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.
Wish I was a Kellogg's Cornflake
Floatin' in my bowl takin' movies,
Relaxin' awhile, livin' in style,
Talkin' to a raisin who 'caisson'ly plays L.A.,
Casually glancing at his toupee.
Wish I was an English muffin
'Bout to make the most out of a toaster.
I'd ease myself down,
Comin' up brown.
I prefer boysenberry
More than any ordinary jam.
I'm a "Citizens for Boysenberry Jam" fan.
Ah, South California.
If I become a first lieutenant
Would you put my photo on your piano?
To Maryjane
Best wishes, Martin.
(Old Roger draft-dodger
Leavin' by the basement door),
Everybody knows what he's
Tippy-toeing down there for
Floatin' in my bowl takin' movies,
Relaxin' awhile, livin' in style,
Talkin' to a raisin who 'caisson'ly plays L.A.,
Casually glancing at his toupee.
Wish I was an English muffin
'Bout to make the most out of a toaster.
I'd ease myself down,
Comin' up brown.
I prefer boysenberry
More than any ordinary jam.
I'm a "Citizens for Boysenberry Jam" fan.
Ah, South California.
If I become a first lieutenant
Would you put my photo on your piano?
To Maryjane
Best wishes, Martin.
(Old Roger draft-dodger
Leavin' by the basement door),
Everybody knows what he's
Tippy-toeing down there for
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Ministry
Ministry
Techno Ted
Audioslave
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Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punky's dilemma is choosing between letting himself be drafted or dodging the draft. That's a true dilemma and was a common one during the Vietnam War. While fixing breakfast and smoking a little marijuana, he indulges in a little whimsical escapism by wishing he had the carefree life of a Kellogg's Corn Flake or an English muffin. In fact, being in Southern California would be a nice escape as well.
As Punky begins thinking about being drafted and being in the Army, he imagines himself being remembered and missed in a romantic, heroic sort of way. His alternative thought is to become a draft dodger, not-so-secretly sneaking around the basement. Punky imagines himself as both Martin the first lieutenant and Roger the Draft Dodger. Which will Punky become?
Artistically, naming Kellogg's Corn Flakes as a brand in the song was unusual in songwriting prior to the sixties. Simon & Garfunkel were probably showing a bit of Andy Warhol's influence who championed everyday items such as Campbell's Soup cans and Brillo boxes as art in the early sixties. John Updike did something similar at the same time by including packaging information word for word that a character was reading while eating breakfast.
The last two or three bars of the song transition from "Punky's Dilemma" to the theme song of the 1954 movie "The High and the Mighty," a film starring John Wayne and Robert Stack. This is a musical pun in a couple of ways. The theme song was famous for its incredible whistling and the whistler in this song goes from "Punky's Dilemma" to "The High and the Mighty," as though Punky is escaping reality again, while the theme song title suggests that Punky is high.
@ironjeff this reply may be 9 years old, but as such now, it only proves over all of that time that YOUR explanation has been the most clear, succinct and correct version. We've now all had years of speculation, rumours and titillating ideas clarified with multiple interviews with S&G, notes on their fan pages, web sites and personal commentary at their concerts. Myself have never stopped listening, learning (or playing guitar) and enjoying their music. I find it extraordinary that even in these times, their lyrics could easily be applied to current political upheaval, world and potential war issues. Even this song could still be applied to several subsequent conflicts ongoing as I write. Interesting how some of our best writers songs/lyrics are having a resurgence and applying to current events with just as much impact as they did back then. It makes one wonder, have we come a full circle, or is it a perpetual circle with each generation facing similar and near identical life situations, making it easier to apply older, much loved and still cherished lyrics to our lives vs much of the trite, manufactured sort of music of today. That said, thank you for your contribution, belated but still appreciated. Warm regards, ladybudd
@ladybudd -- You don\'t need to look far back into history to see that war was not a new thing in the \'60\'s.