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.
What, am I to wake up suddenly and then
Enroll at the local college
Earn me a degree and I could work weekends?
If I've worked real hard
I could mow your back yard
I can go to Europe, travel with my friends
I can blow a thousand Deutsche marks
To get drunk in a pub with some Australians
Buy a giant backpack
Sew a flag on the back
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I never had to spend a summer planting trees
I never worked my way through a forest inch by inch
Doubled over on my hands and knees
I never spent a single day in retail
Telling people what they want to hear
Telling people anything to make a sale
Eating in the food court
With the old and the bored
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
The worlds your oyster shell
So, what's that funny smell?
You eat the bivalve anyway
You're sick with salmonella
You get your PhD
How happy you will be
When you get a job at Wendy's
And are honored with employee of the month
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
Enroll at the local college
Earn me a degree and I could work weekends?
If I've worked real hard
I could mow your back yard
I can go to Europe, travel with my friends
I can blow a thousand Deutsche marks
To get drunk in a pub with some Australians
Buy a giant backpack
Sew a flag on the back
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I never had to spend a summer planting trees
I never worked my way through a forest inch by inch
Doubled over on my hands and knees
I never spent a single day in retail
Telling people what they want to hear
Telling people anything to make a sale
Eating in the food court
With the old and the bored
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
The worlds your oyster shell
So, what's that funny smell?
You eat the bivalve anyway
You're sick with salmonella
You get your PhD
How happy you will be
When you get a job at Wendy's
And are honored with employee of the month
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
I never want to do that stuff
I think never is enough (yeah, never is enough)
You never have to do that stuff
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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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
I think this song is about how you shouldn't take life so seriously. People work all their lives and never hve anything to show for it. I think BNL is trying to show that it's better to live life to the fullest and not worry about things so much. People that worry about the future end up wasting their lives. I think that's what this song is really all about.
I think it's about people trying to fit into the mold of what they feel they're "supposed" to be. Going to college just because that's what people DO after high school, taking a semester abroad and backpacking through Europe, working in fast food and retail (and if you're Canadian, planting trees, I guess?)...these are all such typical middle-class-youth experiences. And the song says that you don't HAVE to do those things just because everyone else does. And furthermore, they're not a guaranteed ticket to success.
I absolutly LOVE Barenaked Ladies :D They are my all time favorite. Their songs are different and their music just doesn't compare to the words. The combination just makes it cool to listen to, they talk about real stuff in funny perdiciments. They make serious stuff worth while to rethink and laugh about.
maybe..it's about them being so famous that they don't have to do normal things like mowing the lawn or working at Wendy's (I think ed worked there).
in other words "playin my guitar and building castles in the sun and singing FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!!!" YAY
i agree with estella open fire
I think this song is about working your ass off and not getting jack. its saying, im not going to do this anymore, i dont have to go through all this stuff to get to where i want to be.
The "Fun Fun Fun" line, of course, is a Beach Boys reference, which then loops the band back around to "Brian Wilson," heh.
i think it has the apparent meaning of saying that these things aren't the ticket to happiness, but also the sarcastic/ironic meaning (like most bnl) that this person wishes they had done some of these things because while they are not a ticket to happiness, appathy isn't a better solution
It's about someone who doesn't want to do the stuff that other people do. He doesn't want to work in retail, doesn't want to work at Wendy's, doesn't want to go to college or university, because he doesn't believe these things will bring him success.
However, this song is a bit silly. Every study shows that people with a Ph.D will generally get a good job. It's not a sure thing though. I've seen people with Ph.D's working at meat packing plants.
It's also strange, that the singer says "I never want to do that stuff" but he never says what he does want to do.