This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Thirty days, Lord and thirty nights
I'm comin' home on an airplane flight
Mama waitin' at the ticket line
Tell me, son, why do you stand there cryin'?
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
I've been feelin' so sick inside
Got to get better, Lord, before I die
Seven doctors couldn't help my head, they said
You better quit, son, before you're dead
Quit the needle, quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
We're gonna take you away, Lord, gonna take you away
It was the needle and the spoon
I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, Lord, I've seen a lot of fools
Well, I hope you people, Lord, can hear what I say
You'll have your chance to hit it some day
Don't mess with the needle or a spoon
Or any trip to the moon
It will take you away
Lord, they gonna bury you, boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I'm comin' home on an airplane flight
Mama waitin' at the ticket line
Tell me, son, why do you stand there cryin'?
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
I've been feelin' so sick inside
Got to get better, Lord, before I die
Seven doctors couldn't help my head, they said
You better quit, son, before you're dead
Quit the needle, quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
We're gonna take you away, Lord, gonna take you away
It was the needle and the spoon
I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, Lord, I've seen a lot of fools
Well, I hope you people, Lord, can hear what I say
You'll have your chance to hit it some day
Don't mess with the needle or a spoon
Or any trip to the moon
It will take you away
Lord, they gonna bury you, boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Needle and the Spoon Lyrics as written by Ronnie Van Zant Allen Collins
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Great song. Along that same line of other Skynyrd songs. "Don't get involved with this, it'll do you in." Case in point: Saturday Night Special, Poison Whiskey, That Smell."
"I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool, But then again, lord I've seen a lot of fools"
my motto
heroin ?
another great skynard song. surprised on the number of comments. i think its about how he's lost so many of his friends to drugs. Kind of hipicritical for skynard to be writing antidrug songs though.
that's the thing about drugs you can't hate them and still not be able to get away from them. favorite skynyrd tune.
Agree with the other posters. Anti-drugs. Love the line:- "I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool But then again I've seen a lot of fools" How very true.
That's what I'm going to guess. But I don't think he directly means heroine. Just a way of saying all drugs.
Yeah well skynyrd used drugs but I'm pretty sure they never messed with smack. It wasn't mentioned in their bio. An awesome song with a good message and a wonderful solo by Alan. The live version is best.
this song is not specifically about heroin, it's more of a "Slow down before youre dead, Rockstar." song.
haha it's definitely heroin, "the needle and the spoon"
They weren't exactly subtle about it.