Can Anyone Confirm This?

[Guest Prosis]

So I was on Wikipedia and I was reading about MG and I stumbled upon this:

 

Good eventually channeled the emotional turmoil into his next album, 2007's Hospital Music. The album included thinly-veiled allusions to his divorce ("I'm Not Safer Than a Bank" and "She's in It for the Money") as well as darker subjects, such as Good's close friend losing his father to cancer ("99% of Us Is Failure").

 

Does anyone know if 99% really is about Rod's father?

[AnOceanPearl]

He may have said it in a blog post, but I definitely do remember him saying it was about Rod's father from one of the bootlegs of the Nothing to Hide tour.

[little miss sunshine]

It was pretty obvious that it was about SOMEONE who died of cancer, right?

 

Edit: spelling. And I'm not trying to be a bitch, but is it just the issue of who it's about?

Edited July 4, 2008 by little miss sunshine

[Peter]

He actually talked about this prior to playing the song at Massey Hall back in October. He said:

 

"this next song is about a friend who has had cervical cancer for many years now and my best friend, who's father was diagnosed with cancer, and later passed away.. and when we were making the record his mom was diagnosed with cancer...i wrote this song about them"

Edited July 4, 2008 by Peter

[Ravenous megin-sane]

yeah, what he said

[The Truffle Pig]

one of the few time i can say Wikipedia it totally accurate

[Computer]

He actually talked about this prior to playing the song at Massey Hall back in October. He said:

 

"this next song is about a friend who has had cervical cancer for many years now and my best friend, who's father was diagnosed with cancer, and later passed away.. and when we were making the record his mom was diagnosed with cancer...i wrote this song about them"

word,

 

 

easily the most amazing night of my life

[Guest Prosis]

one of the few time i can say Wikipedia it totally accurate

Which is why I checked

 

Well I didn't know that, thanks! :angry:

 

And Beth: Some lines made me think it was about him being in the Hospital and some made me think it was about the band:

 

-When we were young and hit like hammers

-When 99% of us is failure (us as in the band)

 

So, yeah there you go! ;)

[T-Lee]

Prosis, this song has been in my head all morning since reading your original post.. I'd let it go for a while, but now I'm back to analizing it.

 

so, I'm not the only one who has their own analogies.

 

When I read the album was inspired by his divorce, I immediately had it in my head that every song was about divorce. So everytime I heard a song, I would twist it into my own meaning relating to divorce, I guess you could say.

 

Even Devil's in your details... I thought that one was about better days with the ex.

 

99% in the first lines, I thought "I know that it's bad, that it's the kind that they can't operate on" meant "I know our marriage is bad and it can't be fixed, it's dead".. yah huh...... so, Thank you for finally sheading some lights on this, because I always wondered that...

 

I'm still on the hit like hammers line....... and write the nails in your hands..... man, what does that mean?

 

It's amazing what you can come up with.

[Guest Prosis]

Well my point exactly! ;)

[T-Lee]

yeppers, oh I could go on..

 

and on

 

and on

 

"I know it's real slow, painful and slow", I thought was about him being diagnosed with bipolar and being in the hospital (styrafoam coffee cups) and her not being supportive and felt the whole thing was moving too slow for her, so she bailed.

 

yep, I could go on..

 

Man, he gets right into my soul......

[The Truffle Pig]

You know... A lot of performers, including Matt, won't give out the inspiration for their songs. They do this so we can each have our own opinion/view of what it is about. I like to think that one song could have 1000's of meanings, depending on the listener.

 

I think Matt talks about the basis of this particular song to show his support for family and friends.

[MissEmily]

I actually found out about the true story behind the song quite a while back, but I still have my own interpretation that I personally like to hold on to. When I first sat down and dissected it, I thought he was talking strictly about his diagnosis with depression. Not about the events leading up to it, just the pain and just the confirmation that it's OK to let the pain take it's course - as opposed to trying to get over it ASAP.

 

Of course, after finding out about his friend's story, my perspective changed drastically when I realize he wasn't talking about his experiences at all. However, when it all boils down to it, he's still talking about personal pain. Whether it's feeling completely helpless that you cannot help your loved one, or feeling completely helpless period, it's pain none the less, and it's OK to let it take it's course.

 

So happy he played it both times he came to Sarnia this year. ;)

[T-Lee]

You know... A lot of performers, including Matt, won't give out the inspiration for their songs.  They do this so we can each have our own opinion/view of what it is about.  I like to think that one song could have 1000's of meanings, depending on the listener.

 

I think Matt talks about the basis of this particular song to show his support for family and friends.

You're right, and it's probably not fair that I keep saying what I thought the song was really about...

 

Now, I will listen to the song completely different..

 

I did not know he said what the song was about, until now.

 

Thank you.

 

p.s. Miss Emily, to sum up all my assumptions, that is pretty much exactly what I thought it centered on.. Was his depression. .. and that it's the kind they can't operate on.. Because in reality, they can't, I guess... anyhow, sorry, there I go again.....

Edited July 4, 2008 by T-Lee

[RicardoObviouso]

I know that it's bad

That it's the kind that they can't operate on

And I know it's real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

Styrofoam coffee cups

And bagged drugs that never work enough

And I know its real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

 

 

so obviously about cancer

[Computer]

or herpes

[RicardoObviouso]

are they painful?

[Computer]

yes, very

[somnambulist]

I thought it being about cancer was pretty certain from the first time we heard the demo.

 

Who knew.

[RicardoObviouso]

yes, very

stay away from YOU!

[Guest Prosis]

I know that it's bad

That it's the kind that they can't operate on

And I know it's real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

Styrofoam coffee cups

And bagged drugs that never work enough

And I know its real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

 

 

so obviously about cancer

It's like soooooe obvious, like you know whatever

 

I never read the lyrics though, I always thought it was "back drugs"

[little miss sunshine]

I think my own experiences (and the fact that I always focus on lyrics) led me to believe right away, without a doubt, that it was about cancer.

 

I had never heard any demos, the first time I heard it was the day I bought the CD. The song resonated so much with me and seemed to tell my story of losing my grandmother to cancer, that I was in tears with the last few lines and honestly, turned off the CD and couldn't listen to it for months.

 

Cancer sucks and all, but my Gram was 80 so it's not like her passing away wasn't unexpected or anything. For me it was the fact that it was my Mother's Mom, who had lived with us for 17 years and my Mom had only passed away 9 months prior. Plus, from diagnosis to her death was about 3 weeks. Moral of the story, for Beth, the song just made sense.

[Curtster]

I just assumed it was about terminal disease in general, I kind of thought it was about cancer because I know in his interview on The Hour I think he talked about all the people close to him who had been affected by cancer. But as it was said earlier, there is nothing wrong with interpreting lyrics differently to mean something else to you.

 

I thought it was "bad" drugs, I guess it is "bagged".

[MissEmily]

I know that it's bad

That it's the kind that they can't operate on

And I know it's real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

Styrofoam coffee cups

And bagged drugs that never work enough

And I know its real slow, honey

Painful and real slow

 

 

so obviously about cancer

I always thought the lyric about bagged drugs steamed from how he mentioned that he flew out on tour with a bag of pills in his entry about how he eventually ended up at the hospital. As for the lyric about Styrofoam coffee cups, I thought it was a detail of his hospital admission. I wouldn't know it could be anything else as I have never been admitted to the hospital for my illness, nor have I really had anyone really close die of cancer (knock on wood).

[Guest Prosis]

I just assumed it was about terminal disease in general, I kind of thought it was about cancer because I know in his interview on The Hour I think he talked about all the people close to him who had been affected by cancer. But as it was said earlier, there is nothing wrong with interpreting lyrics differently to mean something else to you.

 

I thought it was "bad" drugs, I guess it is "bagged".

I thought it was "back drugs" because of Matt's back problems.