This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
In any other world you could tell the difference
And let it all unfurl into broken remnants
Smile like you mean it and let yourself let go
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
I tried to live alone but lonely is so lonely, alone
So human as I am, I had to give up my defenses
So I smiled and tried to mean it to let myself let go
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye
In any other world you could tell the difference
And let it all unfurl into broken remnants
Smile like you mean it and let yourself let go
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
I tried to live alone but lonely is so lonely, alone
So human as I am, I had to give up my defenses
So I smiled and tried to mean it to let myself let go
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
To the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in
Say goodbye
In any other world you could tell the difference
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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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,
When We Were Young
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Mika quotes in an interview:
There is a little spoken introduction that many people may miss.
It’s a family friend of mine who lost her eye during the war in Lebanon and I realised in everyone’s life their comes one point — or several points — where something happens and you have to completely change the way you have lived your life because of one event.
And it really makes you readjust and rethink and rejudge parts of your life all over again.
That happens to some people in a dramatic way like Rafa who lost both her eye and her husband within six months. Or it can be in a much quieter way like when you are 22-years-old and you finally leave university after being in education all your life or when you lose your job.
I wanted to put that in the song, because when you’re 68 or 14, it’s still the same feeling and it’s still just as hard.
I wanted to try to capture that quite difficult period that people have to go through at least once in their life.
:-)
To me it sounds like a waking up after being in "love." He sees the a whole new world, cold, bitter, alone. And he says "smile like you mean it" as opposed to smiling on the outside only. So he says to let yourself let go... it's time to move on and smile but that just can't happen. I've been smiling on the outside and feeling what he's feeling for the past 5 months :(
I think you guys hit the nail on the head, BUT, does anybody think that maybe the 'bitter, bitter man' part could be about God? I hope not, due to the fact that if it is, it's controversial, and Mika would be going against everything he represents.
Possibly?
I wondered that. Either the future is in our hands and we're the bitter ones, or it is God, and after the suffering we have been through, we see Him as a bitter, vengeful Man. Whatever, I think it's open to interpretation, and for me works either way!
I was thinking that it might have been god. there has been a lot of suffering on the earth for a long time and i think mika may have been saying that he is a bitter man because he hasn't done anything about the suffering. just a thought i got nothing against god or anything like that.
I think that's it. The "bitter, bitter man" is God. I don't think Mika is anti-religion or hates God. Plus, the fact that he mentions God shows that he believes in him. Just, sometimes, when tragedy strikes, it makes you wonder: "WHY GOD, WHY???!!!" and maybe for a while you don't quite see him as a loving father but more like a "bitter, bitter man." I think it's normal for a lot of believers to be angry at God sometimes and this is just a song about that.
If I was to try to interpret this literally I would…“Cause it’s all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man” reminds me of being in a controlling relationship and being told to smile, and numbing yourself not to feel anything. You have to give up all of your being and let your self let go. You are with the other person just so you are not alone. But the way the song sounds I feel that it’s about a person dying, and they are now seeing the truth in their life, and having to say good bye to their world they thought they lived. It has been a deception and they are no finding this out as they are turning their life over to someone else. I don’t know…just a thought or two, tell me what ya’ll think?...:)
If I was to try to interpret this literally I would…“Cause it’s all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man” reminds me of being in a controlling relationship and being told to smile, and numbing yourself not to feel anything. You have to give up all of your being and let your self let go. You are with the other person just so you are not alone. But the way the song sounds I feel that it’s about a person dying, and they are now seeing the truth in their life, and having to say good bye to their world they thought they lived. It has been a deception and they are no finding this out as they are turning their life over to someone else. I don’t know…just a thought or two, tell me what ya’ll think?...:)
I completely agree with silverprod. Same feeling here. :(
This struck me as more of a global song. I thought of the bitter, bitter man as Geo. W. and about having my liberties taken away. Mika is from a war-torn area and has lived a life I cannot imagine, and so I wonder if this song is about living under a dictatorship -- smile and take it because you have no choice and you don't know any better anyway because you haven't been allowed to leave and travel anywhere else, to see any other world.
This song just sends me into space! I can't help but think it's about coping with love, how you're letting the decision fall into the hands of your partner. Probably wrong, I can't define too well...eek.
Bitter, bitter man = God?
I also think that silverprod is right. To me this is a woman talking to his friend and she is so sad because she just realised that her love story is over. This friend lived the same situation some time ago and explained that life is really hard when you're alone and even if it is really difficult to trust someone after having suffered so much we don't have any other chance to "give your defences". The first part of the song can be explained to me because this is the human being is the only living species able to feel love and in any other place or world such feeling would just be "remnants".
This struck me as more of a global song. I thought of the bitter, bitter man as Geo. W. and about having my liberties taken away. Mika is from a war-torn area and has lived a life I cannot imagine, and so I wonder if this song is about living under a dictatorship -- smile and take it because you have no choice and you don't know any better anyway because you haven't been allowed to leave and travel anywhere else, to see any other world.