Straight Up and Down

Why has no one commented on this! Instant classic, I'm loving BJM just now... Anyone know what its about? I guess its just about him being content struggling on with his music when the rest of the world seems intent on making him change his ways.. But does anyone know what "I love you but you drag me down" means?

phenomenal song and a great album.

This song is about teaching someone to not give a fuck so that they can become everything they should be as a person. And to then be able to reach the potential the songwriter (Anton) sees in them.

This song is like most from Take it from man! About relationship between songwriter and his "significant other". Just like title says it's about process of his life take him straigth up and down over and over again.

In verse he says how he feels about that person how he sees her and how he wants to see her. "i love you but it drags me down" He wants to move on He knows how much is this relation hurting him, but he cant change way he feels.

This is actually more optimistic version of song. In this case he says: "it's fine with me cause i'm going to keep trying" in another version of this song he says instead it: "it's fine with me cause i'm sick and tired of trying"

I have bipolar disorder, and this song makes so much sense to me.

This song contains some of the most ethereal chord changes and vulnerable vocals ever caught on record. Anton Newcombe and his gang listened to Gregg Allman sing "Midnight Rider," and Steve Winwood sing "Can't Find My Way Home," over and over again and in an attempt to replicate the sound, took it to a new level.

The whole whole song is rather penetrating, but when the chord changes and he says, "'Cause I've made my disappointment my very best friend," goosebumps rise and I nod my head because I believe him, and I know what he's talking about. For any lyricist to say "I never felt like I feel when I'm frying," is both an understatement and totally redundant. To "fry," is to take acid and lose your mind for a while and hopefully, in the process, gain some insight. I never felt the way I feel when I listen to "Straight Up and Down," by the Brian Jonestown Massacre.

I am so thrilled - almost twenty years later - that someone cared so much about sonic bliss to create music that sounds like this. If only I could be so honest in my life and art.

Boardwalk empire!

Lol @ "ethereal chords"

Decent song, but there's nothing ethereal about D major, G major, and C major. In fact, three out of every every four rock songs you've ever heard are rooted in one of those chords and if you feel like you've heard Straight Up before, it's because you probably have. Anton Newcombe is a total hack-job that tried to make a career out of boosting every Stones, Dylan, Allman (et cetera.) song that he could from the 60's/70's and putting his own lyrics over it. He should have been a rapper. Ironic that this song is about freeing yourself and realizing your potential. If the mentally ill junkie had taken his own advice way back, it wouldn't have taken two decades for the general public to hear his band for the first time.

I think it's about heroin addiction.

I try to see But I guess that I'm blind It's fine with me cos I'm gonna keep on trying I've made disappointment my very best friend. I wait and see who your going to be and when.

The first verse sets up the story, he is trying to face his addiction but is still in denial, he is going to keep trying to deal with his addiction, he is constantly disappointing himself and his loved ones more than anything else, I believe the last line is directed at himself and refers to him being trapped in addiction. Any addict plays out the wait and see line to justify using.

The chorus isn't Anton expressing outward, it's what he is hearing from loved ones. We don't want you to be innately self destructive. We want you to free yourself from the pain and the need to abuse substances.

The second verse is Anton justifying his addiction, it feels better than anything else, I don't care if it kills me.

The second chorus is a push back again, it does no good to pretend that you are me, referring to his denial, that he is not free like other people around him.

The last bridge/verse he is still struggling with the notion of continuing or getting clean.

The chorus isn't what Anton is expressing outward. It's what he is hearing from loved ones.

We don't want you to be yourself you see (innately self destructive) We want to free yourself (from the pain causing the substance abuse) it does no good to pretend that you are free i can not see you i love you but it drags me down

People telling him he is is denial. He isn't free at all, he is struggling with addiction and pain.

i never felt like i feel when i'm frying i don't care where i'm living or i'm dieing

This verse comes back to the addiction mentality, I never fell better than when I'm high and I just don't care whether it's killing me or not.