I have read through the comments and don't think anyone has really nailed the song meaning yet. After reading Anthony Keidis' autobiography this song becomes clear in it's meaning. Keidis was a frequent drug user from the age of 14 and a heavy addict from sometime later in his teens, his book details countless relapses during his attempts at staying clean. I was reading page 447 of his book and he is talking about wanting to stop (his drug binges) and he just can't.
This song came into focus for me and I started to look at the lyrics and picked these bits;
Can't stop addicted to the shin dig (shin dig being his drug fueled escapades)
Cop top he says I'm gonna win big ('he' being the voice inside his head trying to get him to use)
Choose not a life of imitation ('life of imitation' life under the influence of drugs)
Distant cousin to the reservation (detatched from real life)
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (when he scores drugs that aren't good enough or strong enough)
This punk the feeling that you stay for (calling the Heroine high a 'punk')
In time I want to be your best friend
Eastside love is living on the westend (Keidis had a string of girlfriends from New York (Eastside Love) and he lives in LA (West End), relationships he ruined through his drug use)
Knock out but boy you better come to
Don't die you know the truth is some do (about overdosing and the people he's known who have died)
Go write your message on the pavement (about writing his music)
Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant (being such a successful band, 'wave' being his drug binges)
White heat is screaming in the jungle ('white heat' being the idea of drugs, the jungle being his mind)
Complete the motion if you stumble ('the motion' being his steps to sobriety, 'stumble' meaning relapse)
Go ask the dust for any answers ('dust' is drugs)
Come back strong with 50 belly dancers (comin back after rehab and performing)
I won't go through the whole second verse, you get the idea, just one more thing I have to point out;
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snowcone
So smart she's leading me to ozone
These two lines are about him being 'clean', he has Hepatitus C and has a beautiful nurse administer his meds, the meds are called Ozone and help keep the Hep C in check. 'Bleeding in the snowcone' means the flushback of blood into the syringe when the Ozone is administered.
I think it's pretty clear that Cant Stop is the theme of Keidis' life of drugs, sobriety and relapses.
I really think you're interpretation nails this perfectly. I had my theories at first, but I never really that far into the lifestyle that drug addicts have, so I don't know a lot of phrases or slang used. A few things I disagree with, though:
I really think you're interpretation nails this perfectly. I had my theories at first, but I never really that far into the lifestyle that drug addicts have, so I don't know a lot of phrases or slang used. A few things I disagree with, though:
"Go write your message on the pavement" and "go ask the dust for any answers" kind of strike me as him being face down in the dirt near death. I could be wrong, though.
"Go write your message on the pavement" and "go ask the dust for any answers" kind of strike me as him being face down in the dirt near death. I could be wrong, though.
"Cop top" I'm pretty sure is a reference to the police, although I'm not sure in what context. Police used to be called "Copper tops" a while ago.
"White heat is screaming in the jungle" seems to more reference the agony drug addicts suffer through when their bodies don't get the drugs.
@Fitzcarraldo You are right in fact, but you missed some things only people from drug subculture recognizes. He is talking about exact drugs in exact parts.
@Fitzcarraldo You are right in fact, but you missed some things only people from drug subculture recognizes. He is talking about exact drugs in exact parts.
White heat in the jungle is not this kind of metaphore, its what he see on the MDMA partying. Band of people dancing with their energy, which looks exactly like heat above concrete. Also the part "In time I want to be a best friend" points out to MDMA or Cocaine (more likely the first one).
White heat in the jungle is not this kind of metaphore, its what he see on the MDMA partying. Band of people dancing with their energy, which looks exactly like heat above concrete. Also the part "In time I want to be a best friend" points out to MDMA or Cocaine (more likely the first one).
Also, I would like to emphasize how the music is used as a drug state. It has slow start, then Kick in, chorus is happy but with one hesitating verse, i"wait a minute, I am passing out" is post drug state of calming down, the same as the music does.
After this, he returns to the original happy living melody, but with one screeching painful guitar under the melody. Just a piece of art :)
I have read through the comments and don't think anyone has really nailed the song meaning yet. After reading Anthony Keidis' autobiography this song becomes clear in it's meaning. Keidis was a frequent drug user from the age of 14 and a heavy addict from sometime later in his teens, his book details countless relapses during his attempts at staying clean. I was reading page 447 of his book and he is talking about wanting to stop (his drug binges) and he just can't.
This song came into focus for me and I started to look at the lyrics and picked these bits;
Can't stop addicted to the shin dig (shin dig being his drug fueled escapades)
Cop top he says I'm gonna win big ('he' being the voice inside his head trying to get him to use)
Choose not a life of imitation ('life of imitation' life under the influence of drugs)
Distant cousin to the reservation (detatched from real life)
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (when he scores drugs that aren't good enough or strong enough)
This punk the feeling that you stay for (calling the Heroine high a 'punk')
In time I want to be your best friend Eastside love is living on the westend (Keidis had a string of girlfriends from New York (Eastside Love) and he lives in LA (West End), relationships he ruined through his drug use)
Knock out but boy you better come to Don't die you know the truth is some do (about overdosing and the people he's known who have died)
Go write your message on the pavement (about writing his music) Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant (being such a successful band, 'wave' being his drug binges)
White heat is screaming in the jungle ('white heat' being the idea of drugs, the jungle being his mind) Complete the motion if you stumble ('the motion' being his steps to sobriety, 'stumble' meaning relapse) Go ask the dust for any answers ('dust' is drugs) Come back strong with 50 belly dancers (comin back after rehab and performing)
I won't go through the whole second verse, you get the idea, just one more thing I have to point out;
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snowcone So smart she's leading me to ozone
These two lines are about him being 'clean', he has Hepatitus C and has a beautiful nurse administer his meds, the meds are called Ozone and help keep the Hep C in check. 'Bleeding in the snowcone' means the flushback of blood into the syringe when the Ozone is administered.
I think it's pretty clear that Cant Stop is the theme of Keidis' life of drugs, sobriety and relapses.
I really think you're interpretation nails this perfectly. I had my theories at first, but I never really that far into the lifestyle that drug addicts have, so I don't know a lot of phrases or slang used. A few things I disagree with, though:
I really think you're interpretation nails this perfectly. I had my theories at first, but I never really that far into the lifestyle that drug addicts have, so I don't know a lot of phrases or slang used. A few things I disagree with, though:
"Go write your message on the pavement" and "go ask the dust for any answers" kind of strike me as him being face down in the dirt near death. I could be wrong, though.
"Go write your message on the pavement" and "go ask the dust for any answers" kind of strike me as him being face down in the dirt near death. I could be wrong, though.
"Cop top" I'm pretty sure is a reference to the police, although I'm not sure in what context. Police used to be called "Copper tops" a while ago.
"White heat is screaming in the jungle" seems to more reference the agony drug addicts suffer through when their bodies don't get the drugs.
@Fitzcarraldo You are right in fact, but you missed some things only people from drug subculture recognizes. He is talking about exact drugs in exact parts.
@Fitzcarraldo You are right in fact, but you missed some things only people from drug subculture recognizes. He is talking about exact drugs in exact parts.
White heat in the jungle is not this kind of metaphore, its what he see on the MDMA partying. Band of people dancing with their energy, which looks exactly like heat above concrete. Also the part "In time I want to be a best friend" points out to MDMA or Cocaine (more likely the first one).
White heat in the jungle is not this kind of metaphore, its what he see on the MDMA partying. Band of people dancing with their energy, which looks exactly like heat above concrete. Also the part "In time I want to be a best friend" points out to MDMA or Cocaine (more likely the first one).
Also, I would like to emphasize how the music is used as a drug state. It has slow start, then Kick in, chorus is happy but with one hesitating verse, i"wait a minute, I am passing out" is post drug state of calming down, the same as the music does.
After this, he returns to the original happy living melody, but with one screeching painful guitar under the melody. Just a piece of art :)
@Fitzcarraldo
@Fitzcarraldo
@Fitzcarraldo you nailed it bro.. awesome
@Fitzcarraldo you nailed it bro.. awesome
@Fitzcarraldo That sounds really accurate. I have BPD and I feel like this song also describes what going through it is like.
@Fitzcarraldo That sounds really accurate. I have BPD and I feel like this song also describes what going through it is like.