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.
Check your pulse
Its proof that you're not listening to
The call your life's been issuing you
The rhythm of a line of idle days
Scared of the world outside you should go explore
Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors
The great indoors
Lamplight makes the shadows play
And posters take the walls away
The TV is your window pane
The view wont let you down
So put your faith in a late night show
I bet you didn't even know
Depends on how far out you go
The channel numbers change
Scared of the world outside you should go explore
Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors
Though lately I cant blame you
I have seen the world
And sometimes wish your room had room for two
So go unlock the door
And find what you are here for
Leave the great indoors
Please leave the great indoors
Check your pulse
Its proof that you're not listening to
The call your life's been issuing you
The rhythm of a line of idle days
Its proof that you're not listening to
The call your life's been issuing you
The rhythm of a line of idle days
Scared of the world outside you should go explore
Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors
The great indoors
Lamplight makes the shadows play
And posters take the walls away
The TV is your window pane
The view wont let you down
So put your faith in a late night show
I bet you didn't even know
Depends on how far out you go
The channel numbers change
Scared of the world outside you should go explore
Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors
Though lately I cant blame you
I have seen the world
And sometimes wish your room had room for two
So go unlock the door
And find what you are here for
Leave the great indoors
Please leave the great indoors
Check your pulse
Its proof that you're not listening to
The call your life's been issuing you
The rhythm of a line of idle days
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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.
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
i know that i am probably wrong but to me this song is about being scared of getting hurt and maybe missing out on something that could be really great
Personally to me, this song kinda reminds me of agoraphobia.
"check your pulse" --> the racing heart of an agoraphobic scared to go outside
"scared of the world outside you should go explore" --> self explanatory, scared of the world outside! lol
A lot of the other lyrics seem to describe the shrinking world of an agoraphobic restricted to living in a house. "great indoors" seems to convey the idea that even the house seems huge...
I dunno, I just got that impression :D
i think this song means to live your life to the fullest. sure you will have your downs, but thats when you grow as a person. i believe that we all have a purpose in life and we all need to find out what it is and not just waste our days away on useless things that won't matter in the end.
amen
this song defines my current situation. i'm always at home because my parents don't allow me to go out too much, but it's like i'm stuck at home when life has been calling and knocking on my door.
in this song i think john's realizing that the world isn't the greates place that's why he 'sometimes wishes [whoevers] room had room for two' but then again why not make the best of what like has to offer and leave the great indoors.
i second what emopunkfan has said.. and also the last bit riogrrrlraven wrote...
the world at times, may seem like a cruel, awful place.. but we need to work past that. like emopunkfan has said, "live your life to the fullest". .... (now quoting mayer) "find what you are here for... and leave the great indoors."
"go out explore" EXACTLY........stop being a bum and go out and do things......live your life to the fullest like emopunkfan said.....SCORE.......:)
john explained this song when i saw his concert in berkeley as being written for a friend of his who lives his life small-scale, stays inside his hometown (farfield, connnecticut) most of the time, etc. he said "as long as you lower your expectations enough, everything in your life can seem interesting," or something to that effect.
Live your life. Another great JM song. Great lyrics.
I love this song. I can't even say enough about it. I just think it's awesome - he could have written it TO me. I'm at sort of a hard situation where I just moved to a new school and I'm inside a lot cause I don't know anyone - this song has inspired me to get out of the house when I needed to most. I love JM.