He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
I'll never get to know my friend Steven
He thought he found an answer
He was my friend since kindergarten
And then I watched him disappear
I'll never get to know my friend Melisa
She had a baby when she was sixteen
And now she works in a mall in Florida
Sometimes I wonder who she could have been
I'll never get to know my mom's friend Bonnie
She's the one who made me want to be an artist
She could paint the prettiest pictures
Until both her lungs collapsed
I'll never get to know my mom's friend Harry
He had a low scratchy growl of a voice
He'd sing "make me an angel that flies from Montgomery"
And then he drank himself to death
I'll never get to know my sister
Because my sister is a crack head
But thank God I remember
When she was just a little kid
I'll never get to know my dad
Because my dad lives in a dream
And even though I think he's the best
He seems so far from everything
And I'll never get to know my mom
Because my mom is an alcoholic
And I bet when she was young
She never saw it coming
You might wonder why I'm an asshole
Or wonder I'm so uptight
Or wonder why I don't just chill out
And learn how to have a good time
But sometimes I'm scared right out of my mind
And sometimes I just get angry
Because I've been let down by the people that I love
But I will not let down the people who love me
He thought he found an answer
He was my friend since kindergarten
And then I watched him disappear
I'll never get to know my friend Melisa
She had a baby when she was sixteen
And now she works in a mall in Florida
Sometimes I wonder who she could have been
I'll never get to know my mom's friend Bonnie
She's the one who made me want to be an artist
She could paint the prettiest pictures
Until both her lungs collapsed
I'll never get to know my mom's friend Harry
He had a low scratchy growl of a voice
He'd sing "make me an angel that flies from Montgomery"
And then he drank himself to death
I'll never get to know my sister
Because my sister is a crack head
But thank God I remember
When she was just a little kid
I'll never get to know my dad
Because my dad lives in a dream
And even though I think he's the best
He seems so far from everything
And I'll never get to know my mom
Because my mom is an alcoholic
And I bet when she was young
She never saw it coming
You might wonder why I'm an asshole
Or wonder I'm so uptight
Or wonder why I don't just chill out
And learn how to have a good time
But sometimes I'm scared right out of my mind
And sometimes I just get angry
Because I've been let down by the people that I love
But I will not let down the people who love me
Lyrics submitted by KeasbyKnights, edited by Samsters
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More Featured Meanings
Corpse I Fell In Love With
Gadjits, The
Gadjits, The
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Step
Ministry
Ministry
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.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Well, I have a feeling that he might be referring to all the people in his life that he has seen leave and who'll he'll never get to know. Haha, but that might just be me. Great song.