There's an old man on a city bus
Holding a candy cane
And it isn't even christmas.
He sees a note in the obituary
That his last friend has died.
There's an infant clinging to
His overweight mother in the cold
As they go to shop for cigarettes,
And she spends her last dollar
On a bottle of vodka for tonight.
And I guess it struck a nerve,
Like I had to squint my eyes,
You can never get out of the line of sight.
Like a barren winter day
Or a patch of unburned green,
Like a tragic real dream,
I guess it struck a nerve.
Every day I wander in negative disposition
As I'm bombarded by superlatives,
Realizing very well that I'm not alone.
Introverted, I look to tomorrow for salvation,
But I'm thinking altruistically
And a wave of overwhelming doubt
Turns me to stone.
And I guess it struck a nerve,
Sent a murmur through my heart,
We just haven't got time to crack the maze.
Like a magic speeding clock
Or a cancer in our cells,
A collision in the dark,
I guess it struck a nerve.
I try to close my eyes,
But I cannot ignore the stimuli.
If there's a purpose for us all,
It remains a secret to me,
Don't ask me to justify my life.
And I guess it struck a nerve,
Like I had to squint my eyes,
You can never get out of the line of sight.
Like a magic speeding clock
Or a cancer in our cells,
A collision in the dark,
I guess it struck a nerve.
I guess it struck a nerve...
Version | Length | Release | Catalog ID | Country | Format | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Album version | ||||||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | 12" | 2023 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Europe | 12" | 2023 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | 12" | 2023 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Europe | 12" | 2023 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | 12" | 2017 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | OXX 1048-1 | 107 366 | Brazil | CD | 2016 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420-1TBR | United States | 12" | 2015 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420-1 | United States | 12" | 2010 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420-1 | United States | 12" | 2009 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Russia | CD | 2007 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | CD | 2007 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Brazil | CD | 2005 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 82546-2 | United States | CD | 2004 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Brazil | CD | 1996 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | ESCA-6112 | Japan | CD | 1995 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | 12" | 1994 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Europe | CD | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 7 82546-4 | United States | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | CPT-1552 | South Korea | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Brazil | 12" | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 7 82546-2 | United States | CD | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420 | United States | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | MC | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | 12" | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | CD | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Europe | CD | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | CD | 1993 | ||
American Jesus | n/a | United States | MC | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | TM3 65818 | Argentina | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 02540-4 | United States | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Russia | MC | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Poland | MC | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | MJKE 6112 | Malaysia | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Indonesia | MC | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | MG2782 | Poland | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | TJK 205 | Thailand | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420 | United States | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | n/a | Malaysia | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 78 25464 | Canada | MC | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | ECD 65018 | Argentina | CD | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 86420 | Israel | CD | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | 6586-2 | Brazil | CD | 1993 | |
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Canada | CD | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | United States | CD | 1993 | ||
3:47 | Recipe For Hate | Russia | CD | 1993 | ||
Live | ||||||
3:36 | Tested | EPIT-69952 | Europe | CD | 2008 | |
3:36 | Tested | DRA 486986 1 | Germany | 2x12" | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | DRA 486986 2 | Germany | CD | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | Esca 6658 | Japan | CD | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | 486986-4 | Turkey | MC | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | DRA 486986 4 | 485019 4 | Poland | MC | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | DRA 486986 4 | Netherlands | MC | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | Germany | MC | 1997 | ||
3:36 | Tested | Russia | MC | 1997 | ||
3:36 | Tested | Spain | MC | 1997 | ||
3:36 | Tested | DRASAMPCD39522 | Germany | CD | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | 486986-2 | Australia | CD | 1997 | |
3:36 | Tested | 758.329 / 2-486986 | Brazil | CD | 1997 | |
Live @ KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, 12/10/1994 | ||||||
3:25 | Infected | DRA 661489 8 | Germany | CD | 1995 | |
3:26 | Infected | ESCA-6305 | Japan | CD | 1995 | |
3:26 | Infected | Japan | CD | 1995 | ||
Video | ||||||
Rock Video Monthly - December 1993 Heavy Metal Releases | United States | VHS | 1993 | |||
RockVideo Monthly - Alternative Releases November 1993 | United States | VHS | 1993 | |||
Progressivision: Fall 1993 | United States | VHS | 1993 | |||
Video live @ Palladium, 11/20/2004 | ||||||
Live At The Palladium | Brazil | DVD | 2009 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Japan | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Europe | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | United States | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | Australia | DVD | 2006 | |||
Live At The Palladium | H-716 | China | DVD | 2005 | ||
Not specified | ||||||
3:47 | Holiday Sampler | PRCD 8399 | United States | CD | 1997 | |
3:47 | Holiday Sampler | PRCD 8388 | United States | CD | 1997 | |
Against the Grain / Recipe for Hate | BYCD-019 | South Korea | CD | 1997 | ||
difu Cut | Disco 017 | Argentina | CD | 1994 | ||
Spew 4th | United States | MC | 1993 | |||
Spew 4th | United States | CD | 1993 | |||
Post Modern Parts | United States | CD | 1993 | |||
3:47 | Struck A Nerve | PRCD 5277-2 | United States | CD | 1993 |
Liang From North Carolina
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
I think it's another song with religious matter. The last stanza was the most important above all. The first 3 stanzas were telling a story of this sad society. Then it reflects that he tries to pretend that he didn't see all the sadness around the world, but inside of his heart he is still crying or feels extremely badly for the elderly and other. Then again, he put on this prospective view of god, if there really is a god who made us like that way, it will remain an secret to him, he will find that himself, or he will control his own destiny.
06/12/2006 at 03:22
I think it's another song with religious matter. The last stanza was the most important above all. The first 3 stanzas were telling a story of this sad society. Then it reflects that he tries to pretend that he didn't see all the sadness around the world, but inside of his heart he is still crying or feels extremely badly for the elderly and other. Then again, he put on this prospective view of god, if there really is a god who made us like that way, it will remain an secret to him, he will find that himself, or he will control his own destiny.
|
Cain
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
The first verse of this song is about the sadness and hopelessness of people (not just the poor) in the world and the lack of meaning in our lives. Greg mentions that he "looks to tomorrow for salvation" and then "a wave of overwhelming doubt" turns him to stone, meaning no way, there is no hope for tomorrow; it will be just like the present. At the end, all of the hurt and suffering doesn't allow Greg to close his eyes. The writer obviously doesn't have an answer as is said: "if there is purpose for us all, it remains a secret to me." They don't even know what they are living for: "don't ask me to justify my life." This is a song of seeing and realizing and then searching and coming empty handed with no answer just like many other things we question.
07/11/2004 at 17:22
The first verse of this song is about the sadness and hopelessness of people (not just the poor) in the world and the lack of meaning in our lives. Greg mentions that he "looks to tomorrow for salvation" and then "a wave of overwhelming doubt" turns him to stone, meaning no way, there is no hope for tomorrow; it will be just like the present. At the end, all of the hurt and suffering doesn't allow Greg to close his eyes. The writer obviously doesn't have an answer as is said: "if there is purpose for us all, it remains a secret to me." They don't even know what they are living for: "don't ask me to justify my life." This is a song of seeing and realizing and then searching and coming empty handed with no answer just like many other things we question.
|
Frogger
Guest
![]() ![]() Location: Global Citizen |
My opinion on this song is that Greg wrote about the effect of seeing poverty and apathy while walking on the streets and the such. That seems to be a recurring topic on this album. The lines: "there's an infant clinging to his overweight mother as they go to shop for cigarettes, and she spends her last dollar for a bottle of vodka for tonight" signify the lack of caring by the mother for her infant child, she doesn't care if he/she has to eat, she'll just get drunk and smoke, basically killing the child with second-hand smoke. Apathy right there.
The lines: "there's an old man on a city bus holding a candy cane, and it isn't even Christmas, he sees a note in the obituary that his last friend has died" show faithlessness in the old man. He's holding a candy cane, waiting for Christmas, and he finds out his last friend dies, leaving him with nothing to live for.
"And I guess it struck a nerve, like I had to squint my eyes, you can never get out of the line of sight" shows that no matter where you go, you see poverty and apathy, especially on city streets in good ol' U.S.of A.
07/11/2004 at 17:21
My opinion on this song is that Greg wrote about the effect of seeing poverty and apathy while walking on the streets and the such. That seems to be a recurring topic on this album. The lines: "there's an infant clinging to his overweight mother as they go to shop for cigarettes, and she spends her last dollar for a bottle of vodka for tonight" signify the lack of caring by the mother for her infant child, she doesn't care if he/she has to eat, she'll just get drunk and smoke, basically killing the child with second-hand smoke. Apathy right there.
The lines: "there's an old man on a city bus holding a candy cane, and it isn't even Christmas, he sees a note in the obituary that his last friend has died" show faithlessness in the old man. He's holding a candy cane, waiting for Christmas, and he finds out his last friend dies, leaving him with nothing to live for. "And I guess it struck a nerve, like I had to squint my eyes, you can never get out of the line of sight" shows that no matter where you go, you see poverty and apathy, especially on city streets in good ol' U.S.of A. |
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