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.
We give and take life from either side of the knife
With his stale bloody gloves, he reaches in
Knowing death has a plan, holds the filth in his hand
Shuts the cellar door tight and makes his goodnight
With his stale bloody gloves, he reaches in
Knowing death has a plan, holds the filth in his hand
Shuts the cellar door tight and makes his goodnight
Lyrics submitted by Institute
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Ministry
Ministry
Techno Ted
Audioslave
Audioslave
Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
yeah, i know what satan h8er means by "easy to understand, yet so powerfully put together"....
but this is not one of those songs i like the line "We give and take life from either side of the knife" because we can't do one without the other, thus "either side" is a brilliant choice of words.
the line "Knowing death has a plan, holds the filth in his hand" - reminds me of Jesus taking our sins and dying for us.
the rest of it, i dont know...
melodic! this song is just beautiful music. i think it was deffinately a good album opener , and marty's backup vocals fit perfectly. this is one of those songs that is easy to understand, yet so powerfully put together somehow
If it's so easy to understand, please tell us, not what you think about the song, but the interpretation you got.
Anyone else have Legend of Zelda for the N64 come to mind for the instrumental part of the song?
no
it sounds like its about a murderer, coming in for the night. About how life is so fragile and we just take it for granite. It pretty much sums up the album. Solid intro if i do say so myself.
i like enjoi's idea with the whole Jesus taking our sins thing. Great song, great album.
Here's my line by line break-down so far.
Line #1: The knife is a representation of technology, rather than the physical object we cut things with. With it, we can both do harm and good. Our medical technology is phenomenal! Yet, so is our military technology. We can kill and save a life with it.
Line #2: The 'His' in this line is very ambiguous but granted the actual topic of this album (which I've already figured out) I'm pretty certain it's not Jesus. Rather it's our society/government, what have you. Notice it says 'stale' bloody gloves, meaning there was already blood on them. And I can only think of a Hitman who wears gloves to not be caught by his crimes. Doctors wear them to prevent infecting patients and to keep blood off their hands.
Line #3: Whoever this person is, a doctor let's say, is only doing his job. It's almost as if they know the patient is going to die soon or later on anyway, but they prolong the life still.
The last line I'm not certain yet. But granted it's a "cellar" we normally stow things in their for storage, or to be hidden. He shuts the cellar door tight and walks away like nothing, much like what I've said before can go as quickly as it came and without a trace. Just like our crimes and deaths can vanish and be forgotten if needed.