Queens of the Stone Age – Tangled up in Plaid

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  Song Meaning:It's about their former bassist, Nick Oliveri. His exit from the band was based on personal reasons, and Josh was very broken up about having to kick him out as they'd been playing together since before Kyuss formed. The title is a reference to Nick's punk rock musical leanings.
  
  Sorry I don't have a link, but I remember reading an interview with Josh where he said he was in a really dark place while they were writing/recording this album because of the falling out with Nick. He said that the mood of most of the songs reflected this. It doesn't seem surprising that one of the songs on the album addresses Nick's parting directly.

  Flag sawbones420on October 27, 2010   Link

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    I have to agree with this opinion. Some have mentioned a soured relationship & a self-destructive person. If you know why Oliveri was kicked out & the situation he got himself into post-QOTSA, it becomes crystal clear.

    Flag thedaft1on February 25, 2013  
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  General Comment:According to their live cd this is the anti cocksmoker song. My best guess at what is about is two people in a destructive relationship, and they know its hurting them but they dont want to stop.

  Flag dystopia4on September 01, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:ChefGreg's got it.

  Flag RoxyMonoxideon August 21, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think it's about being with a self destructive person, that hurts those around them more than themself.

  Flag ChefGregon April 15, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:* i've been getting . . , typo

  Flag amnionbatheron May 13, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:if been getting that vibe all time aswell. itsnen is correct in the cutting references
  
  Qotsa have used alot of wellknown song titles (I can't quite you babe? ledzep), cleverly using the plaid to point at grunge and a kinda culturally accepted self-destruction in vogue. Which adds to the ambiguity as the Nick Olivieri thing also makes sense.

  Flag amnionbatheron May 13, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I don't really get the Brody thing... cos I have no idea what happened with Brody..so I'm gonna ignore that and say...
  
  I think it's self-destruction. A lot of Josh's songs have similar lyrics.
  Tangled Up In Plaid: "I slipped, didn't mean to do it that way" (doing more damage than he intended to), "Self-inflicted wound, your gift impeccable aim" (cut exactly where he wants?) "It hurts, it must" (the whole point of self harm is to feel pain)
  You Can't Quit Me Baby: "I slashed and I cut, and I bled in the sink... I slashed and I cut, and I did it for you" (pretty self explanatory)
  How to Handle A Rope: "Open up your wrists, let it go" (cutting wrists to either forget everything and letting go all the stress, or just let you life go and die)
  Suture Up Your Future: "I'm gonna suture up my future" (getting stiches after cutting), "I don't care if it hurts, just so long as it's real, I won't waste it, I turn to face it, I've sharpened a knife and used it til bone made it dull" (wanting to cut for pain)
  
  I'm not saying Josh Homme is a self-harmer, so don't all shout at me! Just making a point.. there seems to be a theme running in some songs on each album. I also think there's a theme about keeping secrets in a lot of his songs too, but that's a whole different story :)

  Flag itsnenon April 01, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I see the song as being about suicide and the longing to be truly free.
  
  I slipped,
  Didn't mean to do it that way.
  But i blew in on a whim, gone tomorrow?
  I'm gone today
  
  ^He didn't mean for his life to end this way, he acted on a whim. At any one time he could be gone because of a sudden impulse.
  
  Come,
  Lets play along and let each other lose
  A win would cause an alarm
  Don't matter to me
  Dont matter to you
  
  ^Let each other lose (die). I think the alarm refers to society and loved one's reactions to his death, but obviously it would no longer matter him.
  
  A self-inflicted wound, your Gift,
  Impeccable aim
  Can really clear a room
  All the bodies piled up in your way
  
  ^Pretty self explanatory. The "wound" is supposedly a gunshot, with "impeccable aim" seeing as you cannot miss when you are going to shoot yourself.
  
  I could keep you all for myself
  I know
  You gotta be free
  To kill yourself
  
  ^To kill yourself is, in a way, the ultimate act of freeing yourself.
  
  

  Flag Peppecheon March 18, 2009   Link

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  Song Meaning:A human being always has ultimate control no matter what situation he or she is in.
  
  
  "
  I know
  You gotta be free
  To kill yourself
  "

  Flag Macalanoon December 07, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:It's not impossible that it was written loosely about the concept of a relationship. It could have just been a mood thing. Like Josh said, there's a seriousness about how not serious the subject of the band is.

  Flag Mealy Ducardon December 01, 2008   Link

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