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.
Seven months ago I buried something good
But I never marked the spot so now it’s lost
It’s been trying to take it up with every part of me
But I’m so weak that I can barely move my tongue
To defend myself
Against the odds that point right at me
How I tried my best to keep you on your strings
How disgustingly I lied
And all the times I made you cry
With my unappreciation for the little things you did
But look at me now
Through your sparkling little eyes
The ones I used to fill with tears
The ones that I need now more than ever
But you’re happy now
And I don’t blame you
You deserve a lot more than I ever gave you
You had strength and I had time
But that’s no excuse
For me to stab you right in the back
And the worst part
Is all you ever did was break your back for me
And still I wasn’t faithful to you
And I convinced myself that we came to a compromise
I’ll take your heart and use it how the hell I please
With all the chance I was given
To say no to the temptation
I said no to confrontation
And I hid it all away
In a box I keep inside my chest
The key was hidden in the loneliness
As I searched around the dark and found a light
You carried it away
I was forced to realize
You had taken all we had
And was never to be seen again
You had strength and I had time
But that’s no excuse
For me to stab you right in the back
And the worst part
Is all you ever did was break your back for me
And still I wasn’t faithful to you
And in the end I still lost you
But I never marked the spot so now it’s lost
It’s been trying to take it up with every part of me
But I’m so weak that I can barely move my tongue
To defend myself
Against the odds that point right at me
How I tried my best to keep you on your strings
How disgustingly I lied
And all the times I made you cry
With my unappreciation for the little things you did
But look at me now
Through your sparkling little eyes
The ones I used to fill with tears
The ones that I need now more than ever
But you’re happy now
And I don’t blame you
You deserve a lot more than I ever gave you
You had strength and I had time
But that’s no excuse
For me to stab you right in the back
And the worst part
Is all you ever did was break your back for me
And still I wasn’t faithful to you
And I convinced myself that we came to a compromise
I’ll take your heart and use it how the hell I please
With all the chance I was given
To say no to the temptation
I said no to confrontation
And I hid it all away
In a box I keep inside my chest
The key was hidden in the loneliness
As I searched around the dark and found a light
You carried it away
I was forced to realize
You had taken all we had
And was never to be seen again
You had strength and I had time
But that’s no excuse
For me to stab you right in the back
And the worst part
Is all you ever did was break your back for me
And still I wasn’t faithful to you
And in the end I still lost you
Lyrics submitted by Zynx
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Step
Ministry
Ministry
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.