God of Wine Lyrics
There's another chip you haven't spent,
And you're cashing them all in,
Where do we begin. To get clean again,
Can we get clean again.
I walk home alone with you,
And the mood you're born into,
Sometimes you let me in,
And I take it on the chin.
I can't get clean again.
I want to know, Can we get clean again,
The God of Wine comes
crashing through the headlights of a car
that took you farther than
you thought you'd ever want to go,
We can't get back again,
We can't get back again,
She takes a drink and then she waits,
The alcohol it permeates,
And soon the cells give way,
And cancels out the day.
I can't keep it all together,
I know...I can't keep it all together.
And the siren's song that is your madness,
Holds a truth I can't erase,
All alone on your face.
Every glamorous sunrise,
Throws the planets out of line,
A star sign out of whack,
A fraudulent zodiac.
And the God of Wine
is crouched down in my room,
You let me down, I said it,
Now I'm going down,
And you're not even around.
And I said no...
I can't keep it all together,
I know...I can't keep it all together,
And there's a memory of a window,
Looking through I see you.
Searching for something,
I could never give you,
And there's someone who
understands you more than I do.
A sadness I can't erase.
All alone on your face.
The "memory of a window" part is my favorite lines from any song ever, I love this song. It is my all time favorite 3eb song. They are the greatest band of all time. This song is very sad, it makes me cry almost everytime I hear it. I understand how hard it can be to leave someone you love, even if you know staying could be the end for you too. This song is a real representation of how love can kick you in the ass, and even though you know its hurting you its too hard to let go. Stephan really says it all with the "a sadness I cant erase, all alone on your face" statement.This is such a wonderful song.
If you have ever loved an addict (specifically an alcoholic) then you know exactly what this song is about. It's amazing how well SJ captures emotion in his lyrics. Those last 4 lines are probably the most heartbreaking lyrics I've ever heard.
exactly this. i think it's easy to say it's about something else if you've never lived with and/or loved an alcoholic, because if you have it jumps out at you and grabs you by the soul and every memory jumps out at you, I don't know if there's any other way to look at this song if you have an alcoholic in your life. i just couldn't agree more.
exactly this. i think it's easy to say it's about something else if you've never lived with and/or loved an alcoholic, because if you have it jumps out at you and grabs you by the soul and every memory jumps out at you, I don't know if there's any other way to look at this song if you have an alcoholic in your life. i just couldn't agree more.
@carpathia I agree with your take. And the last 4 lines are POWERFUL and TOUCHING. I love 3eb and don't care much for Pearl Jam, but I would throw out a challenge to you to consider Pearl Jam's "Black" for the most heartbreaking lyrics. Of course, every song touches different people in different ways, and on different topics. Considering "Black" in its entirety doesn't drop below a 10 in intensity, before jumping to a 15 culminating with the following at the end:
@carpathia I agree with your take. And the last 4 lines are POWERFUL and TOUCHING. I love 3eb and don't care much for Pearl Jam, but I would throw out a challenge to you to consider Pearl Jam's "Black" for the most heartbreaking lyrics. Of course, every song touches different people in different ways, and on different topics. Considering "Black" in its entirety doesn't drop below a 10 in intensity, before jumping to a 15 culminating with the following at the end:
Yeah I know someday you'll have a beautiful life I know you'll be a star In somebody else's sky But why Why Why...
Yeah I know someday you'll have a beautiful life I know you'll be a star In somebody else's sky But why Why Why can't it be Why can't it be mine
Again, I love 3 eb much more, but "Black" just floors me every time.
@carpathia @carpathia I have never loved an alcoholic bc I am one. But she has tried to love me for 12 years now. The first 4 lines are the most heartbreaking lyrics I've ever heard.
@carpathia @carpathia I have never loved an alcoholic bc I am one. But she has tried to love me for 12 years now. The first 4 lines are the most heartbreaking lyrics I've ever heard.
Halo, very good and brief...But I think you can apply it to and relationship where the other person is bent on destroying themself...The hopelessness and how eventually you have to give up so you don't get messed up yourself...
best part of the song:
Every glamorous sunrise Throws the planets out of line A star sign out of whack A fraudulent zodiac And the god of wine is crouched down in my room You let me down, I said it Now I'm going down You're not even around And i said no no no no no no nooo
@desiring94 Those lyrics are GENIUUS!
@desiring94 Those lyrics are GENIUUS!
stephan jenkins is a lyrical genius
I love the guitar parts in this song. They're so amazing; too bad Kevin Cadogan isn't in the band anymore. But who can't relate to the lines: "And there's a memory of a window Looking through, I see you Searching for something that I could never give you And there's someone who understands you, more than I do A sadness I can't erase All alone on your face." Those lines perfectly describe loving someone so much, yet they make you feel so totally inadequate. They've always got their attention turned to something else; it doesn't necessarily have to be alcohol, but something else is always more important to them than you. God, Stephan Jenkins is GOOD!
Third Eye Blind is one of the greatest bands ever and God of Wine is the greatest song ever. These lyrics are sooo deep and beautifully written. This song is about someone watching the one they love destroy themselves. They then realize they are being dragged down with them even though they cant do anything for the person. "And the god of wine is crouched down in my room You let me down, I said it Now I'm going down ,and you're not even around And I said no...
I can't keep it all together I know... I can't keep it all together
And there's a memory of a window Looking through, I see you Searching for something that I could never give you And there's someone who understands you, more than I do A sadness I can't erase All alone on your face." These are possibly the best lyrics I have ever heard.
The line "Can we get clean again" is a metaphore. Its not about getting off drugs or juice. Its "Can we wipe the slate clean and start over, forgetting the past mistakes in a relationship"
@Custerflux Exactly man!
@Custerflux Exactly man!
as in “letting go of the old grudges and resentments” that little by little accumulate in every relationship and end up poisoning it from within
as in “letting go of the old grudges and resentments” that little by little accumulate in every relationship and end up poisoning it from within
I believe Stephan is referring to drug addiction, and always thought it was specific, in this song, to crystal methamphetamine. Clearly he has experienced the soulless trap that is this drug. He had the temerity to state it outright in 'Semi-charmed Life' - "doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break" followed by "I bumped up, I took the hit that I was given then I bumped again and bumped again". Some radio stations chose to edit these lyrics out of the tune before giving it airplay. As if that made any difference.
'Chips' are little plastic coins or keychains given to addicts in recovery when they attend their first NA or AA ('Narcotics Anonymous/Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting followed by 30 days clean, six months, etc. Some members walk around with a string of these chips on display to signify their clean time proudly, others put them in a drawer like the shame that comes with admitting you are powerless over addiction's grip.
Most people get multiple white 'chips' before earning any other colors because it's so easy to give up in early sobriety. If you return to using, you must start over again with a new white chip. The color significance goes like this:
30 days - Orange 60 days - Green 90 days - Red 2 years - Black . . .
Multiple years clean will earn bronze medallions. I've seen some impressive ten and twenty year chips. It's an amazing accomplishment to earn one of these, as they represent so much more than just clean time. They are earned by helping new addicts find sobriety.
The beauty of music is that the song's value does lie in the mind of the interpreter. In this way, the song IS about virginity, relationships, car crashes or whatever makes it land in the hearts of those who find special meaning in the lyrics.
I suspect Stephan has personally loved an addict - or perhaps is an addict himself. It feels like a confession told in third person, but the visceral, palpable grief in his voice is what brings tears of mournful understanding to my eyes. I woke up with the song playing in my head this morning. It was even in the correct key in the dream, it was so real.
Just like it was 27 years ago when the album first came out.
If so, I hope he found a way to get clean again.
[Edit: formatting]
This song shows how as hard as you try, the hits keep coming (and not alcoholic hits), and you know you're done for, and you're down and out, but you can't give it up and it's so hard to let go.