"Long Road to Ruin" began with a slow start, but still managed to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart for seven consecutive weeks and reach #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song had been successful in the rock charts but achieved small success on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #89. With "Long Road to Ruin" topping the Modern Rock Tracks earlier this year, it made Foo Fighters the first act to have a number 1 hit every year for four consecutive years.
Unlike the US, in Europe the song has had major success peaking in the top 40 of the pop charts and number 1 on the UK Rock Chart. The success was aided due to a Radio 1 performance and an extensive tour in the UK.
The music video of the song is a comedic spoof of a stereotypical 1970s-era hospital soap opera (General Hospital in particular), and is essentially a "show within a show". As seen in the opening credit sequence, the Foo Fighters portray the actors who in turn portray the show's characters. Grohl plays "Davy Grolton", who stars as the main doctor, "Hansom Davidoff". Drummer Taylor Hawkins plays "Ty Hawkstone" ("Les Groper", Davidoff's womanizing colleague). Guitarist Chris Shiflett plays "Christopher Mishomotohama" ("Little Jimmy", a severely injured child). Bassist Nate Mendel plays "Ned Bender" ("Saul Goode", the show's shady antagonist). Actress Rashida Jones guest stars as "Racinda Jules" ("Susan Belfontaine", the doctor's love interest).
In order to avoid confusion with the soap opera (also entitled "Long Road to Ruin") and the "real world", the scenes in the soap opera have brown tones to make it more vintage, while the real world retains normal color. There are various accidents and rifts on-stage (a fight between the cast, Grolton inadvertently hitting Jules in the face.). Backstage, Grolton's cast mates read a magazine about him becoming a rock star, and later place his debut album on a dartboard and throw darts at it. Upset, Grolton goes outside, only to find screaming teenage girls who want his autograph. After wiping away tears, he accommodates and interacts with them.
The video then cuts to a concert in a mall where he fronts "The Davy Grolton Band" and performs the song. The band is also portrayed by the other Foo Fighter members, in attire appropriate of the era. The scene is inter-cut with flashbacks about Jules. While singing, he sees her amidst the audience filled with the ravenous girls, but she leaves after realizing he has spotted her. He ends the performance to give chase with the fans behind him, but when he finally finds her, she has driven off. Grolton becomes hysterical before continuing his pursuit.
The video is interspersed throughout with scenes of Grolton driving in a car, wistfully singing the song. The final scene has him intentionally driving off a cliff in a typical 1970s television or movie death scene, with the vehicle bursting into flames during the fall. In what is likely an intentional continuity error, Grolton is clearly in an open-top Jaguar E-Type, while the crash footage depicts what appears to be a 1990's Porsche.
Long Road to Ruin
Foo Fighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say have you heard the news today?
One flag was taken down
To raise another in it's place
A heavy cross you bear
A stubborn heart remains unchanged
No home, no life, no love
But maybe the season
The colors change in the valley skies
Dear God, I've sealed my fate
Running through hell
Heaven can wait
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead end in sight
Let's say we take this town
No king or queen of any state
Get up to shut it down
Open the streets and raise the gates
I know a wall to scale
I know a field without a name
Head on without a care
Before it's way too late
Maybe the season
The colors change in the valley skies
Oh God, I've sealed my fate
Running through hell
Heaven can wait
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead ends
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead end in sight
For every piece to fall in place
Forever gone without a trace
Your horizon takes its shape
No turning back, don't turn that page
Come now, I'm leaving here tonight
Come now, let's leave it all behind
Is that the price you pay
Running through hell
Heaven can wait
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead ends
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead ends
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead end in sight
The lyrics of the song Long Road to Ruin by Foo Fighters can be interpreted in different ways, but the overall theme seems to be about feeling trapped or stuck in a situation and wanting to break free from it. The opening lines, "Here now don't make a sound, say have you heard the news today? One flag was taken down to raise another in its place," suggest a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness in the face of change. The singer then acknowledges the difficult situation they are in, singing, "A heavy cross you bear, a stubborn heart remains unchanged. No home, no life, no love, no stranger singing in your name."
However, there is still a glimmer of hope in the lyrics, as the singer mentions the changing seasons and colors of the valley skies, suggesting that change is possible. They also sing about taking action and not waiting until it's too late to make a change, saying "Head on without a care, before it's way too late." The repeated phrase "Long road to ruin, there in your eyes, under the cold streetlights, no tomorrow, no dead end in sight" emphasizes the feeling of being stuck or trapped, but also implies that there is a way out, even if it may take some time and effort to get there.
Overall, the lyrics of Long Road to Ruin seem to be about the struggle to break free from a difficult situation and find hope and possibility in the midst of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Here now don't make a sound
Be quiet and listen carefully
Say have you heard the news today?
Are you aware of the latest developments?
One flag was taken down
A symbol of defeat or change was removed
To raise another in it's place
To replace it with something new
A heavy cross you bear
You have a difficult burden to carry
A stubborn heart remains unchanged
Your attitude or behavior is resistant to change
No home, no life, no love
You feel a lack of belonging, purpose, or affection
No stranger singing in your name
No person who supports or admires you
But maybe the season
Possibly a change is coming
The colors change in the valley skies
Nature is displaying a different appearance
Dear God, I've sealed my fate
You have determined your destiny
Running through hell
You are confronting a difficult situation
Heaven can wait
You can delay gratification or redemption
Long road to ruin
The path to destruction or defeat is lengthy
There in your eyes
It is evident in your expression or behavior
Under the cold streetlights
In a harsh or austere environment
No tomorrow
There is no future or hope
No dead end in sight
There does not appear to be an unsolvable obstacle
Let's say we take this town
Let's assume control and dominance
No king or queen of any state
There is no established authority or leadership
Get up to shut it down
Take action to halt the status quo
Open the streets and raise the gates
Provide access to new opportunities
I know a wall to scale
I have a solution to a difficult problem
I know a field without a name
I am aware of uncharted territory
Head on without a care
Proceed with confidence and determination
Before it's way too late
Act before an irreversible event occurs
For every piece to fall in place
All the necessary elements must align
Forever gone without a trace
Lost without a chance of recovery
Your horizon takes its shape
Your future is shaped by your current decisions
No turning back, don't turn that page
You cannot reverse the consequences of your actions
Come now, I'm leaving here tonight
Let's depart this place immediately
Come now, let's leave it all behind
Abandon everything and start fresh
Is that the price you pay
Is it worth sacrificing something else
Running through hell
Enduring great difficulty or danger
Heaven can wait
There is still time for redemption or pleasure
Long road to ruin
The path of self-destruction is long and arduous
No dead ends
There are still options or avenues to explore
No dead end in sight
There is optimism or encouragement for finding a solution
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Word Collections Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Eric Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chistopher Shiftlett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theiatenavenus4947
Long Road to Ruin-Foo Fighters Lyrics:
Here now don't make a sound
Say have you heard the news today?
One flag was taken down
To raise another in its place
A heavy cross you bear
A stubborn heart remains unchanged
No home, no life, no love
No stranger singing in your name
Maybe the season
The colors change in the valley skies
Dear God I've sealed my fate
Running through hell, heaven can wait
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight
Let's say we take this town
No king or queen of any state
Get up to shut it down
Open the streets and raise the gates
I know one wall to scale
I know a field without a name
Head on without a care
Before it's way too late
Maybe the season
The colors change in the valley skies
Oh, God I've sealed my fate
Running through hell, heaven can wait
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead ends
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight
For every piece to fall in place
Forever gone without a trace
Your horizon takes its shape
No turning back, don't turn that page
Come now, I'm leaving here tonight
Come now, let's leave it all behind
Is that the price you pay?
Running through hell, heaven can wait
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead ends
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead ends
Long road to ruin there in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight
@danielamaya138
I just love how much he cries in this video
@isaacpritchard2606
Daniel Amaya i know right
@Merdicano
Like a true soap opera star
@Juzz2011
@@isaacpritchard2606 x. X o be x o ogx B gxhhg o l. D d. D. D. D. D. D. D do FB ddi
@MarieRains
Gets me every damn time. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@issabeganovic8822
No one comments on how they successfully recreated 70's Rock in all its glory.
Shaaaaaame!
@therollingbeachfloyd645
The Foo Fighters successfully recreated 70's Rock in all it's glory!
@sebastianusepifany6219
The Foo Fighters successfully recreated 70's Rock in all its glory !!!
@danielchervin
And dress like a porn star!!! THAT"S STYLE
@xXDJLEE02Xx
70's rock successfully recreated the Foo Fighters in all its glory!