Goin' Down Slow
Jeff Beck & Tom Jones Lyrics

The opening lines of Jeff Becks song "Goin' Down" seem to imply that the singer has experienced pleasures and enjoyed luxuries that even kings and queens don't have access to. The second line suggests he's aware of things beyond material possessions - knowledge or wisdom, perhaps, that outstrip anything the wealthy and the powerful possess - though he does qualify this by stating that "they don't even know about it." It's unclear what exactly he's referring to, but given that his next lines immediately reference good times, it seems plausible that he's talking about the highs and joys of life that are felt regardless of material status.

The chorus of the song reflects the singer's decline, both in terms of health and overall condition. He declares that he's had his fun in life, and nothing else really matters to him anymore. The repeated "if I never get well no more" line drives home the singer's sense of finality and resignation. The grim reality is that he's sick, and he's going down slowly.

The second verse is where the tone shifts slightly, and the singer turns his attention to money and women. He admits that while he's not a millionaire, he has spent more money than one. He wryly muses that he "woulda been a millionaire a long time ago" if he had saved what he had already spent, hinting at a sense of self-awareness and regret. Finally, he mentions women, saying "great googly moogly", a random exclamation to suggest his excitement, which probably means that he's had a lot of relationships, flings and one night stands.

Overall, the song seems to be about the singer coming to terms with his own mortality and declining health. He lists his accomplishments and pleasures he's experienced in the past, but they're all coloured by his awareness that he's running out of time. The lyrics and the bluesy guitar riffs perfectly capture the singer's sense of struggle and resignation, making for a poignant and melancholic song.