Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
WHY ARE YOU SO CRUEL
WHEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE
WHEN I COME TO YOUR HOME
WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
DO YOU REMEMBER BACK THEN
WHEN WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS
BUT NOW YOU PRETEND
JUST TO BE NICE
NOW I KNOW WHO YOU ARE
YOU'RE JUST A BIG CLOWN
WITH A BIG FAKE SMILE
AND A BIG FAKE LAUGH
I JUST WANTED TO BE YOUR FRIEND
BUT YOU WANTED A KISS
ALL THE FUN AND LAUGHTER WE HAD
I WILL MISS
DON'T YOU GO AROUND TOWN
JUST PUTTING ME DOWN
TELLING ALL YOR FRIENDS
THAT I'M A FOOL
CUZ I DON'T NEED YOUR FRIENDS
AND I DON'T NEED YOUR JOKES
I NEVER WANTED TO BE
MORE THAN YOUR FRIEND
BUT YOU THINK YOU'RE SO COOL
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
YOUR MOTIVES MISLEAD
YET YOU CALL ME A TEASE
WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?
YOU NEVER CALL ME BACK
YOU'RE GIVING ME ATTITUDE
HOW'D YOU GET SO RUDE?
CAN'T WE JUST GET ALONG?
I DIDN'T DO YOU WRONG
GET OVER YOURSELF
AND LET'S BE FRIENDS
CUZ I DON'T WANT TO GO ON
FEELING THIS WAY
I WANNA SAY HI
WITHOUT YOU WALKING AWAY
BUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY MAD
YOU JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD
ONE DAY YOU'LL GROW UP
AND YOU'LL BE A MAN
WHEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE
WHEN I COME TO YOUR HOME
WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
DO YOU REMEMBER BACK THEN
WHEN WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS
BUT NOW YOU PRETEND
JUST TO BE NICE
NOW I KNOW WHO YOU ARE
YOU'RE JUST A BIG CLOWN
WITH A BIG FAKE SMILE
AND A BIG FAKE LAUGH
I JUST WANTED TO BE YOUR FRIEND
BUT YOU WANTED A KISS
ALL THE FUN AND LAUGHTER WE HAD
I WILL MISS
DON'T YOU GO AROUND TOWN
JUST PUTTING ME DOWN
TELLING ALL YOR FRIENDS
THAT I'M A FOOL
CUZ I DON'T NEED YOUR FRIENDS
AND I DON'T NEED YOUR JOKES
I NEVER WANTED TO BE
MORE THAN YOUR FRIEND
BUT YOU THINK YOU'RE SO COOL
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
YOUR MOTIVES MISLEAD
YET YOU CALL ME A TEASE
WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?
YOU NEVER CALL ME BACK
YOU'RE GIVING ME ATTITUDE
HOW'D YOU GET SO RUDE?
CAN'T WE JUST GET ALONG?
I DIDN'T DO YOU WRONG
GET OVER YOURSELF
AND LET'S BE FRIENDS
CUZ I DON'T WANT TO GO ON
FEELING THIS WAY
I WANNA SAY HI
WITHOUT YOU WALKING AWAY
BUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY MAD
YOU JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD
ONE DAY YOU'LL GROW UP
AND YOU'LL BE A MAN
Lyrics submitted by yacantfademe
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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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.
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
poor you, no one's listening..