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.
[whistling]
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
Only time will tell if I'll allow the
Scenery around to eat me alive
I wanna sleep for weeks like a dog at her feet
Even though I know it won't work out in the long run
So I'll burn down the wall, breathe like a shadow
Those arms I once knew hold me like ghosts
I'll learn how to speak a forgotten language
I'll fall in the sea but forget how to swim
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
But only time will tell if I'll allow the
Scenery around to eat me alive
I want to sleep for weeks like a dog at her feet
Even though I know it won't work out in the long run
So I'll burn down to bone, breathe like a shadow
Those arms I once knew hold me like ghosts
I'll learn how to speak defeated language
I'll fall in the street as I howl at the moon
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
Only time will tell if I'll allow the
Scenery around to eat me alive
I wanna sleep for weeks like a dog at her feet
Even though I know it won't work out in the long run
So I'll burn down the wall, breathe like a shadow
Those arms I once knew hold me like ghosts
I'll learn how to speak a forgotten language
I'll fall in the sea but forget how to swim
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
But only time will tell if I'll allow the
Scenery around to eat me alive
I want to sleep for weeks like a dog at her feet
Even though I know it won't work out in the long run
So I'll burn down to bone, breathe like a shadow
Those arms I once knew hold me like ghosts
I'll learn how to speak defeated language
I'll fall in the street as I howl at the moon
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
When anything that's anything becomes nothing
That's everything and
Nothing is the only thing ya
Ever seem to have
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
La la-la, la-la la la-la
La la-la, la-la
Lyrics submitted by wingedfeetxc, edited by KabukiJake, invaderDeviLin
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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.”
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the line "those arms I once knew hold me like gold" isn't correct. the real line is "those arms I once knew hold me like ghosts. that first section of the song that includes the line i just mentioned is probably my favorite of man man's. its so eloquent and sad. i just saw them live, too. amazing show. made me love them even more than i already did.