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.
I remember nights when we were young
They weren't very good they were rubbish
Running round Highroyds isn't fun
Just teenagers testing their courage
Standing outside nightclubs in the snow
Is not very cool or impressive
They let in all the girls from the year below
No need for I.D's with those dresses
Got news from afar
From a girl who knows who we are
She's still got my dinner money
She can keep it
Never had a fight that we haven't lost
We're not very tough or athletic
Once I had a boxing champ in a headlock
And when he gets out I'll regret it
Got keys to a car
Picked up a girl from Boston Spa
For fast food and the cinema
It's not worth it
Got word from down south
Well he had heard about it word of mouth
Haven't much stayed in touch
Since Highroyds
Let it go and let it go
And if I'm wrong then I won't know
'Cause no one's gonna tell me but a friend
But he has gone and Ian's gone
And everybody went along
And nobody was left here in the end
Got news from uncle Hugh
Through a second cousin once removed
It's too late there's a housing estate
It's called Highroyds
Got a text from an ex
She wants to know when we're in London next
"And will you write a song about me?"
I don't think so
They weren't very good they were rubbish
Running round Highroyds isn't fun
Just teenagers testing their courage
Standing outside nightclubs in the snow
Is not very cool or impressive
They let in all the girls from the year below
No need for I.D's with those dresses
Got news from afar
From a girl who knows who we are
She's still got my dinner money
She can keep it
Never had a fight that we haven't lost
We're not very tough or athletic
Once I had a boxing champ in a headlock
And when he gets out I'll regret it
Got keys to a car
Picked up a girl from Boston Spa
For fast food and the cinema
It's not worth it
Got word from down south
Well he had heard about it word of mouth
Haven't much stayed in touch
Since Highroyds
Let it go and let it go
And if I'm wrong then I won't know
'Cause no one's gonna tell me but a friend
But he has gone and Ian's gone
And everybody went along
And nobody was left here in the end
Got news from uncle Hugh
Through a second cousin once removed
It's too late there's a housing estate
It's called Highroyds
Got a text from an ex
She wants to know when we're in London next
"And will you write a song about me?"
I don't think so
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First Comment...
Well I happen to have gone to the same school as 3 of the Chiefs.... St Mary's Catholic High School in Menston. And opposite was a mental hospital called, you guessed it, High Royds.
This song is basically reminiscing about old times. Self explanatory really but the things about testing courage running round High Royds make more sense if you know it was a ofrmer mental hospital.
And the bit near the end about it being a housing estate is now true. They are creating a "new village" called HighRoyds based around the old hospital. I had a look at the show house there - very nice! :P
This song reminds me of when I was a young(er)teenager and we had nowhere to go in our little town so we just used to hang about on the streets trying to find fun. 'teenagers testing their courage' And all the boys in year 11 fancied all the slaggy year 10 girls and not us year 11 girls! 'they let in all the girls from the year below/no need fo ID's with those dresses' Also, my 'gang' were sort of outsiders so maybe the reference about dinner money being stolen fits, too! That is, until we made friends with about 50 other kids who we previously thought were chavs but weren't. But that's besides the point. Great song, love the 'wooooh's!
"Picked up a girl from Boston Spa," should be "picked up a girl from Potters Bar".
No, it should be Boston Spa, which is a large village near Wetherby (Leeds). Also just to note, they remeniss about Highroyds being a housing estate. It is currently being converted into one. Its a former mental institution in Menston. That's why I thought when I first saw the title, it might have a sort of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' feel to it.
All in all, not a bad song.