Wow, I can't believe nobody has touched this one yet! I was kind of hoping to get some interpretations from other members.
Well, I will share with the world my expert opinion and hope nobody starts calling me names. I see how juvenile these thread things can get.
In a nut shell; I think Dulli is speaking to an addict...drugs and/or booze. This person/"Retard" once condemned him for his addiction(s); and now they are on the short bus to the fun-house.
I apologize to the thin skinned if they are offended by my lack of PC-ism in that last paragraph.
As much as I hate the idea that Greg Dulli's lyrics are so often equated to being simply about drugs or a girl (or both), I think that you're absolutely right about this one the references to "jones" "It could never get that bad", and particularly the word play of "roll up".
As much as I hate the idea that Greg Dulli's lyrics are so often equated to being simply about drugs or a girl (or both), I think that you're absolutely right about this one the references to "jones" "It could never get that bad", and particularly the word play of "roll up".
I do think though that there is a sense of denial about the lyrics. The line "Today the retard speaks to me" always reminds me of the line from Pearl Jam's Jeremy "Jeremy spoke in class today" and I think that there...
I do think though that there is a sense of denial about the lyrics. The line "Today the retard speaks to me" always reminds me of the line from Pearl Jam's Jeremy "Jeremy spoke in class today" and I think that there are hints of an abuser/victim relationship between the speaker and the subject as there are in Jeremy. The sense of denial I'm getting is based mainly around the line "It could never get that bad just ask."
Basically the narrative I hear in the song is the speaker being abused by the "retard" (being called a retard but not for using drugs as you suggest), THEN turning to drugs. His tormentor has obviously od'ed or become seriously brain-damaged from drug abuse. The speaker sees this and is glad, "Who you call retarded now?", but refuses to accept that his own drug problem might lead him the same way.
I realise this interpretation is very speculative and I'm playing fast and loose with the lyrics a bit. Just thought I'd weigh in.
Wow, I can't believe nobody has touched this one yet! I was kind of hoping to get some interpretations from other members.
Well, I will share with the world my expert opinion and hope nobody starts calling me names. I see how juvenile these thread things can get.
In a nut shell; I think Dulli is speaking to an addict...drugs and/or booze. This person/"Retard" once condemned him for his addiction(s); and now they are on the short bus to the fun-house.
I apologize to the thin skinned if they are offended by my lack of PC-ism in that last paragraph.
As much as I hate the idea that Greg Dulli's lyrics are so often equated to being simply about drugs or a girl (or both), I think that you're absolutely right about this one the references to "jones" "It could never get that bad", and particularly the word play of "roll up".
As much as I hate the idea that Greg Dulli's lyrics are so often equated to being simply about drugs or a girl (or both), I think that you're absolutely right about this one the references to "jones" "It could never get that bad", and particularly the word play of "roll up".
I do think though that there is a sense of denial about the lyrics. The line "Today the retard speaks to me" always reminds me of the line from Pearl Jam's Jeremy "Jeremy spoke in class today" and I think that there...
I do think though that there is a sense of denial about the lyrics. The line "Today the retard speaks to me" always reminds me of the line from Pearl Jam's Jeremy "Jeremy spoke in class today" and I think that there are hints of an abuser/victim relationship between the speaker and the subject as there are in Jeremy. The sense of denial I'm getting is based mainly around the line "It could never get that bad just ask."
Basically the narrative I hear in the song is the speaker being abused by the "retard" (being called a retard but not for using drugs as you suggest), THEN turning to drugs. His tormentor has obviously od'ed or become seriously brain-damaged from drug abuse. The speaker sees this and is glad, "Who you call retarded now?", but refuses to accept that his own drug problem might lead him the same way.
I realise this interpretation is very speculative and I'm playing fast and loose with the lyrics a bit. Just thought I'd weigh in.