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.
June is on the run for so long
Pushed and pulled then shunned it was so wrong
These 4 walls crashing in won't stop me now
Cause I'm alive, I'm out tonight, all night.
Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat
Everyday we've got to hold on
Cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
Streets with flags unfurled like treasure
Thank me for my words it's a pleasure
Just don't ask me to stay cause I'll be gone
But it's alright, I'm okay, always
Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat
Everyday we've got to hold on
Cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
One plus one is one together
One plus one is one forever
One plus one is one together
One plus one is one forever
Pushed and pulled then shunned it was so wrong
These 4 walls crashing in won't stop me now
Cause I'm alive, I'm out tonight, all night.
Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat
Everyday we've got to hold on
Cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
Streets with flags unfurled like treasure
Thank me for my words it's a pleasure
Just don't ask me to stay cause I'll be gone
But it's alright, I'm okay, always
Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat
Everyday we've got to hold on
Cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
One plus one is one together
One plus one is one forever
One plus one is one together
One plus one is one forever
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Ministry
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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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
This is a pick-me-up song. A great song. I always have a song in my head and this is one of the few which is always in there. I would love it if in twelve years and Badly drawn boy is still singing, i want him to rerelease this. This is brilliant. Hippy!! feel the vibe!! :) hug a tree.
All of those critics who said that this album is crap must have been really deaf! A lovely lovely song about hope, perseverance and overcoming obstacles.And it has one of the best videos of the year.
i just found out that 2 guys i know died new years eve from drunk driving.
hold on to what's important.
I'm shocked there are not more comments here to discuss such an amazing song. I first heard this song about a year ago, got it, had a phase where it was all I listened to it, then stopped. A week or so ago, I re-downloaded it because I heard my brother listening to the album which it is on. I'm ashamed to say this is the only song I know by Badly Drawn Boy, but I hope to get the album and fall in love with more!
As far as the meaning goes, it's a song about perserverance (as someone already said.) The entire interpretation is quite obvious, which helps the listener apply it to their lives more. It's a song everyone should here. From rap-listeners, to emo kids, to metalheads, to the unlabeled such as myself. =D. Great song.
i love the video!! Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat! "new energy" kind of has a double meaning: 1.positive thoughts 2. non-polluting fuel, which applys in the video.
i was touched by the music video. if you haven't seen it, you gotta. such an amazing music video.
i bought the album 'one plus one is one' after watching the m/v, and i don't regret it.
I get the feeling this song is about seeing everyone you care about, as often as possible. And caring about the people you don't know, because they can all be gone in a second.
It's definatly one of those songs everyone should hear.
I agree with TheSOADGirl. Adding to that, I think this song is about not letting yourself get depressed or lazy even though it may be easy to with everything going on in your life and the world. I think the year of the rat refers to the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the rat are hardworking, very ambitious, and are successful because of their hard work. In my opinion, this song is about having dreams and ambitions and persevering to see them to fruition and not let anything bog you down. It's about holding onto life and living life to the fullest and most importantly, trying your best.
I don't know if this could possibly add any meaning to the song whatsoever, but i just thought it was an interesting thing that the year of the rat was 1984. Of course it was also 1996...
Televised, that's awesome. That makes sense...