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.
Sit on a train, reading a book
Same damn planet every time I look
I try to relax, slow my heart beat
Only works when I'm dead asleep
Been thinkin and drinkin all over the town
Must be gearing up for some kind of meltdown
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
"What's wrong?
"Nothin"
"Are you sure nothin's wrong?"
"Yeah"
"But you're sad about something"
"Yeah"
"So tell me what, I don't know"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
Sit on a train, reading a book
Same damn planet every time I look
I try to relax, slow my heart beat
Only works when I'm dead asleep
Been thinkin and drinkin all over the town
Must be gearing up for some kind of meltdown
As the express train passes the local
It moves by just like a paper boat
Although it weighs a million pounds
I swear it almost seems to float
And as we pass by each other
Our heads are filled with bother
We can't look, we can't stop
We can't think, we can't stop
Cause we're stuck in our own paths
And that's the way it always lasts
And I need something more from you.
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind.
Same damn planet every time I look
I try to relax, slow my heart beat
Only works when I'm dead asleep
Been thinkin and drinkin all over the town
Must be gearing up for some kind of meltdown
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
"What's wrong?
"Nothin"
"Are you sure nothin's wrong?"
"Yeah"
"But you're sad about something"
"Yeah"
"So tell me what, I don't know"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
"I can't tell you"
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
Sit on a train, reading a book
Same damn planet every time I look
I try to relax, slow my heart beat
Only works when I'm dead asleep
Been thinkin and drinkin all over the town
Must be gearing up for some kind of meltdown
As the express train passes the local
It moves by just like a paper boat
Although it weighs a million pounds
I swear it almost seems to float
And as we pass by each other
Our heads are filled with bother
We can't look, we can't stop
We can't think, we can't stop
Cause we're stuck in our own paths
And that's the way it always lasts
And I need something more from you.
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind
All I am is a body floating downwind.
Lyrics submitted by thatfleetingworld
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
The climax is utterly sublime! Everything fits together so well and their voices are so harmonious. I love how he sings a conversation between him and his girl. Plus, it's not that hard to play on the guitar.
Like everyone said, this was a great way to end the album. And TATR, you said it best, the song is hollow. It's a song for someone who is searching. Searching for themselves, for love, for their place in life...
The conversation really exemplifies this.
Beautiful song...but maybe it isn't about a girl, maybe it's adressed to the listener, who may have the same proplems as the singer (worries too much about life etc. -> "Our heads are filled with bother We can't look, we can't stop We can't think, we can't stop"). That's why he repeats "I can't tell you" so many times, because the only way to really be happy is to confrontate yourself with your problems and weaknesses, not to escape from them by listening to music... to me this isn't hollow, it's a bright look into the future...though his heart is heavy, he is willing to throw his "path" away to finally be happy ("Although it weighs a million pounds I swear it almost seems to float").
"And I need something more from you."
I actually didn't think about it this way until I read your comment; long story short, I was thinking this was about a bad breakup, until I read this, and I realized I had the same break-up to many times to count...for the same reason.<br /> <br /> And I realized, I am the it's the same person I keep breaking up with the first time, IE, I have been hung up on the original girl for too long
i think this song is about someone who cannot tell his friends or generally his loved ones what is wrong with him. i'd say the narrator wants to get away (train=getting away) but realizes that he cannot escape his problems and reasons for his sadness. i think this song is about feeling alone because you cannot tell anyone about your problems..because they wouldn't understand. that's what i get out of the song.
Cause we're stuck in our own paths And that's the way it always lasts And I need something more from you.
everyone has his own problems and nothing is ever going to change that.
a song about friendships not being strong enough i think.
As said before, I think this is primarily a song about a failure to communicate: the image of these two people passing by each other, each on a different train (express and local) too quicky (We can't look, we can't stop, We can't think, we can't stop) illustrates the failure to communicate like in the dialogue. It's a pretty good metaphore.
The whole 'Let Go' cd is awesome, and this song is the perfect closing song for it. My favorite part is As the express train passes the local It moves by just like a paper boat Although it weighs a million pounds I swear it almost seems to float And as we pass by each other Our heads are filled with bother Incredible :)
You're right, this is the PERFECT way to end a great CD.
i didn't like this album when i bought it but looking at the lyrics and really listening to the music ... it is utterly amazing. i particularly enjoy this song as well, esp. the climax.
this song i agree is a great closing to the album. ive always thought its a beautiful representation of how depression affects people.
fantastic closing to a beautiful cd. the whole cd is searching and lost, but more confident than you'd think. this song is hollow, esp. at the end. and he leaves the listener knowing that.