He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
She is sitting on the ground.
Golden face and eyes turned down.
Arms both barren, showing some
Golden trace of foreign sun.
And bright and tattered, 'cross each wrist,
Golden bracelets that exist.
Sold so cheap they're almost free
In golden places we've never seen.
China-white and Cairo-black,
This golden face and silver back.
I have brought them 'cross the sea.
Give them to my love for me.
Shut your thoughts, close out the world.
Shut your thoughts and be my girl.
Hear the screams outside the gate.
We can't stop it; it's too late.
I said you have it--take it. Take it all.
Try it on, twirl down the hall.
Big-eyed girl and gentle man.
Blank-eyed beast who grabbed her hand.
At a distance from the street,
Golden threads run through their sheets.
Lit by dusky golden hue
Plummeting through golden you.
Golden face and eyes turned down.
Arms both barren, showing some
Golden trace of foreign sun.
And bright and tattered, 'cross each wrist,
Golden bracelets that exist.
Sold so cheap they're almost free
In golden places we've never seen.
China-white and Cairo-black,
This golden face and silver back.
I have brought them 'cross the sea.
Give them to my love for me.
Shut your thoughts, close out the world.
Shut your thoughts and be my girl.
Hear the screams outside the gate.
We can't stop it; it's too late.
I said you have it--take it. Take it all.
Try it on, twirl down the hall.
Big-eyed girl and gentle man.
Blank-eyed beast who grabbed her hand.
At a distance from the street,
Golden threads run through their sheets.
Lit by dusky golden hue
Plummeting through golden you.
Lyrics submitted by digitaux
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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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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The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
The last line may need help. It gets pretty garbled by the song's crescendo. Any other ideas what he says?
Overall, one of Sheff's most obtuse tracks lyrically, but one that's more about evocative, vivid imagery than coherent narrative or encompassing theme. Maybe. There's a definite dichotomy going on, but I can't figure what it all means, if it does mean anything.