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.
It's not about the boy
found slain
It ain't about his lips
blood drained
You should've seen his
dreams dissolve
Into the dumpster behind
the mall
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on the
bullet train
I'm goin' down on the perfect dream
It's not about the
freeway drone
That score her tired
journeys home
Softly licking her to sleep
Her eyes are closed to
the brake light streaks
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
Why can't I stroke this
world to sleep
Please help me stroke
this world to sleep
It's not about his
prescription brain
Deprived of pills that
keep it sane
He told himself he could
go it alone
See him plead with the
unplugged phone
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
That restless old monkey
Prisoned inside of me
Stiff bones that
close him in
He waits trapped
deep within
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on
the SST
I'm goin' down on the
perfect dream
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down like a
ripped up kite
I'm goin' down with
broken ribs
I'm goin' down to a
dirty crib
found slain
It ain't about his lips
blood drained
You should've seen his
dreams dissolve
Into the dumpster behind
the mall
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on the
bullet train
I'm goin' down on the perfect dream
It's not about the
freeway drone
That score her tired
journeys home
Softly licking her to sleep
Her eyes are closed to
the brake light streaks
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
Why can't I stroke this
world to sleep
Please help me stroke
this world to sleep
It's not about his
prescription brain
Deprived of pills that
keep it sane
He told himself he could
go it alone
See him plead with the
unplugged phone
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
That restless old monkey
Prisoned inside of me
Stiff bones that
close him in
He waits trapped
deep within
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on
the SST
I'm goin' down on the
perfect dream
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down like a
ripped up kite
I'm goin' down with
broken ribs
I'm goin' down to a
dirty crib
Lyrics submitted by ruben
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This song is ultimately about modern life and it's apparent emptiness, like many of the songs in the alternative scene it came from.
Each verse repeats what "it's not about." In each one he lists an aspect of modern life, first gorey newspaper headlines, then a boring commute to and from work, then prescription drugs and psychiatry. All of these things consume the time of a decent, well-off person living the American Dream (of course you have to remember when this album was current the middle class in America was huge and seemingly everyone was rich). These are all things that obviously shouldn't be a part of a "wonderful life," but they were (and still are) major parts of modern culture, kind of unintended consequences.
The chorus is more of the same - He's riding modern amenities like satellites and bullet trains to the American Dream. Later he's sleeping in the softest beds, eating whenever he feels like it and never needing another person for anything at all.
The song describes your average American, watching the news about missing and slain children, spending all their time at work or commuting to and from it, staying in a daily grind of a routine, then dealing with all the psychological problems that causes with drugs, traveling closer and closer to a sarcastically "wonderful life."
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"It ain't about any front page crap It's all about the urge in your lap"
i think its about the desensitivity we have to violence and the absurdity of life. we just ignore so many horrible things until it happens to us personally. we live in apathy with no cares because we dont have to deal with it first hand. once it happens to us, we act like we're a victim when we've just been ignoreing it all along and doing nothing to change it.
Is it just me or does the beginning of "Honest Mistake" by The Bravery been totally lifted whole sale from this???
I bet it was. I will check that song. Failure is a surprisingly influential band, also the last few Finch tours included them playing "Stuck on You" which they made it a point to say how much they like Failure.
If you like this song, find the "Essentials" version, which is from the original "Magnified" demo. Almost all the lyrics are different.
I'm going down on the bullet train sounds very sexual.