Over The Falls
Primus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His lip beaded with sweat as they strapped him in
And he stood by and waited to be called
The talk was of times that'd gone by
And the quantity and quality of women they lie
His eyes welled with wet and his mouth had gone dry
As he stood by and waited to be called
He stood by and waited like the others before
For his turn to go over the falls
He got up and tried it again
For lack of persistence is surely a sin
As he stood by and waited to be called
He looked to the lightning with glee
And admired his vessel for its symmetry
Feeling twelve units shy of a bachelor's degree
As he stood by and waited to be called
He stood by and waited to be called
He stood by and waited like the others before
For his turn to go over the falls
The lyrics of Primus's song "Over The Falls" describes the experience of a man who is waiting to be called to go over Niagara Falls. The first verse sets up a scene filled with tension and anxiety as the subject is strapped in and waiting for his turn. The men around him are discussing women they've been with, and the subject's response is a mix of fear and sadness at the situation he finds himself in. He is resigned to his fate, but not without a sense of loss.
The second verse shows a shift in the subject's attitude, as he stands up and tries again. The line "for lack of persistence is surely a sin" suggests that he has been waiting for this moment for some time, and is finally taking the plunge. He looks to the lightning with glee, perhaps seeing it as an omen of his success, and admires his vessel for its symmetry. The line "feeling twelve units shy of a bachelor's degree" shows that the subject is not only daring but educated as well.
Throughout the song, the repeated phrase "He stood by and waited to be called" emphasizes the subject's passive role in his own life. He is not in control of his destiny, but waiting for it to be determined for him. The choice to go over the falls is a dangerous and thrilling one, but it is not entirely his own. In this way, the song touches on themes of fate, risk-taking, and surrendering to the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
They broke out in laughter again
The group laughed again, likely at the expense of the person being strapped in
His lip beaded with sweat as they strapped him in
The person being prepared for the feat of going over the falls was nervous and visibly sweating
And he stood by and waited to be called
The person waited patiently for their turn to attempt the dangerous feat
The talk was of times that'd gone by
The group talked and reminisced about past memories
And the quantity and quality of women they lie
The group discussed their past sexual encounters and the characteristics of the women they had been with
His eyes welled with wet and his mouth had gone dry
The person preparing to go over the falls was both nervous and emotional, perhaps remembering past experiences or feeling overwhelmed by the situation
He got up and tried it again
After a failed attempt, the person stood back up to try again
For lack of persistence is surely a sin
Giving up easily is seen as a negative trait and a failure
He looked to the lightning with glee
Despite the danger, the person was excited and happy to attempt this feat
And admired his vessel for its symmetry
The person took a moment to appreciate the boat they were in and its visually pleasing design
Feeling twelve units shy of a bachelor's degree
The person felt as if they were lacking some necessary skill or knowledge, perhaps in reference to their ability to complete the feat successfully
He stood by and waited to be called
The person continued to patiently wait for their turn to attempt the feat
He stood by and waited like the others before
The person was following in the footsteps of those who had attempted the feat before them, waiting for their turn to come
For his turn to go over the falls
The person was waiting for their turn to attempt the dangerous feat of going over the falls
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LES CLAYPOOL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CondescendingOaf
@@BlueHopi144 Based on your reply, I can't tell whether or not you got it.
In case not, those are lyrics from four of their (Soul Coughing) songs.
1) Blue eyed devil.
2) Bus to Beelzebub.
3) True dreams of Wichita.
4) Screenwriter's blues.
All on their first release titled
"Ruby Vroom"
😉👍
@maddogsk8er86
I'm not at super fan level of fandom for Primus, so I was super stoked to see they had a new song out!! Then I realized it was from 1997 and I had just made an ass of myself sharing the "new Primus song" with my music-loving friend. Great. Super. Still happy to say it was a new Primus song to me!
@Malkmusianful
You thought they got Brain back in the band?
@maddogsk8er86
@@Malkmusianful I didn't think of much
@Tom_Van_Zandt
I had the same reaction. I just saw the video and thought it was cool to see Primus still making music. I only ever owned Pork Soda, and outside of that I only know a handful of songs, so I guess most of Primus would be new to me.
@brianmiller1077
I have this album and the title didn't ring any bells, but I knew I had heard it before about 2 measures in.
@solidgroundmusic
almost made the same mistake
@honeybadger1810
The brown album, when you listen to all of the lyrics, it’s like it’s all written from the perspective of like the 1920s in America. Sort of a higher status dignified vibe.
@WhyDoIKeepFuckinUp
Hmm. I’m gonna pay attention to that and see if I notice. Never thought about it before.
@honeybadger1810
@@WhyDoIKeepFuckinUp particularly in the return of sathington willoughby, puddin taine, bobs party time lounge
@Cocpain
"Just remember, the man standing next to you may not be who they appear to be, so take precautions," almost seems prophetic 25 years later.