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.
Imagine A Place Where I Wasn't So Impressionable
And Everything You Do And Say Is Not A Blueprint For Me To Choose
I Didn't See And I Never Killed Anything
I Never Cussed And I Never Heard Anything
I Saw The Choice And I Carried Out Everything
Think Of The Children, What Of The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
Think Of The Children, I Protect The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
So To Survive, To Stay Alive I Must End The Pleasures
I Afford Myself Everyday
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
In His Hands, In His Hands
But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
Back To Me, Back To Me
So I'm Never Truly Free To Live
Imagine A Time When The Programs Weren't Miserable
And What You View You Would Digest And Escape From Your Memory
Imagine A Day With Our Actions Unaffordable
And We Can Stop The Turning Of The Earth With A Single Word
I Didn't See And I Never Killed Anything
I Never Cussed And I Never Heard Anything
I Saw The Choice And I Carried Out Everything
Think Of The Children, What Of The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
Think Of The Children, I Protect The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
So To Survive, To Stay Alive I Must End The Pleasures
I Afford Myself Everyday
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
In His Hands, In His Hands
But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
Back To Me, Back To Me
So I'm Never Truly Free
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
And I Think I Understand, But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
I Must Hinder What They See, So I'm Never Truly Free To Live
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
That Generation Must Pass Them On Again
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
Those Genes Must Carry On Until The End
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
That Generation Must Pass Them On Again
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
Those Genes Must Carry On Until The End
And All Is Well, That Ends Well
And All Is Well, That Ends Well
And Everything You Do And Say Is Not A Blueprint For Me To Choose
I Didn't See And I Never Killed Anything
I Never Cussed And I Never Heard Anything
I Saw The Choice And I Carried Out Everything
Think Of The Children, What Of The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
Think Of The Children, I Protect The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
So To Survive, To Stay Alive I Must End The Pleasures
I Afford Myself Everyday
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
In His Hands, In His Hands
But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
Back To Me, Back To Me
So I'm Never Truly Free To Live
Imagine A Time When The Programs Weren't Miserable
And What You View You Would Digest And Escape From Your Memory
Imagine A Day With Our Actions Unaffordable
And We Can Stop The Turning Of The Earth With A Single Word
I Didn't See And I Never Killed Anything
I Never Cussed And I Never Heard Anything
I Saw The Choice And I Carried Out Everything
Think Of The Children, What Of The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
Think Of The Children, I Protect The Children
Think Of The Children, What Becomes Of Anything
So To Survive, To Stay Alive I Must End The Pleasures
I Afford Myself Everyday
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
In His Hands, In His Hands
But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
Back To Me, Back To Me
So I'm Never Truly Free
Fate Understands And He Holds It In His Hands
And I Think I Understand, But It Wasn't What I Planned
All That You See Is A Reflection Back To Me
I Must Hinder What They See, So I'm Never Truly Free To Live
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
That Generation Must Pass Them On Again
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
Those Genes Must Carry On Until The End
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
That Generation Must Pass Them On Again
I Must Pass My Genes Into The Next Generation
Those Genes Must Carry On Until The End
And All Is Well, That Ends Well
And All Is Well, That Ends Well
Lyrics submitted by xclosedeyesx
The Subsequent Rating Given To The Life And Times Of Jack Valentine song meanings
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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."
Gentle Hour
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Jack Valenti was a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America.I think this song is about how people blame media for making children violent despite the fact people have free will and know the differnce between right and wrong.