WRITTEN:
In Spring of 1986 by Perry and Dave.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
From a WB press release regarding the Kettle Whistle album...
Perkins said that the album will contain three other never-before-officially-available songs from Jane's, some of which were performed a few times in concert, but never officially released. One of these tracks is "Slow Divers," which, according to Perkins, "is a very psychadelic song. Dave is on keyboard, Eric's on acoustic guitar, I'm on bongos and Perry's singing. This was the song we opened up with when we did the show at the Roxy in '87 to record our first live record for Triple X. The track didn't make it onto the record, but we said we'd save it for another record, and I guess this new record is the record we were saving it for."
LIVE:
Played a few times in late 1986 and early 1987.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
* Studio overdubs were done to the original live recording for release on Kettle Whistle.
They were...
- Dave recorded another track of acoustic guitar.
- Flea recorded a bass track.
- Stephen did some additional percussion.
- Effects/samples were added near the end.
- Perry added some backing vocals near the end.
LYRICS:
She said, "Do you think you could?"
I said, "Yeah, any second..."
I'm sitting by a waterfall
And when the people jump in
They hold their nose
And kiss these walls
Granite walls, water-polished walls
Just don't ever want to move from this spot
You can sit here for so long!
There's a slide, suislide
You can live or die
Going up, going down
A boy came to the side
I said, "You want to go down that slide,"
He said, "No man, hey, you got a joint to sell me?"
We just smoked one, we got a roach we said...
"I'll smoke the roach!"
But first go down that slide, man, go on down
Go on down, go down...
I'm sitting by a waterfall
Could bear to watch the people slip and fall
You know the plants on the rocks are crazy
Thinking that they could start a life on the spiral walls of a waterfall
Slow divers?
Their view is spectacular!
NOTES ON LYRICS:
* Perry sometimes sang "some dope" instead of "a joint."
FAN INTERPRETATIONS:
From John M.--
"she said do you think you could?..and i said yeah in a second.. i am sitting by a waterfall and when the people jump in they hold their nose and kiss these walls granite walls, water polished walls."
= someone asked if the person had started feeling the full effects of the heroin..if he had started going 'down'...into pleasure..the guy on heroin
replys..it will hit any second..he'll start feeling it hardcore..when a person starts feeling the effects of heroin..everything is beautiful..and it is like diving into a pool..though the water rushes up your nose in a pool you do it for the pleasure anyway..heroin users 'hold their nose'..because like pool water..the heroin engulfs your whole body..and causes 'pain'
"just dont want to ever move from this spot...you can sit here for so long!..theres a slide, suislide,you can live or die..going down,going down,go down!..boy came to the slide..i said you wanna go down that slide? ..he said no man,hey you got a joint to sell me?..we just smoked one.. we got a roache we said..i'll smoke the roache!..but first go down that slide man..go on down!..go on down!..go on down!.."
= after taking the heroin..you dont want the 'top' feeling to end.. you want to be able to have the whole night of heroin to look forward to... it is the best at the top of the 'slide' with the great 'journey' or heroin to look forward to.. the slide is when you start getting deeper into the heroin.. you can live or die.. an inexperienced person was doing heroin (boy).. they asked him if he wanted to start feeling the 'real' effects of heroin yet.. he said 'no'.. he wanted a joint.. but they just smoked one..(marijuana makes the heroin last much much longer..it brought perry and his friends..back to the top of the slide).. but they had a roach.. and the boy still wanted it.. perry and his friends.. told the boy to go down the slide.. and when the heroin starts to wear off a little.. then smoke the roache.. and it will bring you back up the 'slide'.
"i am sitting by a waterfall.. could bear to watch the people slip and fall"
= i am started the heroin effects..and,,i dont care about the other people..or anything..
"you know the plants on the rocks are crazy.. thinking that they could start a life.. on the spiral walls of a waterfall.."
= people who do heroin..are crazy if they think they can life a normal life..
"slow divers?.. their view is spectacular!"
= for those who have the heroin last longer in their system naturally or.. (even by smoking a joint)... their view is spectacular..