The Stone Roses – Fools Gold

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  General Comment:I can not believe the crap i have read about this track lol..... Do any of you even know who the Stone Roses are????...... Fools Gold - Smack...Skag...Heroin
  The pack on my back is acheing......wind on through the hills for 15 days????? Its called doing your rip...cold turkey.....a rattle
  The song is so blatently about heroin addiction. Before you type....think!

  Flag CocoMcroonon February 24, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:Defimitly a nod to Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Every line. Having money tends to make us insular,selfish and split into our own little groups or Niches. Where as when things get tuff(jobs money economy)we tend to all come(huddle) together and value each other more and our true worth and power as human beings. Vive La Revolution. 60s late 80s early 90s the cycle for positive change and coming together is almost on us again. Where will you BE standing, when it HAPPENS.

  Flag mysticlotuson November 28, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Yeah, Ian said it was inspired by The Treasure of Sierra Madre movie with Bogart. I watched the movie not too long ago and it really suits it.

  Flag lazyituson December 15, 2010   Link

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    Also the drumming is similar to the drum solo in James Brown's The Funky Drummer track. Not sure if its a sample or a recreation. Def a loop drum track, the "let" Reni, the greatest drummer in the world, play some bongos over the loop. That was a sin.
    
    And then Squire and Mani lay down some of the funkiest guitar and bass by two white men ever.

    Flag lazyituson December 15, 2010  
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  My Interpretation:To me this song uses Treasure of the Sierra Madre as a metaphor for the pain and futility of singleminded pursuit of money. For me, it calls to mind the problem of my obsession with my paid work - which gets in the way of finding balance and enjoying other aspects of the world. The song sometimes pops into my head on long backpacking trips. I like the literal parts - backpack strap seams cut me like a knife, sadistic hiking boots. The metaphorical meaning makes me think of the importance of setting my work aside once in a while to go out and enjoy the world. Kind of a double entendre reminding me that the hard work of hiking is worthwhile. Whereas the hard work of pursuing pay to the exclusion of everything else is fools gold.

  Flag retroidon July 10, 2010   Link

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  Lyric Correction:Last line of the first stanza is "The strap seams cut me like a knife." Makes more sense and there is definitely no "to" in there. Seems like every lyrics site in the universe has this line wrong.

  Flag retroidon July 10, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I always thought the song was a metaphore for Ecstacy use. The 'how come my back is aching' line refers to the lower back ache that some ecstasy users complain of (usually dehydration of the kidneys). The backpack is an obvious reference to the original rave scene where people would bring a backpack with a change of clothes, tub of vicks etc. 'Breakdown's coming up round the bend' is a reference to the breakdowns in dance music etc.
  
  I've always felt the song was from the view of a guy in a club looking round at a club full of people on ecstacy and realising that they are all just chasing 'fools gold'.

  Flag jonathanmorrison July 05, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:This song is based on the movie treasure of the Sierra madre! That's it fact do your research

  Flag Paddy71on May 03, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:i think its about all the fools who become rich and end up spending money on drugs
  great great song

  Flag theResurectionon April 14, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:It's based around the character development of Humphry Bogart and co ithe classic Treasure Of Sierra Madre film from the 1940s. "I'm standing alone, I'm watching you all.." Bogart and his friends go gold prospecting in the mountains and slowly greed turns him insane and jealous.
  If you think about it on another level it's also Brown commenting on the band's slow and rocky rise to fame.
  In hindsight it's his greatest set of lyrics ever as it really shows what happened to the Roses. The greed of manager Gareth Evans and the drugs and fall-outs which destroyed the band.
  He wrote it before his fallout with Squire but now it just speaks volumes about Squire.
  Incidentally it's the greatest single of all time, almost 20 years after I first heard it still.

  Flag withnailson December 14, 2008   Link

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    withnails...you hit it right on
    Brown could see what was coming & put it into a great dance/rock/pop song...arguably their best
    

    Flag Iamunderon November 21, 2009  
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  General Comment:I'm standing alone
  I'm watching you all
  I'm seeing you sinking
  
  selfishness, you will always fight ti save number one.
  
  an awesome song to chill out to.

  Flag SkinnyEffon June 24, 2008   Link

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