Monster Magnet

Black Balloon

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Black Balloon Lyrics

Hey man what's your name?
I've seen your face always before
Tapped in to a cosmic fame
Got the gig I was looking for yeah

Hungry, that's no drag
It's nothing that a trip won't cure
Completion is in that bag
Selfish crowd come back for more

Well I reached in the bag for a new latitude
And all I got out was a black balloon
Was a black balloon
Was a black balloon
Hey babe, I'm out of the cage
Behind some glass miles away
So sue me for being too cool
I hate myself for wanting to play
Guess all I've got to say about karma's true
Cos all I've got left is a black balloon
Is a black balloon
Is a black balloon
Is a black balloon
Is a black balloon
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah

Submitted by

neontempest On Oct 03, 2007

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neontempest

Submitter

2007-10-03 04:23:04

3 Meanings

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by neontempest

18y ago

I am going to go out on a very short limb and make the assumption that this song is about drugs. Seems like the singer is trying to get the same high he used too, but isn't anymore.

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by admiralfish

17y ago

I'll have to agree. You know, for so long, I thought the one line was "I hate myself for wanting to pray", but upon closer listening just now, it does sound like "play". I could understanding the disdain he might have for having to ask for help (seemingly for his addiciton) with something he thought he had under control. They also sell black tar heroin in balloons, so that is a tip off for me.

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by dazeytweeter

12y ago

To me this song is pretty much along the same lines as Robert Johnson's song Crossroads. Selling your soul to Satan to be a rock star and Satan coming to collect). The "black balloon" is a metaphor to having something in one instance and then losing it all in the end.

Verse 1 is about this person having a reunion with Satan but not recognizing him (Hey man what's your name? I've seen your face always before) until Satan reminds him that he sold his soul to become a rock star to which jogs the guy's memory (tapped into a cosmic fame and got the gig I was looking for)

Verse 2 is the temptation and supply of drugs (Hungry? That's no drag. it's nothing that a "trip" won't cure) and groupies and fans (completion is in "that bag" i.e. his music, and the selfish crowd comes back for more)

Chorus 1 is when this person begins to notice how his "black balloon" is wearing him down through the sex, drugs, and rock n roll lifestyle.

Verse 3 is the guy breaking free from his lifestyle (Hey babe I'm out of the cage) and becoming reclusive (behind some glass, miles away) and his regrets of selling his soul to Satan for the fame and fortune of rock stardom (so sue me for being too cool, I hate myself for "wanting to play" i.e. his music

Chorus 2 is pretty much a just a reinforcement/extension of verse 3. The man realizing what a mistake he had done with selling his soul (I guess what they say about karma is true) Satan collecting it and his "black balloon" of what he had before (being a rock star with access to every earthly delight available) was long gone.

This is one of my favorite songs and the first I ever learned how to play.

My Interpretation

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