This song is about Curt Kirkwood's heroin use and addiction. A backwater is a body of water on a river which is kept from flowing forwards by the force of a current. The imagery of "the backwater swirling" is a metaphor Curt uses to describe how his drug abuse affects him; the river represents his life's path, the current holding back the river represents heroin, and the backwater that the current creates represents how heroin has his life in a repetitive, "swirling" cycle (At the height of his addiction, Curt would only leave his house to obtain more drugs). Thus, the lines "in the backwater swirling, there is something that'll never change" is Curt's enigmatic way of admitting his heroin addiction.
The lyrics in the bridge describe how he feels about his drug abuse:
"Hey, I'm blind, good, fine" describes how he feels about heroin when he's high, as if to say "I'm high now, everything's OK."
"Roll the time, on who's dime?" describes how he feels about heroin when he's sober. The words "on who's dime?" refers to the financial burden he suffers from his abuse.
The first verse mentions a "knife to open up the sky's veins", also a possible heroin reference.
This is an amazing song with beautiful lyrics, but people overlook the fact that its about heroin abuse.
@chinkquentaco Cris was the Kirkwood brother that had the drug problem, not Curt. Cris' addiction also began after this album had already been released.
@chinkquentaco Cris was the Kirkwood brother that had the drug problem, not Curt. Cris' addiction also began after this album had already been released.
@chinkquentaco you’re absolutely incorrect about the meaning. Firstly, Curt wasn’t a heroin user, Cris was. Further, this song was written well before Cris’s addiction issues. The song has nothing to do with heroin. Also, you can trust that my sources are accurate as Curt is my father is and Cris is my uncle and I lived through all of this haha. So, yeah. Not about heroin and Curt was never a junkie.
@chinkquentaco you’re absolutely incorrect about the meaning. Firstly, Curt wasn’t a heroin user, Cris was. Further, this song was written well before Cris’s addiction issues. The song has nothing to do with heroin. Also, you can trust that my sources are accurate as Curt is my father is and Cris is my uncle and I lived through all of this haha. So, yeah. Not about heroin and Curt was never a junkie.
This song is about Curt Kirkwood's heroin use and addiction. A backwater is a body of water on a river which is kept from flowing forwards by the force of a current. The imagery of "the backwater swirling" is a metaphor Curt uses to describe how his drug abuse affects him; the river represents his life's path, the current holding back the river represents heroin, and the backwater that the current creates represents how heroin has his life in a repetitive, "swirling" cycle (At the height of his addiction, Curt would only leave his house to obtain more drugs). Thus, the lines "in the backwater swirling, there is something that'll never change" is Curt's enigmatic way of admitting his heroin addiction.
The lyrics in the bridge describe how he feels about his drug abuse: "Hey, I'm blind, good, fine" describes how he feels about heroin when he's high, as if to say "I'm high now, everything's OK." "Roll the time, on who's dime?" describes how he feels about heroin when he's sober. The words "on who's dime?" refers to the financial burden he suffers from his abuse.
The first verse mentions a "knife to open up the sky's veins", also a possible heroin reference.
This is an amazing song with beautiful lyrics, but people overlook the fact that its about heroin abuse.
@chinkquentaco Cris was the Kirkwood brother that had the drug problem, not Curt. Cris' addiction also began after this album had already been released.
@chinkquentaco Cris was the Kirkwood brother that had the drug problem, not Curt. Cris' addiction also began after this album had already been released.
@chinkquentaco you’re absolutely incorrect about the meaning. Firstly, Curt wasn’t a heroin user, Cris was. Further, this song was written well before Cris’s addiction issues. The song has nothing to do with heroin. Also, you can trust that my sources are accurate as Curt is my father is and Cris is my uncle and I lived through all of this haha. So, yeah. Not about heroin and Curt was never a junkie.
@chinkquentaco you’re absolutely incorrect about the meaning. Firstly, Curt wasn’t a heroin user, Cris was. Further, this song was written well before Cris’s addiction issues. The song has nothing to do with heroin. Also, you can trust that my sources are accurate as Curt is my father is and Cris is my uncle and I lived through all of this haha. So, yeah. Not about heroin and Curt was never a junkie.
@elmo_kirkwood
@elmo_kirkwood
wow, that's wild.
wow, that's wild.
just came here to see what people thought of the meaning of this song to see that despite all other comments made years ago
just came here to see what people thought of the meaning of this song to see that despite all other comments made years ago
the moment i came here you had just made a comment on
the moment i came here you had just made a comment on
<3
<3
@elmo_kirkwood
@elmo_kirkwood
just realized it may not even be all that coincidental
just realized it may not even be all that coincidental
the m could have meant months rather than minutes ago
the m could have meant months rather than minutes ago
lol
lol