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.
I'll see you at the Weighing-In,
When your life's sum-total's made.
And you set your wealth in Godly deeds
Against the sins you've laid.
And you place your final burden
On your hard-pressed next of kin:
Send the chamber-pot back down the line
To be filled up again.
And the hard-headed miracle worker
Who bathes his hands in blood,
Will welcome you to the final "nod"
And cover you with mud.
And he'll say, "You really should make the deal,"
As he offers round the hat.
"Well, you'd better lick two fingers clean
He'll thank you all for that."
As you slip on the greasy platform,
And you land upon your back,
You make a wish and you wipe your nose
Upon the railway track.
While the high-strung locomotive,
With furnace burning bright,
Lumbers on you wave goodbye
And the sparks fade into night.
And as you join the Good Ship Earth,
And you mingle with the dust,
You'd better leave your underpants
With someone you can trust.
And when the Old Man with the telescope
Cuts the final strand
You'd better lick two fingers clean,
Before you shake his hand.
When your life's sum-total's made.
And you set your wealth in Godly deeds
Against the sins you've laid.
And you place your final burden
On your hard-pressed next of kin:
Send the chamber-pot back down the line
To be filled up again.
And the hard-headed miracle worker
Who bathes his hands in blood,
Will welcome you to the final "nod"
And cover you with mud.
And he'll say, "You really should make the deal,"
As he offers round the hat.
"Well, you'd better lick two fingers clean
He'll thank you all for that."
As you slip on the greasy platform,
And you land upon your back,
You make a wish and you wipe your nose
Upon the railway track.
While the high-strung locomotive,
With furnace burning bright,
Lumbers on you wave goodbye
And the sparks fade into night.
And as you join the Good Ship Earth,
And you mingle with the dust,
You'd better leave your underpants
With someone you can trust.
And when the Old Man with the telescope
Cuts the final strand
You'd better lick two fingers clean,
Before you shake his hand.
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Ministry
Ministry
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
I'm not buying any of the current explanations about licking two fingers clean. I'm still cogitating on that one.
And I don't agree that this is so specific to the Catholic Church and their particular practices as one person claimed.
But overall it is obviously about religion and death. I rather felt the "chamber pot" might be our earthly bodies, which return to dust and might be recycled to hold another soul later, if souls exist. I think "the hard-headed miracle worker who bathes his hands in blood" is obviously God, the guy who can foresee everything and has unlimited power to fix anything, yet lets little kids get shot in random drive-by shootings. He's just sticking stubbornly to a plan, I guess, right?
The "old man with the telescope" is also God, once again watching and knowing everything but remaining distant and uninvolved.
I think the "deal" in this song is not so much a matter of money, but of belief. Believe in God -- without the clear proof He could effortlessly provide -- and get your ticket to heaven. Some philosopher once pointed out that by believing in God, whether God exists or not, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. That assuming God does not actually hate gullible people, I guess.