1979
The Smashing Pumpkins̀ Lyrics
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On a live wire right up off the street
You and I should meet
June bug skipping like a stone
With the headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all
And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
Double cross the vacant and the bored
They're not sure just what we have in the store
Morphine city slippin' dues, down to see that
We don't even care, as restless as we are
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts
And poured cement, lamented and assured
To the lights and towns below
Faster than the speed of sound
Faster than we thought we'd go, beneath the sound of hope
Justine never knew the rules
Hung down with the freaks and the ghouls
No apologies ever need be made
I know you better than you fake it, to see
And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
The street heats the urgency of sound
As you can see there's no one around
"1979" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins that was released in 1996. The lyrics describe the feeling of being young and restless in suburban America. The opening line of "Shakedown 1979, cool kids never have the time" is a nostalgic reference to the year 1979, and suggests that the singer is looking back on their youth. The phrase "cool kids never have the time" implies that the singer is not part of the in-crowd, and is perhaps more introspective and thoughtful.
The imagery of "June bug skipping like a stone/With the headlights pointed at the dawn" paints a picture of carefree youth and a sense of adventure. The singer feels as though their youth will last forever, and they will never grow old. However, the repetition of "we don't even care" suggests that they are also somewhat detached from their surroundings, and there is a sense of nihilism in their attitude.
The second half of the song shifts focus to the city: "Double cross the vacant and the bored/They're not sure just what we have in the store" suggests that there is something unpredictable and exciting about the singer's lifestyle, which the rest of society does not understand. The allusion to "morphine city" suggests a sense of numbness or detachment from reality. Ultimately, the song is about feeling lost and disconnected in an increasingly chaotic world, but finding solace in the memories of youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Shakedown 1979, cool kids never have the time
The year is 1979 and the popular kids are always too busy. They don't have time for anything else.
On a live wire right up off the street
We're living life on the edge, taking risks and living dangerously.
You and I should meet
Let's get together and experience life together.
June bug skipping like a stone
We're young and carefree, like a bug bouncing along the surface of the water.
With the headlights pointed at the dawn
We're driving into the future, ready to face whatever comes our way.
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all
We felt invincible and thought that our carefree lifestyle would never come to an end.
And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues
I'm not worried about societal pressures and expectations. I'm just living my life.
And we don't know just where our bones will rest
We don't know what our futures hold or where we'll end up.
To dust I guess
Eventually, we'll all return to the earth.
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
Eventually, we'll become part of the earth itself and be forgotten by those still living.
Double cross the vacant and the bored
We're going against societal expectations and rebelling against the status quo.
They're not sure just what we have in the store
Others don't understand or appreciate our non-conformity, but we know we have something special to offer the world.
Morphine city slippin' dues, down to see that
We're living in a city where drugs and addiction are rampant, but we're still determined to make the most of our lives.
We don't even care, as restless as we are
Our restlessness drives us forward, even when others might give up or get complacent.
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts
We're aware of the darkness and guilt in the world around us, but we're still able to find joy and purpose in our lives.
And poured cement, lamented and assured
We've left our mark on the world, but also recognize the sadness and regret that comes with growing up.
To the lights and towns below
We're moving on to bigger and better things, leaving the past behind.
Faster than the speed of sound
Our lives are moving so quickly and enthusiastically that it feels like we're breaking the sound barrier.
Faster than we thought we'd go, beneath the sound of hope
We're surpassing our own expectations and pushing ourselves to continue growing and improving.
Justine never knew the rules
One of the people we know, Justine, was always a non-conformist.
Hung down with the freaks and the ghouls
She socialized with people who were different and not accepted by mainstream society.
No apologies ever need be made
We never feel bad about being ourselves or making unconventional choices.
I know you better than you fake it, to see
We know each other so well that even when we're not being honest with others, we still understand what's really going on.
The street heats the urgency of sound
The energy and noise of the street is all around us, pushing us forward and giving us a sense of urgency.
As you can see there's no one around
Despite being surrounded by so much noise and chaos, we still feel isolated and alone.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: William Patrick Corgan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Hayyden
I used to listen to this on repeat while walking 2 miles every day to school.
I met a girl one day on one of those walks. She went to a different school.
Sometimes we’d share an earpiece, walking shoulder to shoulder listening to this song together.
One day I stopped seeing her on my walk and 20 years later I’m still wondering but remembering her grace.
Much love Hannah ❤
@katherinepalmado6366
"1979"
Shakedown 1979, cool kids never have the time
On a live wire right up off the street
You and I should meet
Junebug skipping like a stone
With the headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all
And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know
Just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
Double cross the vacant and the bored
They're not sure just what we have in store
Morphine city slipping dues down to see
That we don't even care as restless as we are
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts
And poured cement, lamented and assured
To the lights and towns below
Faster than the speed of sound
Faster than we thought we'd go, beneath the sound of hope
Justine never knew the rules,
Hung down with the freaks and the ghouls
No apologies ever need be made, I know you better than you fake it
To see that we don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
The street heats the urgency of now
As you see there's no one around
@thirien59
Crazy we are nostalgic about a song from 20 years ago which talks about nostalgia from 20 years ago
@deedeeramone8641
25 years ago i guess😥
@davidblackwell6914
🎯🎯
@martineshamzin7535
Yeah, people have always been nostalgic. Its different now, though. People REALLY HATE THIS TIME!
@blacknight2149
Ha! Good point
@AndiSetiyono
yeahhh, its fuckin awesome that time
@VandelayIndustries61
I'm 59. In 1979, I WAS these kids.
What a beautiful, haunting song.
@thjonez
..when we didnt need to think
@Nartano
I'm 42, I was 1 in 1979, still I totally relate to this song
@johnlsullivan7941
Heard that brother