Tumble in the Rough
Stone Temple Pilots Lyrics


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I can't eat, I can't sleep
I can't live, I can't cry
I can't die, I can't walk
I can't talk, I can't booze
I can't booze, steal your shoes so I can move
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough

I'm looking for a new meditation
Still looking for a new way to fly
Don't want any plastic validation
Not looking for a new way to die

I made excuses for a million lies
But all I got was humble kidney pie
So what?
So what?

I can't eat, I can't sleep
I can't live, I can't cry
I can't die, I can't walk
I can't talk, can't booze
I can't booze, steal your shoes so I can move
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough

I'm looking for a new stimulation
Quite bored of those inflatable ties
I'm looking for a new rock sensation
Dead fish don't swim around in jealous tides

I made excuses for a million lies
But all I got was humble kidney pie
So what?
So what?
So what?
So what?

Can't hold you when I miss you (tumble in the rough)
Left on a summer intermission (tumble in the rough)
Can't hold you when I miss you (tumble in the rough)
Left on a summer intermission (tumble in the rough)

I can't eat, I can't sleep
I can't live, I can't cry
I can't die, I can't walk
I can't talk, can't booze
I can't booze, steal your shoes so I can move
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough
Tumble in the rough

I made excuses for a million lies
But all I got was humble kidney pie
I made excuses for a million lies
But all I got was humble kidney pie
So what?
So what?




So what?
So what?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Stone Temple Pilots’ “Tumble in the Rough” are about someone who is struggling with their day-to-day life. The repetition of “I can’t” and “Tumble in the rough” highlights this feeling of helplessness and a rough way of life. The person is at a point where they cannot eat, sleep, or even talk. They are searching for a new way to live and feel like they have hit rock bottom. They are not looking for material possessions or validation from others, they want a new way of being.


The person has made excuses for their behavior and lies, but they know that it has cost them dearly. They have lost something important in their life, someone that they miss and cannot hold. The line “Dead fish don't swim around in jealous tides” suggests that the person is looking for something real, something that is alive and unassuming. The repetition of “So what?” at the end of each verse is a rejection of the past and a desire to move forward.


Overall, “Tumble in the Rough” is a song about someone who is at the end of their rope and searching for a new way of being. They have hit rock bottom and are looking for something real and meaningful in their life.


Line by Line Meaning

I can't eat, I can't sleep
I am unable to eat or sleep due to my current state of mind.


I can't live, I can't cry
I am unable to live or cry due to feeling numb and disconnected.


I can't die, I can't walk
I am neither able to die nor walk, as I feel completely stagnant.


I can't talk, I can't booze
I am unable to talk or soothe myself with drinking.


I can't booze, steal your shoes so I can move
I wish to escape and move on, but I am unable to do so by drinking or taking your shoes.


Tumble in the rough
I am struggling and falling apart in the midst of chaos and confusion.


I'm looking for a new meditation
I am searching for a new way to calm my mind and escape my fears.


Still looking for a new way to fly
I am still searching for a new sense of freedom and hope.


Don't want any plastic validation
I do not want superficial or inauthentic praise or recognition.


Not looking for a new way to die
I am not seeking a destructive escape, and do not want to continue down a path of self-destruction.


I made excuses for a million lies
I have been dishonest with myself and others for far too long.


But all I got was humble kidney pie
But all of my attempts have led me to failure, humility, and isolation.


So what?
I am indifferent to my failures or scars, and want to move forward despite them.


Can't hold you when I miss you (tumble in the rough)
I am torn apart and lonely when I cannot hold the one I love.


Left on a summer intermission (tumble in the rough)
I have been abandoned and left to my own devices, feeling lost and unsure.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dean Deleo, Robert Emile Deleo, Eric Kretz, Scott Richard Weiland

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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