Goin' On
Wayne's Notes from the Album:
"The core of the chorus melody has a melancholy resolution evoking, abstractly, sections of Mahler's 9th Symphony... We are, subconsciously I guess, drawn to 'the answer'... maybe that is why people have the urge to pray or sing or create... We long for this thing called 'closure,' but I believe that 'closure' is, maybe, an illusion. This song takes a long stare at coping and the secret healing powers of slipping through time and space... How suffering, somehow, is relieved by simple... acceptance..."
At the 30-second mark of "Goin' On" Steven's wristwatch can be heard chiming. A similar occurrence happened while recording "What Is The Light?" years earlier. In both cases, the Lips left the sound on the song.
"The core of the chorus melody has a melancholy resolution evoking, abstractly, sections of Mahler's 9th Symphony... We are, subconsciously I guess, drawn to 'the answer'... maybe that is why people have the urge to pray or sing or create... We long for this thing called 'closure,' but I believe that 'closure' is, maybe, an illusion. This song takes a long stare at coping and the secret healing powers of slipping through time and space... How suffering, somehow, is relieved by simple... acceptance..."
We hold our breath 'til the morning comes
And at last the sun shines through
But the night is hard that it seems impossible
What else can we do?
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Listen you'll hear it
We're getting near it
It's coming, I can feel it
'Cause i know you've gone away
Listen you'll hear it
We're getting near it
I know I really fear it
But we pretend it's just another day
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on
We tell ourselves it's all just normal
'Til the worst of it is gone
Then you give up,
And you get up,
And you just can't take it
How we keep goin' on
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Listen you'll hear it
(We're going away)
We're getting near it
(We're going away)
It's coming i can feel it
(We're going away)
'Cause I know you've gone away
Listen you'll hear it
(Another day)
We're getting near it
(Another day)
I know I really fear it
(Another day)
But I pretend it's just another day
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on
We're goin' on
And at last the sun shines through
But the night is hard that it seems impossible
What else can we do?
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Listen you'll hear it
We're getting near it
It's coming, I can feel it
'Cause i know you've gone away
We're getting near it
I know I really fear it
But we pretend it's just another day
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Goin' on
'Til the worst of it is gone
Then you give up,
And you get up,
And you just can't take it
How we keep goin' on
Goin' on (uh huh, uh huh)
Listen you'll hear it
(We're going away)
We're getting near it
(We're going away)
It's coming i can feel it
(We're going away)
'Cause I know you've gone away
(Another day)
We're getting near it
(Another day)
I know I really fear it
(Another day)
But I pretend it's just another day
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on
We're goin' on
Discography Appearances
Live
"Goin' On" has only been performed once for a radio show appearance on NPR's World Cafe.
| 04/21/2006 | USA | National Public Radio | World Cafe |