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.
I've got a war inside my head
It's got to set itself free
I've got a wheel inside my head
A wheel of understanding
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
I see pretty flowers at my feet
Cool breeze, clean air, hospitality
Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please
Get the hell away from me
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
I've got a war inside my head
It's got to set itself free
I've got a wheel inside my head
A wheel of understanding
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green baby
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
It's got to set itself free
I've got a wheel inside my head
A wheel of understanding
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
I see pretty flowers at my feet
Cool breeze, clean air, hospitality
Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please
Get the hell away from me
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
I've got a war inside my head
It's got to set itself free
I've got a wheel inside my head
A wheel of understanding
I'm loading, loading, my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The breakdown scheme
I'm a shutting down, I’m shutting down, your greed for green baby
I am here to gun it down, gun it down
Lyrics submitted by Tredmond
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Great version of a great song,
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from what i hear kyuss was a really non-commercial band, even tho they were approached by major labels and MTV (who wanted to film their generator bashes) they always turned it down in favour of doing their own thing for fun not profit.
I think this song is about that, a green machine is a money-making enterprise, like they could have turned their band into. and even tho he fights his own greed (the war in his head) he has a "wheel of understanding" of the bigger picture to avoid selling out, which kyuss truly managed to do.
the second verse is "hi-fidelity" (ie music) not "hospitality". he's saying he has all he wants, nature, clean air, and his music, he doesn't need the money they're offering him. Kyuss really enjoyed being kyuss, playing their songs. He's doing his bit to break down the green machine, by not giving in to the truckloads of money they were being offered to turn it into a job.