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.
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screamin' in the jungle (oh, oh-oh)
Complete the motion if you stumble (oh-oh)
Go ask the dust for any answers (oh-oh)
Come back strong with fifty belly dancers
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music, the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I'll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
This chapter's gonna be a close one (oh, oh-oh)
Smoke rings, I know your gonna blow one (oh-oh)
All on a spaceship, persevering (oh-oh)
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can't stop the spirits when they need you (oh, oh-oh)
Mop tops are happy when they feed you (oh-oh)
J. Butterfly is in the treetop (oh-oh)
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Wait a minute I'm passin' out, win or lose
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
How 'bout you?
Ten more reasons why I need somebody new
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
Right on cue
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (oh, oh-oh)
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for (oh-oh)
In time I want to be your best friend (oh-oh)
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
Comin' from space to teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read-through
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screamin' in the jungle (oh, oh-oh)
Complete the motion if you stumble (oh-oh)
Go ask the dust for any answers (oh-oh)
Come back strong with fifty belly dancers
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music, the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I'll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
This chapter's gonna be a close one (oh, oh-oh)
Smoke rings, I know your gonna blow one (oh-oh)
All on a spaceship, persevering (oh-oh)
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can't stop the spirits when they need you (oh, oh-oh)
Mop tops are happy when they feed you (oh-oh)
J. Butterfly is in the treetop (oh-oh)
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Wait a minute I'm passin' out, win or lose
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
How 'bout you?
Ten more reasons why I need somebody new
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
Right on cue
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (oh, oh-oh)
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for (oh-oh)
In time I want to be your best friend (oh-oh)
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
Comin' from space to teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read-through
Lyrics submitted by on_a_plain_11, edited by Thebeetles, crg4
Can't Stop Lyrics as written by John Anthony Frusciante Michael Peter Balzary
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I have read through the comments and don't think anyone has really nailed the song meaning yet. After reading Anthony Keidis' autobiography this song becomes clear in it's meaning. Keidis was a frequent drug user from the age of 14 and a heavy addict from sometime later in his teens, his book details countless relapses during his attempts at staying clean. I was reading page 447 of his book and he is talking about wanting to stop (his drug binges) and he just can't.
This song came into focus for me and I started to look at the lyrics and picked these bits;
Can't stop addicted to the shin dig (shin dig being his drug fueled escapades)
Cop top he says I'm gonna win big ('he' being the voice inside his head trying to get him to use)
Choose not a life of imitation ('life of imitation' life under the influence of drugs)
Distant cousin to the reservation (detatched from real life)
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (when he scores drugs that aren't good enough or strong enough)
This punk the feeling that you stay for (calling the Heroine high a 'punk')
In time I want to be your best friend Eastside love is living on the westend (Keidis had a string of girlfriends from New York (Eastside Love) and he lives in LA (West End), relationships he ruined through his drug use)
Knock out but boy you better come to Don't die you know the truth is some do (about overdosing and the people he's known who have died)
Go write your message on the pavement (about writing his music) Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant (being such a successful band, 'wave' being his drug binges)
White heat is screaming in the jungle ('white heat' being the idea of drugs, the jungle being his mind) Complete the motion if you stumble ('the motion' being his steps to sobriety, 'stumble' meaning relapse) Go ask the dust for any answers ('dust' is drugs) Come back strong with 50 belly dancers (comin back after rehab and performing)
I won't go through the whole second verse, you get the idea, just one more thing I have to point out;
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snowcone So smart she's leading me to ozone
These two lines are about him being 'clean', he has Hepatitus C and has a beautiful nurse administer his meds, the meds are called Ozone and help keep the Hep C in check. 'Bleeding in the snowcone' means the flushback of blood into the syringe when the Ozone is administered.
I think it's pretty clear that Cant Stop is the theme of Keidis' life of drugs, sobriety and relapses.
I really think you're interpretation nails this perfectly. I had my theories at first, but I never really that far into the lifestyle that drug addicts have, so I don't know a lot of phrases or slang used. A few things I disagree with, though:<br /> <br /> "Go write your message on the pavement" and "go ask the dust for any answers" kind of strike me as him being face down in the dirt near death. I could be wrong, though.<br /> <br /> "Cop top" I'm pretty sure is a reference to the police, although I'm not sure in what context. Police used to be called "Copper tops" a while ago.<br /> <br /> "White heat is screaming in the jungle" seems to more reference the agony drug addicts suffer through when their bodies don't get the drugs.
@Fitzcarraldo You are right in fact, but you missed some things only people from drug subculture recognizes. He is talking about exact drugs in exact parts. <br /> <br /> White heat in the jungle is not this kind of metaphore, its what he see on the MDMA partying. Band of people dancing with their energy, which looks exactly like heat above concrete. Also the part "In time I want to be a best friend" points out to MDMA or Cocaine (more likely the first one).<br /> <br /> Also, I would like to emphasize how the music is used as a drug state. It has slow start, then Kick in, chorus is happy but with one hesitating verse, i"wait a minute, I am passing out" is post drug state of calming down, the same as the music does. <br /> <br /> After this, he returns to the original happy living melody, but with one screeching painful guitar under the melody. Just a piece of art :)
@Fitzcarraldo
@Fitzcarraldo you nailed it bro.. awesome
@Fitzcarraldo That sounds really accurate. I have BPD and I feel like this song also describes what going through it is like.
This is the only true song meaning so listen up good, here it is.
The "Shin Dig" is the Love movement in Cali. Anthony Kiedis is from Grand Rapids, MI. "Chop top" Someone is telling Anthony he's going to win big. This is not "cop". "Closer to the reservation" Anthony refers to the pleiades later in the song. For now though we will assume that he is talking about his native american background and the family history between native tribes and the pleiades. When Anthony speaks of the pistol and the punk he refers to betrayal. This betrayal was probably by a friend in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has two districts named The East Side and The West end. Hence "East Side love is living on the West End". "Knock out boy but you better come to" You can get wasted but don't die because if you did you can't spread the truth. "You know the truth is some do" This is saying you know the truth about the worlds illusion and that you're aware only a few people besides you know, so you deff can't die. "Burning so bright wonder what the wave meant" The burning bright refers to the inner changes of light taking place and the wave refers to the love evolution occurring. "Go ask dust" Is go ask the universe. "Come back strong" Is you receiving your answer as usual.
The words "sweetheart" and "Snowcone" most likely refer to his girl back home in Snowy Michigan and how she is somehow "Leading him to ozone" or ascending him. If you guys like what I have so far rate me up and I'll add more. This takes a lot of work when no one is even remotely close.
@Thebeetles I think you are on point with this
@Thebeetles you’re spot on. He sees past the illusion of what this like is or what we’ve been trained to believe it is. He is speaking of our origins that we came from the Pléiades and either have become so desensitized we can’t remember where we came from.
@Thebeetles I think this sounds about what I was feeling the song meant..however there were a couple of things I wasn't sure of but the interpretation about grand rapids seems to fit precisely..thanks for that insight..also the line about the "pavement" may be referring to the city of roses where the band pavement is from..or it may be talking about graffiti which is written on the pavement. Just two thoughts<br />
@Thebeetles I think this sounds about what I was feeling the song meant..however there were a couple of things I wasn't sure of but the interpretation about grand rapids seems to fit precisely..thanks for that insight..also the line about the "pavement" may be referring to the city of roses where the band pavement is from..or it may be talking about graffiti which is written on the pavement. Just two thoughts<br /> Also the shindig I thought was also referring to pdx . But very well could be dually meaning Cali and pdx. I was thinking it because the shins were from Cali and moved to Portland but then shindig could refer to an underground thing as well. Until I talk to the rhcp I may only be guessing. One things I know is music is a communicator<br />
@Thebeetles it's not "pleiades", it's "peyotes".
DAMN! This CD top to bottom musicly, lyrically its the greates CD i ever heard. The Chili Peppers didnt return to the Blood Sugar Sex Magik sound that many ppl expected the to, but i dont think they needed to. They've been there and its moving on, that's what Californication was and this is a moving on from that. I got this CD two days ago and in listening to it, this song steped out at me. Anthony's lyrics and how they mend so well with the music is just awesome. This song is os great ause it hits on so many different levels, the first time i heard it i almost cried, the second, i got really engergized and felt like running a marathon. By far the best song on the album....and i think of their career.
Now about what the song is about. This saong seems to be a documentry of the evolution of mankind. "Use two sticks to make it in the nature I'll get you into penetration The gender of a generation The birth of every other nation Worth your weight the gold of meditation This chapter's going to be a close one "
talking of humanity being really primitie and then. "Kick start the golden generator Sweet talk but don't intimidate her Can't stop the gods from engineering Feel no need for any interfering "
and wirth the chorus "Can't stop addicted to the shin dig Cop top he says I'm gonna win big Choose not a life of imitation Distant cousin to the reservation Defunkt the pistol that you pay for This punk the feeling that you stay for In time I want to be your best friend Eastside love is living on the westend Knock out but boy you better come to Don't die you know the truth is some do Go write your message on the pavement Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant White heat is screaming in the jungle Complete the motion if you stumble Go ask the dust for any answers Come back strong with 50 belly dancers
Chorus: The world I love The tears I drop To be part of The wave can't stop Ever wonder if it's all for you The world I love The trains I hop To be part of The wave can't stop Come and tell me when it's time to " It shows that through it all, love and music never changes. No matter how much we get caught up in the wave of evolution, love and music will always be what it is today....nothing can ever change it. Just a thought BEST RHCP SONG EVER!
this CD is the best !!! really i think that is better than "Californication". I mean all the song are so damn good, all the song has the same level of work. but in californication 4 songs are too good and are far away compare with the others. I mean in by the way all the song are so good, and not just 4 songs are so too good,.
:) this song. wow. i can't articulate how pleased i am with this album without sounding like a raving lunatic.
@pinkoptimism right!
its such a good driving-to-a-party song
@sean7711 well said
Javen is right. I think they don't have any need to go back in time and make music like in BSSM. I think they've evolved but that each of their Cd's has been great and unique. I love every thing these guy's have made in their lives (music)., and i love every single song they've done till now, and i guess i'll love the next one too. This song is Incredible, i just can't stop hearing it. Thanx John, Anthony, Flea, and Chad (and ex peppers) for all you've gave to my life.
Under The Bridge is my fav song, I wouln't mind that style mixed in with new shit.
BALLS
i like the vid.
... to me these lyrics are about lots of different types of things, and not just the one meaning or situation. first verse: "cant stop addicted to the shin dig" i rekon its about being atticted to some sort of drug, as many people have stated before. its about letting go and taking a walk on the wide side " choose not a life of limitation" being able to try new things and being addicted to the drug and it become your pains relief "the feeling that u stay for"... and finally falling and knocked out by how much it can effect u "knocked out but boy you better com to"
chorus: (the world i love) this part i interpret to hav many meanings, and most people would be the same. to me its saying hes in the great world and all that he's put into and suceeded in his life.. who is it all for? for god, or someone else he looks up to? is it all really worth it.
verse 2: bit of a tricky one but still along the lines of drugs or love. shes making him high up to the ozone?? but then also goes on about sex and its the only way to create the new generation. sex is the way of life. i think this verse is just about the way of life and nature in general and he has no control over wat happens when the "spirits"need u. life is unplanned???
Bridge(?): "wait a minute im passing out" everyhintg is going over his head.. its all too much to handle.. took him by suprise and now he needs someone new "just like you:
(reapeats 1st verse)
last verse: realises that its time to grow up and maybe try and find a serious partner. that the gods cant stop him from growing old and he better start taking things serious. its a werid world and he cant control the way of the gods? this is his life and he doesnt get another chance at it. ... ok well thats my interpretation of it and most likey be a load of shit.. i'm not too good at working out these sorta things :P. but yeah i guess its each individuals option on which they want to take and view lyrics... that was just mine :)
@blah91 I agree this song is tricky!