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.
One fine day in my odd past
I picked me up a transmission
I turned the fission ignition
Went lookin' for the broadcaster
And when I first touched some ground
They simply told me to leave
Was kinda hard to believe
'Cause there was no one around
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
I had a talented wine
That land of classical gas
And on the planet of glass
They send ya skippin' through time
I got to somewhere renowned
For its canals and the color of red
Lots of guys who shook their heads
Rhythmically to resound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't no rock and roll town (this ain't the planet)
This ain't no fuckin' around (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
I met a guy in a rover
He said it's one more over
It's just there where you're bound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
I picked me up a transmission
I turned the fission ignition
Went lookin' for the broadcaster
And when I first touched some ground
They simply told me to leave
Was kinda hard to believe
'Cause there was no one around
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
I had a talented wine
That land of classical gas
And on the planet of glass
They send ya skippin' through time
I got to somewhere renowned
For its canals and the color of red
Lots of guys who shook their heads
Rhythmically to resound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't no rock and roll town (this ain't the planet)
This ain't no fuckin' around (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
I met a guy in a rover
He said it's one more over
It's just there where you're bound
This ain't the planet of sound
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
This ain't the planet of sound (this ain't the planet)
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This song was actually written by an alien who accidentally left it in a phone booth that was later used by Frank Black. He found it and put it on an album. All of the Pixies songs come from the same phone booth. It's true, I read it on the internet somewhere. Can't remember where. I was stoned.
I'd like to stop smoking pot, but I'm just too terrified of becoming a self-righteous git who cannot spell "gets".....
It couldn't have been found on an Earth's phone booth, since the song states that the author never found the source of his/her beloved sound. It could have been left on a Venus phone booth, though.<br /> <br /> Phone booths in Venus are real saunas.
Frank Black smoked TONS of pot. I think this may be an instance when he was in the middle of a week long binge.
The song's narrator is an extraterrestrial of some sort and he's picking up sound waves from Planet Earth. Apparently, there's no sound anywhere else so he runs around looking for the 'Planet of Sound' as he dubbed it, but still can't find his 'rock and roll town'. How sad.
In this song, Earth is unique in the cosmos, for it is the only planet where music exists. An alien happens to hear it one day and is intrigued, so he goes searching for it. He follows some signals to Mars and meets and astronaut who is exploring it, and who informs him that the actual Planet of Sound is "one more over"--Earth.
Not quite the only one. When he mentions Mars (the red renowned place) he says that Martians can hear our music too.
@Superabound I believe the astronaut is on the Moon. Hence the river: one of those vehicles they used on the Apollo missions.
I agree with the alien thing - it's long been said the radio wave noise coming from our planet is huge. However, the astronaut at the end is on the Moon (think of the Lunar Rover), so the Earth is 'one more [planet] over'. Mars is the the red planet with 'canals' (they're quite famous).
I agree with the alien thing - it's long been said the radio wave noise coming from our planet is huge. However, the astronaut at the end is on the Moon (think of the Lunar Rover), so the Earth is 'one more [planet] over'. Mars is the the red planet with 'canals' (they're quite famous).
I interpret this as someone looking for earth, but landing on the moon instead. But when arriving on earth, theres no more decent music around (at least the music he heard in the original sound when searching for earth).
"I met a guy in a rover, he said its one more over" - One more over being the one next to the moon, being earth.
The lyric "I got to somewhere renowned, For it's canals and color of red" - is this Amsterdam?? Clearly hes under the influence when writing (when isn't he)
Written from the perspective of an visitor who picked up our sounds waves, and has travelled across various planets, comes to ours after hearing some awesome sound waves, only to realise there not here anymore
One of the hardest songs the Pixies ever did. The Pixies give out an uncharacteristic ass-kicking here.
I really am not bothered about this song but everyone seems to go on about it, including Frank Black. I just don't see what's so special about it. It seems like anyone could've written it, unlike the rest of the Pixies stuff.
I thought this was just OK by Pixie standards until I saw it live tonight (Toronto) - seeing it live just brought it to life...it just rocked! Superabound's analysis is bang on...btw, one of the best concerts I've ever seen!