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.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
Certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit three ring circus
Sideshow of freaks
Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away
Any fucking time, any fucking day
Learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay
Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your Prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your car
It's a Bullshit three ring circus
Sideshow of freaks
Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away
Any fucking time, any fucking day
Learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits
And some say the end is near
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Stupid shit, silly shit, stupid shit
One great big festering neon distraction
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
'Cause mom's gonna fix it all soon
Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it ought to be
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Fuck L Ron Hubbard and fuck all his clones
Fuck all those gun-toting hip gangster wannabes
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Fuck retro anything
Fuck your tattoos
Fuck all you junkies and
Fuck your short memory
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Yeah, fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas
Fuck these dysfunctional insecure actresses
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
'Cause I'm praying for rain
I'm praying for tidal waves
I want to see the ground give way
I want to watch it all go down
Mom, please flush it all away
I want to see it go right in and down
I want to watch it go right in
Watch you flush it all away
Yeah, time to bring it down again
Yeah, don't just call me pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend
I wanna see it come down
Bring it down, suck it down, flush it down
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
Certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit three ring circus
Sideshow of freaks
Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away
Any fucking time, any fucking day
Learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay
Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your Prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your car
It's a Bullshit three ring circus
Sideshow of freaks
Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away
Any fucking time, any fucking day
Learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits
And some say the end is near
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Stupid shit, silly shit, stupid shit
One great big festering neon distraction
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
'Cause mom's gonna fix it all soon
Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it ought to be
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Fuck L Ron Hubbard and fuck all his clones
Fuck all those gun-toting hip gangster wannabes
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Fuck retro anything
Fuck your tattoos
Fuck all you junkies and
Fuck your short memory
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Yeah, fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas
Fuck these dysfunctional insecure actresses
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim
'Cause I'm praying for rain
I'm praying for tidal waves
I want to see the ground give way
I want to watch it all go down
Mom, please flush it all away
I want to see it go right in and down
I want to watch it go right in
Watch you flush it all away
Yeah, time to bring it down again
Yeah, don't just call me pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend
I wanna see it come down
Bring it down, suck it down, flush it down
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Lyrics submitted by implode, edited by quetzalmex, mjoa, travisbr
Ænema Lyrics as written by Daniel Carey Justin Gunner Chancellor
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Step
Ministry
Ministry
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
To me:
A dream of life, and how it should be. People ponder and worry their minds about when the world is going to end. Will it be tommorow or today? Who cares? We have lost focus of what life is. It isn't about what we own or who we are friends with. Life is about this moment, who we are inside and out, what we share with each other. I feel that Maynard paints a clear picture of how society has become a monster. We lost the whole meaning of life. We have become obssesed with money, sex, and power. Not about love for each other, the ability to understand someone else, to share the pain someone feels, to care about what we do. The morality has been lost and it's time we brought it back. I believe Maynard just used L.A. as an example. The whole U.S. is like it. The world is like it. To me the sweetest taste is the one of revival. A new and fresh start. It's like when you wash you face when you wake up. Cool and soothing. It hurts to see the insainty, to hear people hate so much. To know what people feel. And personally, seeing all this hate and lack of compassion make some want to have faith in something more powerful than us. Because that is what it would take to make things right again. Put aside our petty wants, and feel for a change. Money, drugs, meaningless sex, it is all false realities. Something to hold you in one place. Think outside the box. Think outside of your body and trust in your spirit. Allow your soul to join with others and celebrate life. But many don't see it, they just want to be laid, intoxicated, famous, and rich. Money is a object, not a person. Why love it. Why put aside you awareness to feel helpless? Why share yourself with someone you don't care about? Why waste your life worring about what people think of you, and not focus on what you think about you. Be who you are, your better that way. Seems like it does need to be washed away. He said it best, "Don't just call me pessimist Try and read between the lines!"