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Suffering Jukebox Lyrics
Planes on the downtown skyline is a sight to see for some
it ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one
while these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day
all these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away
suffering jukebox such a sad machine
your filled up with what other people need
and they never seem to turn you up loud
there are a lot of chatterboxes in this crowd
suffering jukebox in a happy town
you're over in the corner breaking down
they always seem to keep you way down low
the people in this town don't want to know
well I guess all that mad misery must make it seem to true to you
but money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
you got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependancies
you make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue
suffering jukebox such a sad machine
your filled up with what other people need
hardship, damnation and guilt
make you wonder why you were even built
suffering jukebox in a happy town
you're over in the corner breaking down
they always seem to keep you way down low
the people in this town don't want to know
it ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one
while these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day
all these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away
your filled up with what other people need
and they never seem to turn you up loud
there are a lot of chatterboxes in this crowd
you're over in the corner breaking down
they always seem to keep you way down low
the people in this town don't want to know
but money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
you got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependancies
you make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue
your filled up with what other people need
hardship, damnation and guilt
make you wonder why you were even built
you're over in the corner breaking down
they always seem to keep you way down low
the people in this town don't want to know
Song Info
Submitted by
mrkpwnz On Mar 18, 2008
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In one of his interviews, he talks about how it is easier to use an animal or object to sing about in place of a person. Here, I could see the jukebox being him.
The first word is "cranes" I think.
The first verse confuses me. "money lights your world up" is a cool line referring to the actual jukebox and the entertainer.
I agree that it is about him. This is a great song. Cassie sounds great on the chorus.
I agree that it is about him. This is a great song. Cassie sounds great on the chorus.
yeah cool self portrait song.
The first verse is just the setting, commercial America - the audience he struggles to speak to. "Cult of #1's" being the upper class. Jaded stuff.
This song gets better the more attention I pay it.
"all these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away"
That's double spirit measures. People spending their money on drink rather than the jukebox.
I agree that this is probably autobiographical, and he is probably the jukebox, which makes "suffering jukebox in a happy town" a really sad line.
i think everyone missed the reason behind the use of a jukebox. He feels empathy for the jukebox because it is only able to play other peoples feelings/words not its own. The line of about the 'cult of #1's' is Berman making a joke about pop music (i disagree that it means the upper class). However, the song is clearly autobiographical in some way, the easiest parallel being that he is frustrated with himself for not being original enough. Hence, he is 'over in the corner breaking down.'
Yes, this is definitely about sadness. David Berman definitely struggled with depression. I've known people who've had to deal with it, and it can be cruel - if you're in that state, no one wants to get within 20 feet of you. People want to avoid their own tendencies towards sadness, turn your volume way down low, and fill the air with inane chatter. When, ironically, the worst part about it is the isolation. "The people in this town don't want to know."
Yeah, TaShawn, he does sing about himself through objects or animals. Like "sometimes a pony gets depressed"