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.
Rollin' from your brat sarcastic eye
A California tear, a drop of gold
Maybe you were cold, yeah, so was I
Holdin' back
Holdin' back the year
The year before the poison took its toll
Made you paper thin, me- wrinkled, old
Eventually, yeah, finally it caught up
I held you back, grabbed you by the arm
I played upon your fear
Rollin' down the window won't I
Order up some breakfast if I can
Hold me back
Hold me by the arm
Wipe away my tear
Wipe away my tear
The story ends with friends and early nights
A kitten grown to cat and no more fight
This is how we stay together, love
Holdin' back
Holdin' back the year
Hold me back
Grab me by the arm
Whisper in my ear
Holdin' back the year
Holdin' back the year
A California tear, a drop of gold
Maybe you were cold, yeah, so was I
Holdin' back
Holdin' back the year
The year before the poison took its toll
Made you paper thin, me- wrinkled, old
Eventually, yeah, finally it caught up
I held you back, grabbed you by the arm
I played upon your fear
Rollin' down the window won't I
Order up some breakfast if I can
Hold me back
Hold me by the arm
Wipe away my tear
Wipe away my tear
The story ends with friends and early nights
A kitten grown to cat and no more fight
This is how we stay together, love
Holdin' back
Holdin' back the year
Hold me back
Grab me by the arm
Whisper in my ear
Holdin' back the year
Holdin' back the year
Lyrics submitted by starcastic, edited by rathyrye
Holding Back the Year Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
I was really hoping to come here and see some opinions on this song, but I guess maybe I'll take a stab at kicking up a discussion.
This is currently my favorite song on this album by far, maybe because I got an acoustic version out of KEXP-Seattle's in-studio archive before buying the studio recording and the more stripped down version is much more evocative than anything on the album.
I see this sort of as a relationships (presumably marriage) has its nasty spots, but somehow we persevere kinda message. Maybe I'm way off base (why I wanted to see some other opinions).
The poison in the second stanza can mean all kinds of things, some sort of incident (e.g. infidelity), the condition of being in a long-term monogomous relationship, or even possibly some sort of actual sickness or literal poison (although I prefer to interperet it metaphorically). I like the line, "I held you back, grabbed you by the arm; I played upon your fear". I see that see that as a stereotypical male reaction to adversity in a relationship, but rooted in a lot of reality. The bit I like is the innocence in it, how it's sort of a calculated act of desperation and not an indication of a truely violent nature.
The next bit I see as sort of a grasp at normalcy, just a couple snippets of how you get through the day. I see somebody out driving, trying to escape a potentially volatile situation, stopping off at a fast food joint to get a sausage biscuit if they're still serving breakfast. I think there's a "roll me in your arms" line that's lost in the transcription above, as in let's forget the quibbling and have a comforting return to intimacy.
In the end, life turns kind of monotonous (sorry to reuse the same term) and lame. Entertaining lame friends and turning in early. Raising a cat and being thoroughly domesticated. That's how it works out though, and you remain content in the relationship.
Holding back the year is just persisting on and on.
I don't know, I'm not 100% clear on it, but it stirs up some vivid emotions, which I really like. I tend to think that lots of songs aren't written with a real clear, this is what it's all about, purpose, but give the listener a little room to interpret and make it their own.
Anybody else like this song?