"1979"

You know, it’s incredible how music works. 

Sometimes we’re really focused on the music; sometimes, the lyrics. Usually, the music takes precedence over the lyrics. If the tune is good, we’ll then look more deeply at the words.

Sometimes we like the tune so much that we really don’t care about the lyrics. Such was the case for the longest time with me with the song “1979” by the Smashing Pumpkins. “1979” begins with an interesting percussion-y type build up, then totally bursts into this driving force of a tune based on a catchy guitar riff and playful voice echo type thing. It just sounds awesome, so I didn’t need to know too much more. Plus, I totally understood the first few lyrics: 

“Shakedown 1979/Cool kids never have the time.”

For years, I was more or less in the dark when it came to much of the rest of “1979”’s lyrics. But finally—finally—after years, I decided to check them out.  

I was totally blown away. 

“1979” is not even a song, I discovered: it’s a poem. There were so many lines that I had gotten so wrong for so many years—so many wildly creative lines. 

Here are the lyrics to “1979.” I waited decades before reading them. But you shouldn’t delay. I think that knowing the lyrics will surely help enhance your appreciation of this strange song/poem. 

Shakedown 1979 
Cool kids never have the time
On a live wire right up off the street
You and I should meet

Junebug skippin' 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 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 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

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