Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Woke up this mornin' the house was cold
Checked the furnace she wasn't burnin'
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain't a turnin'
Given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain't learnin'
Same sad story that's a fact
One step up and two steps back
Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain't singin'
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells they ain't ringin'
Sittin' here in this bar tonight
And all I'm thinkin' is
I'm the same old story same old act
One step up and two steps back
It's the same thing night all night
Who's wrong and baby who's right
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
Movin' one step up and two steps back
{Music}
There's a girl across the bar
I get the message she's sendin'
Mmm she ain't lookin' too married
Me well honey I'm pretendin'
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never endin'
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
Movin' one step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
Ohhhh baby we're movin'
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
Mmmmm
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
(One step up and two steps back)
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Why we movin'
One step up and two steps back
Oh baby
Checked the furnace she wasn't burnin'
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain't a turnin'
Given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain't learnin'
Same sad story that's a fact
One step up and two steps back
Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain't singin'
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells they ain't ringin'
Sittin' here in this bar tonight
And all I'm thinkin' is
I'm the same old story same old act
One step up and two steps back
It's the same thing night all night
Who's wrong and baby who's right
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
Movin' one step up and two steps back
{Music}
There's a girl across the bar
I get the message she's sendin'
Mmm she ain't lookin' too married
Me well honey I'm pretendin'
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never endin'
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
Movin' one step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
Ohhhh baby we're movin'
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
{Music}
One step up and two steps back
Mmmmm
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
(One step up and two steps back)
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooh
Why we movin'
One step up and two steps back
Oh baby
Lyrics submitted by Seanie, edited by FootrotFlats97
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When I first heard this song it was January of 2005, in the hot tub of the Hotel Beau Rivage in Biloxi Mississippi. It was my first vacation in over 5 years and that first full day I got there I spent 8 hours in that hot tub. It was 60 there and it was 8 in Chicago. I was a senior in High school and the prime of my life.
I can relate to every part of this song from beginning to end. I met a girlfriend who would change my life forever and I lost her. We were so deeply in love and her mom just didn't like me. Why, I still don't know. She loved me and I loved her. Prom came along and she was not allowed to go with me. It killed me to go with someone else. We eventually started fighting with arguments and it got to the point;
"It's the same thing night on night Who's wrong baby who's right Another fight and I slam the door on Another battle in our dirty little war When I look at myself I don't see The man I wanted to be Somewhere along the line I slipped off track I'm caught movin' one step up and two steps back"
I also dreamed about the two of us at Prom and just holding each other tight the way we wanted it to be. And her just being drop dead gorgeous and whispering "One Step Up" in my ear as the music continued to play and eventually the people around us all faded to black. All it was in my dream was her and I dancing on the hard wood dance floor with a spot light on us as we slowly danced the night away.
She eventually dumped me for some guy in New York. Back in June Where I am in my life now, I think I finally understand it: the anguish of loving someone completely and it still falling apart. It's a reality song – strong and brutally honest. To me, it's about being man enough to own that happily ever after isn't a given. Perfect can come apart no matter what you do… and all you can do is feel the pain and regret." We laughed together; we cried together we loved each other together. I still have feelings for her and I doubt she will ever be forgotten. This song has been a companion to me my whole senior year, lost love, lost time, friends who go off to war. If I try hard enough I can still “be back in that hot tub.”
Springsteen wrote it