Nickel & Dime
Journey Lyrics
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Mountain of magic, standing tall and proud
Your magical veins flowing silver and gold
Your cumulus cloud glows misty red
As Apollo sets beyond your head
Releasing the pressure built over the years
The mountain is crying hot lava tears
Molten rock created under
Vibrations of subterranean thunder
Ejecting boulders like pieces of sand
The mountain is giving birth to the land
Under your feet, you feel a rumble
As thousands of rocks are starting to tumble
Above the trees where the buzzard flies
Swirling vapors begin to rise
Beneath those misty peaks you hide
A tremendous force boiling deep inside
The lyrics of Journey's song "Nickel & Dime" describe the power and majesty of a mountain, something that is often regarded as a symbol of strength and resilience. The first two lines of the song refer to the mountain as both a "mountain of mystery" and a "mountain of magic." The words "mystery" and "magic" convey a sense of wonder and awe, underlining the idea that the mountain holds some kind of secret power. The following lines then describe the mountain's "magical veins" flowing with silver and gold, suggesting it is a site of material wealth or a place that holds great spiritual significance.
The third and fourth lines of the song describe the mountain as if it were a living entity, with a "cumulus cloud" that "glows misty red" and which releases built-up pressure; this is a description of a volcanic eruption. The following lines then explicitly state that the mountain is "crying hot lava tears." The imagery used here is particularly striking, comparing the eruption to the tears of the mountain itself.
The following verses describe the process of the eruption in more detail, from the creation of molten rock under the surface to the explosive release of "subterranean thunder." The final stanza of the song describes the moment when the eruption sends "thousands of rocks...starting to tumble," with swirling vapors rising above the tree-line. The song's final line suggests a sense of danger may lurk beneath the peaceful exterior of a mountain.
Line by Line Meaning
Mountain of mystery, rising high above the clouds
A massive mountain shrouded in secrets and ambiguity, towering over everything else in its vicinity
Mountain of magic, standing tall and proud
This mountain is regarded as something enchanted and mystical, seemingly upright and confident
Your magical veins flowing silver and gold
Lustrous deposits of precious metals coursing through the mountain's interior, making it even more remarkable
Your cumulus cloud glows misty red
A distinctive cloud formation encircling the mountain, bathed in a hazy crimson aura that catches the eye
As Apollo sets beyond your head
The sun god's final rays dipping below the horizon behind the mountain, signalling the end of daylight
Releasing the pressure built over the years
The mountain's apex is dissolving the pressure that's formed inside it over a prolonged time
The mountain is crying hot lava tears
The volcano inside the mountain is erupting, its superheated liquid spilling down like tears
Molten rock created under
A substance in the form of molten rock is constructed. Formed from the fusion of materials located underneath the surface of the mountain
Vibrations of subterranean thunder
Tremors rumble as the shifting of tectonic plates cause inaudible echoes in the earth below
Ejecting boulders like pieces of sand
Tons of rock shatter as they are hurled with minimal force, disintegrating into debris when they hit the ground
The mountain is giving birth to the land
As the mountain spits out hot magma, new land is in the making. A natural process that drives the evolution of our planet
Under your feet, you feel a rumble
The artist can sense the ground shake underneath them, a sign of impending danger or upcoming events
As thousands of rocks are starting to tumble
Stones cascading down the slopes of the mountain as readily as sand through an hourglass
Above the trees where the buzzard flies
At a certain height from the ground, beyond the level of the trees where vultures often glide along
Swirling vapors begin to rise
Foggy tendrils of steam rising from the mountain peak, heralding the coming of the new land created by the eruption.
Beneath those misty peaks you hide
Hidden inside the slopes of the murky mountain, unseen in the mist and fog
A tremendous force boiling deep inside
Enormous internal pressure building up within the mountain. Not easily detected from the outside.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE TYNDALL TICKNER, GREGG ROLIE, NEAL JOSEPH SCHON, ROSS L VALORY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pickering144
This has to be one of my favourite instrumental songs of all time.
Ripper 65
Don't forget the great Cookie Duster.
Marc 187
Topaz is a good one too!
Raleigh Kirschman
One of the early Journey's hardest rocking pieces.
B Dog
Aynsley Dunbar blows my mind. And I say that while listening to one of the great young guitarists in history shredding it.
Bill Hyland
The dude, simply put, is an octopus.
Manny Ruiz
My favorite Journey album. It borders on heavy metal, but it's also prog. I'm also a big Rush fan. This sounds very Rushish sorta.
Eric mcKay
It reminds me of Xanadu!!!!
Bob E
Totally agree. Tom Sawyer has some similar motifs.
Tristan Chang
Dunbar kills the drums on this track incredible beat