The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Go back to those gold sounds
And keep my advent to yourself
Because it's nothing I don't like
Is it a crisis or a boring change?
When it's central, so essential
It has a nice ring when you laugh
At their low life opinions
And they're coming to the chorus now
I keep my address to yourself
'Cause we need secrets
We need secret, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets
Back right now
Because I never wanna make you feel
That you're social, never ignorant soul
Believe in what you wanna do
And do you think that is a major flaw
When they rise up in the falling rain
And if you stay around
With your knuckles ground down
The trial's over, weapon's found
Keep my address to myself because it's secret
'Cause it's secret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
'Cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
'Cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
Back right now
So drunk in the August sun
And you're the kind of girl I like
Because you're empty and I'm empty
And you can never quarantine the past
Did you remember in December
That I won't eat you when I'm gone
And if I go there, I won't stay there
Because I'm sitting here too long
I've been sitting here too long
And I've been wasted
Advocating that word for the last word
Last words come up, all you've got to waste
And keep my advent to yourself
Because it's nothing I don't like
Is it a crisis or a boring change?
When it's central, so essential
It has a nice ring when you laugh
At their low life opinions
And they're coming to the chorus now
I keep my address to yourself
'Cause we need secrets
We need secret, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets, 'crets
Back right now
Because I never wanna make you feel
That you're social, never ignorant soul
Believe in what you wanna do
And do you think that is a major flaw
When they rise up in the falling rain
And if you stay around
With your knuckles ground down
The trial's over, weapon's found
Keep my address to myself because it's secret
'Cause it's secret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
'Cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
'Cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret, 'cret
Back right now
So drunk in the August sun
And you're the kind of girl I like
Because you're empty and I'm empty
And you can never quarantine the past
Did you remember in December
That I won't eat you when I'm gone
And if I go there, I won't stay there
Because I'm sitting here too long
I've been sitting here too long
And I've been wasted
Advocating that word for the last word
Last words come up, all you've got to waste
Lyrics submitted by wheaties409, edited by PinkFloydrulez, cbiird, twinfountain, mdznr, Skillstad
Gold Soundz Lyrics as written by Stephen Malkmus
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
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.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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"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.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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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.
This is my favorite song.
Well, it's tied with "Live Forever" by Oasis, "A Perfect Sonnet" by Bright Eyes, "In My Life" by The Beatles, and "Philosophy" by Ben Folds Five.
Anyway, I believe the song to be about normal people getting older, or going through their mid-life cris(es).
"Is it a crisis or a boring change?"
To me, the entire first two verses and choruses are like two people trying to make their normal, average lives seem special, or different ("Keep my address to myself because it's secret"), as they get older. The final verse, one of my favorites in any song, just talks about normal empty people and the real emotions that are going on to connect them. Married couples, people that are longing. I don't think SM literally means "That I won't EAT you when I'm gone", I believe he's speaking figuratively, as with most other Pavement songs. I honestly thought it said "Need" as well. In the end, I think it's just a tune about a normal, married couple getting older and going through all the emotions that come with conforming. Think about it - they're no longer young, they have a house, kids, job, their dreams died, they're bored all the time ("And if I go there, I won't stay there, because I'm sitting here too long") and now at the age where they waste so much time taking everything so seriously ("And I've been wasted, advocating that word for the last word, last words come up all you've got to waste").
And yet, the music and lyrics still make it seem so spectacular, so happy. Go back to those Gold Sounds - your youth, your freedom. That's what makes this song so god damn incredible to me.