Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
I want to be good, I want to be strong,
But I treated him bad, I've done him wrong.
I've taken his money, I'm given him hell
And he takes it all cause he knows me well.
We can say what we mean and mean what we say
We don't like to mess around,
But we're there to hold each other up
When we're falling down.
Just like an old friend
Putting me on my feet again,
Giving me back my pride then
Letting me go.
Just like an old friend
Putting me in my place again,
Giving me back my hope then
Letting me know that he's an old friend
I don't suffer no fools, I testify
But he must be one for being by my side.
I've broken his heart,
I've shaken his tree
But still he doesn't want anything from a fool like me.
We won't talk for a year or two
Maybe when we do we won't say much.
Even so we know that out of mind is never out of touch.
We're having a man-to-man
Don't want to get sentimental
But both of us understand
We'll never have to say goodbye, just see you later.
But I treated him bad, I've done him wrong.
I've taken his money, I'm given him hell
And he takes it all cause he knows me well.
We can say what we mean and mean what we say
We don't like to mess around,
But we're there to hold each other up
When we're falling down.
Just like an old friend
Putting me on my feet again,
Giving me back my pride then
Letting me go.
Just like an old friend
Putting me in my place again,
Giving me back my hope then
Letting me know that he's an old friend
I don't suffer no fools, I testify
But he must be one for being by my side.
I've broken his heart,
I've shaken his tree
But still he doesn't want anything from a fool like me.
We won't talk for a year or two
Maybe when we do we won't say much.
Even so we know that out of mind is never out of touch.
We're having a man-to-man
Don't want to get sentimental
But both of us understand
We'll never have to say goodbye, just see you later.
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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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.
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
its about someone who has been in your life for a long time, and some bad things where said, and years have gone by and they start talking again and have a better understanding of what else other was going through. No matter what they will always be friend.