The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Down the road came a Junco Partner
For he was loaded as can be
He was knocked out, knocked out loaded
He was a-wobblin' all over the street
Singing six months ain't no sentence
And one year ain't no time
I was born in Angola
Serving fourteen to ninety nine
Well, I wish I had me one million dollars
Oh, one million to call my own (all my own)
I would raise meat and say, "grow for me baby"
I would raise me a tobacco farm
Take a walk, take a walk
Junco Partner
Hey, don't bother me
That
Like that
Well, when I had me a great deal of money
Yeah, I had mighty good things all over town
Now I ain't got no more money
All of my good friends keep putting me down
So now I gotta pawn my ratchet and pistol
Yeah I'm gonna pawn my watch and chain, chain, chain
I would have pawned my sweet Gabriella
But the smart girl she wouldn't sign her name
Down the road, down the road
Came a Junco Partner
Boy, he was loaded as I've ever seen
He was knocked out, knocked out lordy-lordy-lordy-lord
He was a-wobblin' all over the street, so
Take a walk
I can't walk
Down the road came a Junco Partner
"Hey, mister"
He called out to me
And it was three things he shouted
Singing, singing, picking
Gotta catch you with gold
Oh!
Junco Partner
Jeez
Well, I'm down, yes I'm getting thirsty
Pour me a mighty good beer when I'm dry
Just, just give me whisky, when I'm thirsty
Give me headstone when I die
Down the road
For he was loaded as can be
He was knocked out, knocked out loaded
He was a-wobblin' all over the street
Singing six months ain't no sentence
And one year ain't no time
I was born in Angola
Serving fourteen to ninety nine
Well, I wish I had me one million dollars
Oh, one million to call my own (all my own)
I would raise meat and say, "grow for me baby"
I would raise me a tobacco farm
Take a walk, take a walk
Junco Partner
Hey, don't bother me
That
Like that
Well, when I had me a great deal of money
Yeah, I had mighty good things all over town
Now I ain't got no more money
All of my good friends keep putting me down
So now I gotta pawn my ratchet and pistol
Yeah I'm gonna pawn my watch and chain, chain, chain
I would have pawned my sweet Gabriella
But the smart girl she wouldn't sign her name
Down the road, down the road
Came a Junco Partner
Boy, he was loaded as I've ever seen
He was knocked out, knocked out lordy-lordy-lordy-lord
He was a-wobblin' all over the street, so
Take a walk
I can't walk
Down the road came a Junco Partner
"Hey, mister"
He called out to me
And it was three things he shouted
Singing, singing, picking
Gotta catch you with gold
Oh!
Junco Partner
Jeez
Well, I'm down, yes I'm getting thirsty
Pour me a mighty good beer when I'm dry
Just, just give me whisky, when I'm thirsty
Give me headstone when I die
Down the road
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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
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"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.
The Night We Met
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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"
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
Well, as I was reading Burrough's JUNKY today, I came across a mention of Angola Prison, located in Louisiana. I immediately thought of the line in this song: "I was born in Angola, Serving 14 to 99." It would make sense that "Junco" refers to "Junky" or "Junk," early 1900's slang for heroin/morphine/any opiate in general. "Loaded" was often used to refer to one who was on a "junk kick," meaning they had recently shot up H. The book itself is an in depth description of life as a junkie, and there are many more parallels between this song and the book. The idea of pawning goods to pay for junk is prevalent, as well as farming, which seemed to be therapeutic when overcoming the "sickness," or withdrawal symptoms of junk. Hope this is helpful.
DUDES! CHECK OUT THE CARBON/SILICON VERSION WITH TYMON DOGG PLAYING ELECTRIC FIDDLE! TO YOUTUBE! GO, CITIZENS!
...I'm a little obsessed with this song. Also get the James Booker version (old stride piano, AMAZING)on the Revolution Rock Clash Jukebox collection thingy...
I dont know, i guess thats its an old blues song that is covered by a lot of bands who change the sound in it, like the clash made it dub, or raggae or whatever you want to call it
The song is a New Orleans classic recorded by loads of people. It's clearly a song about junky life. Dr John's version has a verse that goes: 'Gimme whiskey, when I get a lil thirsty/ Good beer when I get a little dry/ Gimme tobacco when I get a lil sickly/ And give me heroin before I die/ With some cocaine on the side'....or something like that. It was a song from the streets before some a
You're shitting me. This is one of my absolute favorite songs ever...
and not a soul has commented it?
I love the live version Stummer did on Give 'Em The Boot IV.
sadfjklsadjfkljadf. I hate everybody who hasn't commented this song.
@xxblowup Then why would you comment with something as useless as not commenting anything at all? I don't understand why people complain about the lack of comments on certain songs and then proceed to add nothing to it themselves?
Yes, why has no one commented! It's pretty fucking awesome.
One of my favourite songs by the Clash. One of the best things about the Clash is how diverse their music is, and this track highlights that. I have no clue what a 'Junco partner' is, but I'm guessing this song is about the West Indies and taking some form of mind altering substance.
the song's about drug addicts<br /> joe strummer says it on the 101'ers cd before he plays this song<br /> <br />