Once,
Out in the rain
I was able to strangle my shadow,
Then unshackle the chains.
What?
What will you do?
Is it safe to play God in the garden and king of the zoo?
Holes,
Well they need to be filled.
Positions available,
Yet some are quite hard to get out of or in.

Spinning in the daffodils.
Dizzy from a dozen twirls.
Spinning in the daffodils.

Cold,
Alone and alive.
You're afraid but that's not what I asked,
Wanna go for a ride?
Sharpen your teeth my darlings,
Sharpen your minds.
Take a finger, if the hand feeds you shit,
Take one scalp at a time.

Fail,
As big as a whale.
Like a canine that chases a bone
That's tied to his tail.

I wish I was a beautiful balloon.
I could rise up
Above of it all,
And fade out of view.
Gracefully fade, out of view.
What have you turned me into?

Spinning in the daffodils.
Dizzy from a dozen twirls.
Spinning in the daffodils.

What have you gone
And done
My love?
Incinerated in the morning sun.

[Repeat x6]
I
Am so high
I just
May
Never come down


Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings

Spinning In Daffodils Lyrics as written by Josh Homme John Baldwin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Spinning in Daffodils song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    I like to think about this song as a point in life of a man when he realizes that something in the past went terribly wrong and he cant help it. Like he found himself in a trap. Everything was fine at the beginning but then he missed signs that would prevent him from blundering.

    Look at the beginning of the song: very fine piano intro, and then, slowly creeping in, guitar distorted as hell, like a stain on a perfect picture, something is wrong. But then it's too late, the drums make it obvious it's a trap. No way back. Beautiful. And the outro. Like some dance of a maniac. He can do nothing but laugh in despair.

    CuteFrankyon August 25, 2013   Link
  • +5
    Song Meaning

    This music criticizes the transformation of Narcissus of each person, from a solid world in to a liquid world.

    Solid world, slow, where there are limits, borders, time to absorb things, remember when we correspond from letters ?.

    Liquid world, everything is fast, without limits, without barriers, everything is mixed with time, There is no time to absorb everything, instant messages and in our mobile phone we are in contact with our boss at any time of the day.

    It is sung by one's own conscience, already know it can not do anything, you lose control.

    The Self comes into the corner right after the second chorus, asking where your conscience goes and what it did?

    At the beginning of the verse the conscience remembers that it could have alerted the person and to prevent what was to come.

    I think it is important to demystify the metaphor of the beginning of the verse: "Is it safe to play God in the garden and king of the zoo?"

    Imagine you at your computer or cellphone and write whatever your opinion is (garden) Imagine you saying and debating your thoughts out side. (zoo) In both cases no one will hear you. Everyone has their opinion, no one hears anyone's, Everyone say the own opinion instead of listening others. In this liquid world, we all have an opinion.

    "Holes, Well they need to be filled. Positions available, Yet some are quite hard to get out of or in. "

    Holes metaphor for the void that feels or has opened, has opened vacancies to be filled, but some vacancies will be difficult to replace. This means that something happens but the conscience does not understand, it misses but does not know what it is.

    The rest of the verses follow the path of a process of depression and there the conscience is the only one that suffers. Who prefers to move upward by freeing himself from the pain. (balloon, losing the pressure) In the end it is already in the process of suicide that the conscience abandoned him and accepted his own condition.

    The context of all this is related to today's digital Narcissism. Today we post our photos, without conscience, we post to ourselves, waiting for approval from others, with likes, shares and comments. Our conscience does not have the perception to warn us that we are getting more and more solitary and abandoned, we are increasingly accompanied by digital friends not present ones. Consciousness has no sensors capable of detecting the way we are going. Apparently, we are not alone but we are factually.

    This music as in many many other QOTSA flowers with context on metaphors. Today we all want detailed and fast information, and we miss the love of success or achievement. This music conquers when we perceive it and why we love it.

    This song has 3 living legends that have created something extraordinary for life.

    franciscojon June 13, 2019   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song feels like some creepy mad scientist kind of song. Maybe it's about a scientist who tries to play god then regrets what he did and tries to run away.

    This song has some references to animals and zoos like the rest of the album. I wonder if the album is trying to tell a story.

    likesmokeon September 26, 2010   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    I dont think this is a happy song at all. Which is why I love heavy music, nothing is happy. Its a very sad song about unrequited love. I always thought this song was about being in love with someone but they didn't like you back. But you love the person so much you can never get them out of your head even after years of trying to forget. Your so high you just may never come down.

    HarveyBirdmanon June 20, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it's about spending ages plotting and preparing for a grand scheme of revenge. And then sort of just lying in the blood at the end, feeling satisfied and ready to die.

    anon12341on August 25, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me, this seems to be about doing stupid shit because of lust or love, but i think the second verse encourages us to take the risk of epic failure but just being aware of it and prepare for it. Also, the author wants us to throw away any garbage that falls our way (lovers that treat you like shit) and try again.

    SeaOfSandon December 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Beautiful song. very insirational

    BobbyjointRitualon December 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I wonder if they got the phrase "sharpen your teeth" from Ugly Casanova?

    Modestmouse1115on May 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    Mankind. "What have you turned me into?" A pig in the mud like the rest of 'em. Spinning in daffodils - it's a dog eat dog life.

    "God in the garden, king of the zoo"

    "Take one scalp at a time"

    "I am so high I just may never come down"

    It's about them RL crooked vultures and corporate life style in general.

    Austerityon July 03, 2014   Link
  • 0
    Memory

    It's all there, in the title: Daffodil = Narcissus /nɑːrˈsɪsəs/ is a genus of predominantly spring perennial plants in the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family.

    Lazaricaon April 29, 2016   Link

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