Stab

This song is clearly about Doug being depressed and thinking about comitting suicide. "To shut down the whole system at the spine"

He's trying to simplify the act of stabbing himself. "It's only a stab in a wet paper bag"

But in the end he realizes that thinking about suicide and feeling sorry for himself is just stupid. And singing about wanting to do it is wrong.
"I wrote a song. It was slow and long. I wrote the words and the music wrong"

So he speeds the song up and shifts it into a brighter mood with a nice and upbeat guitar solo to state that life goes on after all and that he'll get over it. "But life goes on"

Possibly one of the greatest bts songs

"I've got a mind I've got half a mind To shut down the whole system at the spine With fishing line"

Maybe he's alluding to suicide. Just a thought.

"I'm really glad there's a grasp to grab it's only a stab in a wet paper bag is that so bad?"

Well, if he is in fact talking about possibly killing himself, he seems to have decided that he won't go through with it. Instead, he's just going to keep living his life, even though it far from perfect. Even though he's may have not lived up to all of his expectations or turned out the way he wanted (or maybe how others wanted) he knows life will go on. And on. And on. And on.

Wow. So, this is a pretty depressing song, but at the same time it's kind of uplifting. I mean, if life is going to go on no matter how much you fuck up or hate yourself or whatever, at least you have a chance to change for the better. Maybe? Yeah...

How come people on keep saying that he doesn't put any meaning into his song? His songs are clearly more than gibberish. Even just the line "Stab in a wet paper bag", that is not non-sense. Clearly talking about the futility. You are clearly underestimating Doug Marsch.

I think this song is about being rejected by a girl

Starts out by asking her to hang out, but he wants to be more than friends. "Make it a time, make it anytime.. make sure that its not the only kind that others find"

Then he's contemplating suicide I've got a mind I've got half a mind To shut down the whole system at the spine With fishing line

Then the reason he's contemplating suicide... he took a stab at getting the girl... but she wasnt interested... and she rejects him. I'm really glad there's a grasp to grab it's only a stab in a wet paper bag is that so bad?

Then he's finally getting over it... but still he thinks he's a f***up I wrote a song it was slow and long I wrote the words and the music wrong but life goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on

this song is an overlooked gem...download it NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW

i think he is just venting his anger about something that happened. a hidden gem indeed

i would have to ditto the idea of hidden gem

hey! ive got an idea! how bout instead of downloading it, you go out and buy the CD? weird huh?! this album is amazing. It might be Built to Spill's best.

this song is so fucking sweet i heard it on the etnies forward video and i ended up loving this band.theyre so rad

i heard it on forward as well. rubens section, built to spill rules