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.
There was no light, shining through the window
As Margaret lie in bed
She was wearing her cotton pajamas
A crucifix above her head
She awoke from a dream
Her eyes were open
Her lips were moving in the dark
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
She put her hands upon her breasts
And they were small and hard and young
And everywhere she touched, she felt the fire
Waiting for the answer that must surely come
Is this the way to love?
Or is this just the way to die?
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
And then she took her father's razor
And watched it cut into her palm
She put her hand up to her mouth
To taste the blood so holy and warm
She got up in the morning
Put on her dress, and patent leather shoes
Ate her cereal, and kissed her mother
And caught the bus, and went to school
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
Reveal to me, reveal to me
Reveal to me, reveal to me
Reveal to me! Reveal to me!
As Margaret lie in bed
She was wearing her cotton pajamas
A crucifix above her head
She awoke from a dream
Her eyes were open
Her lips were moving in the dark
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
She put her hands upon her breasts
And they were small and hard and young
And everywhere she touched, she felt the fire
Waiting for the answer that must surely come
Is this the way to love?
Or is this just the way to die?
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
And then she took her father's razor
And watched it cut into her palm
She put her hand up to her mouth
To taste the blood so holy and warm
She got up in the morning
Put on her dress, and patent leather shoes
Ate her cereal, and kissed her mother
And caught the bus, and went to school
Speak to me in many voices
Make them all sound like one
Let me see your sacred mysteries
Reveal to me the Unknown Tongue
Reveal to me, reveal to me
Reveal to me, reveal to me
Reveal to me! Reveal to me!
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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.
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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,
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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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.
I was going to post this here. It seems to me that this song has so much untold.