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.
We get some rules to follow
That and this
These and those
No one knows
We get these pills to swallow
How they stick
In your throat
Tastes like gold
Oh, what you do to me
No one knows
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
Ah
I journey through the desert
Of the mind
With no hope
I follow
I drift along the ocean
Dead lifeboats in the sun
And come undone
Pleasantly caving in
I come undone
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
Ah
Heaven smiles above me
What a gift here below
But no one knows
A gift that you give to me
No one knows
That and this
These and those
No one knows
We get these pills to swallow
How they stick
In your throat
Tastes like gold
Oh, what you do to me
No one knows
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
Ah
I journey through the desert
Of the mind
With no hope
I follow
I drift along the ocean
Dead lifeboats in the sun
And come undone
Pleasantly caving in
I come undone
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
And I realize you're mine
Indeed a fool am I
Ah
Heaven smiles above me
What a gift here below
But no one knows
A gift that you give to me
No one knows
Lyrics submitted by Degradation Trip
No One Knows Lyrics as written by Nick S. Oliveri Josh Homme
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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The meaning of this song - no-one knows.
hahahahaha
LOL
I think it's about drug use personally.
The first few lines, "We get some rules to follow/that and this these and those/no one knows" Seem to talk about the arbitrary rules of society that serve no purpose, in this case probably the condemnation of drug use. The use of "no one knows" seem to hint that most people go along with these rules because no one knows any better or bothers to question it.
The second bit "We get these pills to swallow/how they stick in your throat/taste like gold/oh what you do to me/no one knows" Seems pretty like pretty blatant drug use, talking about how doing it can be unpleasant (how they stick in your throat) but ultimately are very enjoyable (taste like gold/oh what you do to me) and the repeating "no one knows" to signify he's going through this experimentation and that he doesn't think any one can understand his reasons.
The chorus "I realize you're mine/indeed a fool am I" sounds to me like the writer is saying he's realized that this drug is his addiction now and he's a fool for getting started on it in the first place.
Next verse, "I journey through the desert/of the mind with no hope/I follow" I think this is about withdrawal journeying through the desert of the mind seems to hint that this journey is self inflicted, with no hope of recovery. I follow seems like he's going back to the drug.
"I drift along the ocean/dead life boat in the sun/and come undone/pleasantly caving in/I come undone." Sounds like withdrawal again, again without much hope for success comparing it to being in a life boat in the endless ocean under the hot sun, which leads him to "come undone" forcing him back to his old ways. "Pleasantly caving in/I come undone" seems to say that he's happy that he caved into his addiction.
Another chorus, same as before
The last bit "Heaven smiles above me/what a gift here below/but no one knows/the gift you give to me/no one knows" To me it sounds like he's talking about the drug being a gift from heaven here on earth but only he seem to be aware of the awesome gift. "The gift that you give to me" could be referencing a drug dealer or he could be speaking to the drug itself. "No one knows" reinforcing that no one else understands what he's going through and why he keeps coming back.
Howdy. I would say that you are absolutely correct and I couldn't have posted a better interpretation myself. Fantastic expression....and I lived that song once
one thing...."no one knows".....I was a hydrocodone/percocet daily hardcore user and "no one knew" which was a great cover up 'cause when I was a heavy drinker before the substitution "every one knew"
one more just to add...."we get these rules to follow"....I could perceive as the inserts that come with the prescription bottle that says "take 1 tablet 3 times a day" that I always interpereted as "eat all you want, you pcp will give you more because we pay him incentive bonuses to do so" "tastes like gold" hehehehe.....
I agree with this post, only to me, the "come undone/pleasantly caving in" lyrics mean that because he can't stop, his health is "coming undone" or he is caving in while pleasantly enjoying the feelings.
I agree with you. But the "no one knows" part in the beginning could mean that he's taking them in secrecy because it is illegal/illicit. He takes "these and those" but "no one knows".
could it be about arbitrary religious "laws" found in texts, such as the Holy Bible? Much of what religious folks deem to be "gold" within scripture, can be hard to swallow for those who have and exercise reason and treat what they read with logic, and find the "pill" hard to "swallow".
I think you are mostly right, but you forgot to factor in the music. I think that at least one chorus has a different meaning.<br /> <br /> I think the first chorus is him enjoying the high of the drugs. But given how much more grim the lyrics are in the second verse, I think the second chorus is about him realizing he is addicted and being pissed about.<br /> <br /> Then it goes to a guitar solo, which I think is some kinda metaphore for some hard heavy shit happening so the character can get drugs. Then once this person is done, the solo ends and everything cuts out. And the character marvels at the bag of drugs going "heaven smiles above me"<br /> <br /> then it goes back to the beginning of the cycle of the song and it is over. "But the idea is that if you put the song on repeat you can see it as just cycles of an addiction. Happy then sad then fucked up then happy again.
I personally think the song is about Homme's relationship with Brody Dalle while she was with Tim Armstrong.
We get some rules to follow That and these These and those No One Knows
-He's referring how society makes rules about adultery and that no one knows about him and Brody.
We get these pills to swallow how they stick In your throat Tastes like gold
-He's talking about how it would practically be suicide if anyone found out about it. Then he says how this love is golden.
Oh what you do to me No One Knows
-He saying that no one knows about the truth and what they do together.
And I realize you're mine Indeed a fool am I And I realize you're mine Indeed a fool am I Ah
-He's saying that he realized that Brody's love belongs to him. Not Tim, or anyone else except him.
I journey through the desert Of the mind With no hope I found low
-He's thinking about what he will do if anyone found out, but comes up dry.
I drift along the ocean Dead lifeboats in the sun And come undone
-The ocean is the media, the lifeboats are the lies they made to keep them from drowning in media attention.
Pleasantly caving in I come undone
-He's getting tired of keeping this relationship a secret.
And I realize you're mine Indeed a fool am I And I realize you're mine Indeed a fool am I Ah
-Same as before
Heaven smiles above me What a gift Here below But no one knows
-He sees this love as a gift and heavenly, but know one knows about it.
The gift that you give to me No one knows
@Tibbits – This is more plausible than the interpretation asserting that this song were about drug use.
ok, first, go buy this CD, then go find rated R, its a blue cover with a white stripe through it. thats CD is still their bread and butter. it was so different than anything else when it came out. it's not quite as "heavy" but it still whoops major ass. and if your lucky enough to come across their first album as a band....check that out, i downloaded most of the tracks and they also whoop ass. and even better...look into oliveri and homme's first band Kyuss. Its not as good as Queens of the Stone Age, but its definitley worth a listen.
Dave Grohl isnt really in QOTSA. QOTSA is really just oliveri and homme. They keep changing the drummer. Grohl has already stopped touring with them.
It's about sex imo.
josh homme was the founding member of both bands. Nick Oliveri left kyuss after a few albums. He re joined with josh when josh formed QOTSA. Josh didn't sing a single note on kyuss though, the kyuss singer was john garcia. Garcia now performs with hermano. Josh and nick are the only permanent members of qotsa, everyone else plays as guests, usually for an album or tour. The band has very much a revolving door policy. The first queens album is a great rock album, the 2nd album, rated r, is much more diverse, and the 3rd album, song for the deaf, is just f***ing great. If you like this stuff check out their desert sessions cd's, and Mondo Generator (nick oliveri's band, with josh on guitar)
doesn't anybody notice Troy Van Leeuwen in this song ?!?!?! awww i love his style, but yea daves fills are amazing considering w/ Nirvana he had done simpler drumming, but it was still effective. yea so...TROY baby, if anyone notices him he's the guy in the backround with the black hair, he plays in A Perfect Circle, I dont know if anyone likes them but I sure as hell do!
stop going on about grohl - he was a stand-in replacement called up at the last minute because he's always wanted to play with them
therefore, he didnt write most of the parts on the album, and also he ripped off (he's admitted) the drum part to song for the dead from black flag
about the two versions - the demo version has orchestral parts
interesting theories by the way everyone
and pay attention to what chubbykipper said
wooohoo, guevera actually agrees with me for once