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.
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Ever since I knew you
I wouldn't talk down to you
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your makeup
Told you once I won't tell you again
It's a bad way
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
Ever since I knew you
I wouldn't talk down to you
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your makeup
Told you once I won't tell you again
It's a bad way
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Roxanne, put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Roxanne [Bonus Track] Lyrics as written by Gordon Sumner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
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.
Head > Heels
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
My original critique is a little too vague so here's another one:
The person the song is sung about sounds like a complete jerk in the middle of the song - he implies she should be grateful he didn't disrespect her (wow, what a stand-up guy...) but tells her to put her stuff away and to stop working because "it's a bad way" (perhaps he's highly religious and his beliefes tell him so?) and he doesn't want to "share" her (which implies he's either very jealous and thinks she'll magically fall in love with a client - highly unlikely as this is just business for them, in the same way that that lady that sold me my car isn't really THAT interested in my personnal life - or perhaps he doesn't seem to understand that prostitutes deal in sex not love - pretend love, yes, but real love? For a woman, or anyone, to be like that you'd basically have to fall in love with people at the drop of a hat - someone like that would more likely end up in a dead-end marriage that fizzled out than at a red light district...)
In summary, this song is about the types of men who think they can "save" prostitutes.... from what? their independence and financial security?