and double edged sword of this hapless lifestyle/addiction | |
| Moby – South Side Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Even though I identify with this song perfectly in terms of opiate/heroin addiction, I would love to hear other opinions, especially if you think I am wrong! I would LOVE to hear people who completely agree with me but it is a beautiful some and I would LOVE to hear other interpretations. Throw me a line!!! | |
| Moby – South Side Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Yes, the verse lyrics seem to describe a hopeless yet comfortable lifestyle, supported by this constant exploration. I may just be wrong, but there are some songs that feel just quite right in what they mean and this is one of them. Does not matter WHERE you go or WHAT you have to do to get there. Some may come love and some may stay. But what does it matter when you are the devoted one who is there to score for better or worse. Some may NOT come, but you surely will if it all means the precious high that will keep you moving and not sick for life. Who wants to be sick for life? Not me. Opiates sure will control your life, through heaven and hell it matters little as long as you score in the end. Pouring rain, ghetto, risk, time, relationships, nothing matters you see? weapons in hand is a side effect. East Side? West Side? North Side? South Side? Who the F*** cares??? It all ends the same. Some may die (OD) some may not because they know better control. Your love for them is very much not dependent on this control, it is random, unfair, fate at is most unpredictable moment. You could loose your smartest, dumbest, best, worst friend to this disease, you just NEVER know. " Love and darkness and my sidearm." Totally numb, "I look at my friends" but very little emotion is drawn from this line. My friends (the junkies) are just alike, we hope we wont die but we ride through heaven and hell with little regard as we all have the same goal. I almost forgot to mention... "comin back love I feel so well" the score was a success, now the sickness of withdrawal is gone, on your way back (shooting, smoking, or snorting) you feel much better and all the troubles of the sober past are gone as you repeat the vicious cycle of addiction. Even if you didn't take the hit on your way home, the drug is in your possession and this creates respite for your mind as you know now that the horrors of withdrawal will be kept at bay for yet another night. | |
| Moby – South Side Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| OK, everyone here has had a good shot at what this song is about and I can TOTALLY see where you all are coming from, however, I happen to have personal experience that explains this song to me to a tee. Yes, where you grew up may have something to do with it, I grew up in the suburbs but was constantly in bad neighborhoods or the ghetto by my own choice. This song is all about the choices you choose and need to make for daily survival... Survival of opiate/heroin addiction. You NEVER know what is going to happen or quite WHERE you may end up, but you know you are going and going to back whoever is with you. May be dangerous, may be worse, but YOU are there for better (scoring) or for worse (anything but scoring). I am from the heroin capital of the US and probably the World, but it does NOT matter, all Opiate addicts go through the same sketchy troubles because they need to survive. ESPECIALLY if they are functional addicts like I was. I was and am still a Project Manager in IT for a very good company, but my whole life was a sham, a gamble, a simple ruse to score heroin. Being smart was easy if it meant getting the ultimate goal. This song is all about going through whatever B.S. or sketchiness you need to go through to avoid the sickness of withdrawal. "weapons in hand" and "ride all night we ride all day" and don't forget "looking out for a sunny day" these are all very, VERY obvious references to the existence of trying to score opiates or heroin. I lived that life for a LONG time and there are many songs that speak to this lifestyle. Gwen or Moby or their band member(s) must have had this experience as well. Just watching their interaction in the music video is reminiscent of any heroin/opiate couple. Complete soullessness and hopeless heedless devotion to an unseen chemical. I COULD be wrong, but if I am, this song has not much meaning at all...and is otherwise nothing worth listening too...but i love it because i identify with it in my former self...(thank god I am clean now, OPIATES are a HARD thing to deal with.) | |
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