Neighborhood Spaceman (Feat. Jel & Odd Nosam)

OK some quick corrections;

I'm your neighborhood spaceman. You don't know who I am, where I've been.

Circling like a satellite. Sign post in the sky, look at me.

I’m really just a tambourine The world is shaking me, so listen.

Cause now I'm gonna sing, I'm comin' home. You hear my song through the galaxy.

By the time this light has reached your eyes. The world has lived and died, but we're here.

Time and space are landing right where we're standing. Open up your hand and something good will happen. Drinking from the sun, we found a whole new planet. Stars align a thousand times that old black magic.

When no one is looking, ain't gonna shut my mouth and I'm crying out. When no one is looking, I'm on your balcony singing the serenade. When no one is looking, I swallow thunder clouds, I kiss the hollowed ground. When no one is looking, I eat the desert sand and drink the Rio Grande. When no one is looking,. I'm crying raindrops and chew on mountain tops. When no one is looking, I break another rhyme and I'm stopping time.

I'm your neighborhood spaceman, and your breath is moving through me. On the surface of this moon I can say to you, "It's okay." Somebody inside of us makes this joy a must then we'll be knee deep in ecstasy no gravity to hold us down again. We’re Free! A thousand light years from this place, I see the look on your face and I'm there.

Time and space are landing right where we're standing. Open up your hand and something good will happen. Drinking from the sun, we found a whole new planet. Stars align a thousand times that old black magic.

When no one is looking, I'm gonna buckle down, I'm gonna hit the ground. When no one is looking, I got to understand, I'm packin' up again. When no one is looking, I'll pull the car around cause I'm leaving town. When no one is looking, I'm just a rocket man , I've seen the Vatican. I'll never give up, I'll never let you down, I'll bring you the crown. I'll never give up, (I can’t make it out) but On the Other hand I wanna be the man. I'll never give up, I'll never let you down, I'll bring you the crown. I'm courageous enough, but on the other hand I'm out of here, my friend.

Religious your(??) Tamborine is what I'm hearing.

it would fit since the next line talks about shaking.

i'm really just a tambourine the world is shaking me so listen

"Now I'm gonna sing I'm coming home" kind of seems to be a nod to "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Shilling, which was an 80's one hit wonder "sequel" to David Bowie's "Space Oddity", and therefor pretty connected to the overall space theme. Then there's of course "Rocket Man", and the part about being a tambourine could possibly be a reference to "Mr Tambourine Man"; the latter has nothing to do with space, but William Shatner famously "covered" both that and "Rocket Man". I know I'm heading towards something that's an annoyingly overused interpetation around here, but in "Ashes To Ashes" David Bowie said that "Major Tom's a junkie", and "Mr Tambourine Man" is supposedly about a drug dealer; that and the part about being "knee deep in ecstacy" kind of lead me to believe it's kind of a "space travel as a metaphor for drug use" song. Of course, the only drug Patton uses is caffeine, but considering he still sings about rolling it up and smoking it again elswhere on this album, it's not entirely implausible.

I really like the way he sings this songs.But this is Patton after all.He IS God!

Fucken cool song. Nothing like an album done by mike patton

This my take, could be wrong.

This is IMO the most personal self describing song lyrics he has ever written.

The airy, spacey feeling he is having alongside his awareness of being small in a vast universe is just his feeling of connection with everything. A higher level of awareness, akin to kensho. He stares at the stars with understanding due to our recent scientific and astronomic discoveries.

The person he describes is a singer of sorts, who walks the empty sidewalks at night, humming and trying to pretend that some lost love lives inside one of the houses. Since the title of the record is Peeping Tom, he might even be having an unhealthy and voyeuristic obsession with some woman he sees in a window along his walks.

" Under your balcony, singin' the serenade "

In this song he goes from someone who feels insignificant and alone. Outside of things, peering in on other lives. But when he spots someone who catches his interest, ZOOM ! He is off in the land of grandiose delusions.

I will do the impossible ! Chew on Mountain Tops !

I will finally amount to something, just to impress you !

I'm going to buckle down.

Then he realizes that he is not in the land of delusions.

Back on Earth again, but he tries to remember that spur of energy and motivation, to keep going out and doing his thing.

He'll never give up, he promises. He will bring her the crown, which is a trophy of achievement, to show " Her " that he is a success and it all due to " Her "

Then last lines are my favorite because I think it is the peeping tom seeing a light come on, or a face stare back in the window. And he flees !

On the other hand, I'm out of here my friend.

my two cents

I think I've made a few corrections that might make the meaning of this song a little clearer..

I'm your neighborhood spaceman you don't know who I am or where I've been circling like a satellite, a signpost in the sky.. look at me I'm really just a tambourine the world is shaking me, so listen cuz now I'm gonna sing I'm comin' home you'll hear my song through the galaxy by the time this light has reached your eyes a world has lived and died, but we're here..

time and space are landing right where we're standing open up your hand and something good will happen drinking from the sun, we've found a whole new planet stars align a thousand times, that old black magick

when no one is looking, ain't gonna shut my mouth and I'm cryin' out when no one is looking, under your balcony singin' the serenade when no one is looking, I swallow thunder clouds and kiss the hollow ground when no one is looking, I eat the desert sand and drink the Rio Grande when no one is looking, I'm cryin' raindrops and chewin' mountain tops when no one is looking, I break another rhyme and I'm stoppin' time

I'm your neighborhood spaceman and your breath is moving through me on the surface of this moon I can say to you: "it's ok" somebody inside of us makes this joy a must then we'll be knee-deep in ecstasy no gravity to hold us down again we're free a thousand light years from this place I see the look on your face, and I'm there

time and space are landing right where we're standing open up your hand and something good will happen drinking from the sun, we've found a whole new planet stars align a thousand times, that old black magick

when no one is looking, I'm gonna buckle down I'm gonna hit the ground when no one is looking, I got to understand I'm back on Earth again when no one is looking, I pull my car around cuz I'm leavin' town when no one is looking, I'm just a rocket man I've seen a lot of can

I'll never give up, I'll never let you down I'll bring you the crown I'm opening up, but on the other hand, I wanna be the man I'll never give up, I'll never let you down I'll bring you the crown I'm courageous enough, but on the other hand I'm outta here, my friend

This song describes how guys will typically run away from a relationship that challenges them spiritually or puts too much pressure on their psyche. That's why he calls himself a "rocket man" or "spaceman", because he runs away when things get too difficult with his woman. But, as usual with Patton, there's a double entendre. He's also a "spaceman" because he initially puts on an impressive false front to get the woman (e.g. he's a "signpost in the sky" saying "LOOK AT ME!!"). This is something guys typically do a lot when they meet a woman who they're attracted to. And when they succeed in getting the woman, they feel super confident and they get a huge surge of energy which makes them feel amazing.

But at the same time, they can't control it. Soon, that ball of energy makes the man become egocentric, thinking he can do/accomplish anything and everything (e.g. "drink the Rio Grande", "swallow thunder clouds", etc.). That's usually when things take a turn in the relationship. Now, with the guy being over-confident, his woman starts to appear not good enough for him. Tension in the relationship increases, and the super-confidence he was feeling starts to erode (e.g. he's "back on Earth again").

Then he becomes totally conflicted with how he feels (this is what the final verse is about). He still holds on to that initial surge of positive energy he felt at the beginning of the relationship, but now he knows that it was sort-of built on false pretenses. He doesn't want to give up on the relationship, but at the same time, it's driving him completely batty. He wants to open up to the woman (and to himself) but at the same time, he wants to run away and leave her so he can feel sane again.

It's a beautiful song :)