Anyone wanna tell me what exactly this song is about? I got a general idea but I'm thrown by the chorus as I don't understand it all. What a great song.

I've had this album since late last year and I still haven't listened to the whole thing yet.

Any ideas Super?

I'm trying to figure out if it's a positive song or not.

what happened to her,btw? nice song though.

i think the song is about a message and how ppl. want to interefere it for their better.

Supernova said:

I think you' re missing something my friend !

One of the best songs to come out in a long time.

ChimChimBadass said:

I know, I know. I've just bought so many cd's over the past few months that sometimes it takes awhile to get to a certain one.

Lately I've been intermittenly stuck on In Search Of by N.E.R.D... and Funkadelic's Hardcore Jollies remastered cd. Lyrically (NERD) it's sophomoric and unclever, but I love the way it's arranged musically.

I'll listen to it today uninterrupted, Organgrinder.

I really really realllyyy love this song. It's fantastic. It will be even more fantastic once I know the meaning. Is there a term called "They say Visions"?

Supernova said:

LOL! I was about to post the same thing. I gotta figure out where it put it and dig it out. I remember liking what little I listened to.

subyduby said:

She gave a free concert at the Key Club in Hollywood. I was in attendance, it was in late June sponsored by the Steve Madden shoe company. It was a great show, she performed every song from her album, plus for her encore she sung a rendition of AC/DC's "Back In Black." She's still around touring and rallying up support and what-not. She's working on her new album and I think she might be leaving her current record company.
[This message was edited Thu Aug 22 22:34:39 PDT 2002 by JANFAN4L]

JANFAN4L said:

Wholy, Holy!!! Back In Black??? The woman has cajones!

subyduby said:

Not surprising.
Her label didn't seem to give her a good promo.

She had to cancel a show in SF last winter. I was really bummed. Is she opening for anybody or doing her own headlining tour? I would love to see her. I need to listen to The Say Visions like a dozen times straight to see if I have a clue. At first I thought it had to do with taking what somebody says as the truth and not knowing for yourself. I don't know. haha! Analyzing lyrics was never my strong suit. Way too many peeps slept on this cd. Great beats, not the same mess you hear on the radio these days, and good vocalist. Her cd is worth the price, altho I lucked out and caught in on sale for under $8 last year.

She should've offered that song to Stevie Nicks.

Perfect fit. She would've gotten more recognition before she released her own CD.

I wanna try that pill that people take
Make you believe all the things that people say
Sick of shuckin around with a screwed up face with my heels dug in trying to leave a trace
now come on put me down somehow how you lose your (faith?)
So take my hand and lead me where you wanna

CHORUS X2
pay no more mind to what you think this game is as they do only, say what they say, cuz there' only one way. They say vision it takes you back to just where you want like when you (went ? ? ?)

(Industries?) down, think I've died and I've flown away, yeah
so so long to the peeps who came and took all the things (to stay?)
I play the joker sometimes but then those moments I've had my way, yeah yeah yeah
now comes for real, I'll give my soul away give it all away
so take my hand and lead me where you wanna

CHORUS X2
pay no more mind to what you think this game is as they do only, say what they say, cuz there' only one way. They say vision it takes you back to just where you want like when you (went ? ? ?)

**This next part is sang together with vocals in the front and in the backround**
VOCALS IN FRONT
And if you think that you know, take a back road, take a back road. They got you where you want, they got ya
And if you think that you know, take a back road, take a back road. And if you think that you know that you know n-n-know
VOCALS IN BACKGROUND
I know there they all go find someplace where they don't mind or think about the way
They say Vision takes you back to there no concience, free from how you really feel.

CHORUS finishes out the song


Most of the lyrics are accurate. I have put in parenthesis lyrics I question. I still don't know what this song is about. I'm stuck on "They say Visions". Is this like believing a false reality based on the fake images people try and portray themselves as, hence Visions you have from the false things people say to make themselves look good? If so, this is a perfect song for all the LA fakers.

I believe it's They Say Vision. I believe the song is about thinking outside of the box in a society that tries to categorize. The opening lines make me believe that she is referring to not being able to conform to popular ways of thought. I think the chorus is clamoring that today there is only one way of thinking- recycled throughts. They say that vision (being perceptive, etc. being a visionary, etc.) means returning to previous ideas. I'm not sure about it, but that's my interpretation, at least.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

these lyrics are reminding me of prince williams for some reason!!!...

now that i read the lyrics a few times, i believe the lyrics are really confusing, and a bit difficult. i think the song is a bit about giving in or be a hypocrite(sp?) becuase she says she wants to behave like the group who says their ways of life is great and that she should conform to their meothods in order to just live and not make any difference in life that can make her the best. the vision is where she wants to go so she can give it all up and say maybe this is the correct way to live and behave.

Gotta correct you on a few lyrics, Organgrinder. Your lyrics are almost 100% though. From the booklet inside the cd these are the printed lyrics:

I wanna try that pill that people take
Make you believe all the things that people say
Sick of shuckin' 'round with a screwed up face
With my heels dug in trying to leave a trace
Now come on put me down somehow
How you lose your faith (just take my hand and lead me where you wanna)

{CHORUS}
Pay no more mind to what you think you've seen
It's as they do only
Say what they say
'Cause there's only one way
They-say vision
It takes you back to just where you want
Like when you ain't know no way

Industry's down think I've died and I've flown away
So so long to them thieves who came and took all the things to say
I play the joker sometimes but then those moments slide back my way
'Cause forreal I'd give my soul away
Give it all away (so take my hand and lead me where you wanna)

{CHORUS}
Pay no more mind to what you think you've seen
It's as they do only
Say what they say
'Cause there's only one way
They-say vision
It takes you back to just where you want
Like when you ain't know no way

I know where they all go find someplace
Where they don't mind loafing about the waste
They-Say Vision takes you back to where no conscience
Free from how you really see
And if you think that you know
Take the back road
They got you where they want
They got you

{CHORUS}
Pay no more mind to what you think you've seen
It's as they do only
Say what they say
'Cause there's only one way
They-say vision
It takes you back to just where you want
Like when you ain't know no way

Repeat chorus

My interpretation is that for the protagonist it's easier to believe you have to be an everyday, programmed, working zombie, i.e. "I wanna take that pill that people take to make you believe all the things that people say" instead believing you can break free of that monotony and have a clear vision of your own life/career.

Which I think is why she says, "just take my hand and lead me where you wanna"...because doing what you want to do is a harder road than giving in to predictable jobs/careers. She wants to blaze a unique trail of her own ("With my heels dug in trying to leave a trace").

"They-say vision/It takes you back to just where you want" - sounds to me like she's saying if you have your own vision of your life that other people will tell you you'll eventually be unsuccessful and it will lead back to the life that you really want. And when she says she'd give her soul away, I think in this case it's specifically for the life that SHE wants, not necessarily selling out to The Man for that predictable life (in my interpretation that would defeat the purpose of the song).

It sounds to me like she's saying those who don't mind predictability for their livelihood and give in to less visionary ideals that they might have had are maybe loafing and wasting their God-given gifts by giving in so easily. "I know where they all go find someplace/Where they don't mind loafing about the waste."

In a nutshell, it reminds me of what I heard someone say years ago on TV; the hardest thing to do is to do what YOU WANT to do. I believe that's true in most cases if you really think about it.

Not that it's ultimately a more difficult life (in the beginning it might be), but that there are obstacles when you start out wanting to break that mold, instead of conforming to society's more mundane ways to make a living.

Feel me?

Wonderful interpretation, Supernova! I agree that there is a yearning to break conformity in the song. It definitely indicates a struggle to break away from the norm. The common "vision" of society is simply rehashed ideas and rehashed lives. As you said, breaking free to forge a life that you wish to lead will meet with struggle from those who want to marginalize everything. It really is an outstanding song.

I'm so glad I started this thread!!! Reading the correct lyrics set some things straight for me and SuperNova...you're a mad fucking genius for putting it the way you did. I now know exactly where this fits in my compilation cds.

I was trying to figure out the phrase "they say vision" but now I understand that it's not an actual phrase but just another way of stating her point.

*vision, they say, it takes you back to just where you want

OR as the song goes

*"They say, vision, it takes you back to just where you want"

and it is more clear now that the phrase "Like when you ain't know no way" is another way of saying that you will be like a baby or a clean slate, open and able to be born or created into the life you really want.

I LOVE THIS SONG!!! Thanks everyone for contributing.

Not to mention that this girl is a total fox! I know I'd be all over it if I were straight, hell I'd even love to look like her!

Moonbeam said:

Thanks Moon. I completely agree with ya.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Wow. Thanks, Organgrindah.


Precisely. It fits meter of the song the way the singer phrases it. It's also a good example as to why some song lyrics aren't conducive to being poetry (not to be confused with being inferior to poetry at all). Because when you see written lyrics on a page without hearing the song it may take on a different meaning once you hear it within the context of the song, because of the vocalist's inflections and phrasings.


That was a phrase that I couldn't figure out. Your interpretation makes sense. Good work.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Res or Supernova? hehehe

This was the sleeper song, and artist of the year. I think Prince slept on her too. She should have been at the Celebration, jazz theme or no. SFO, you got good ears.

Now, for fun, trip this:

Listen to Cool Love - Sheena Easton/Prince

In your minds ear memorize the outro "OOOHHH" over the vocals on CL, and sing it along with the outro to They Say Vision. If you DJ, mix it. If your a musician, play it. Beta than sex.

It matches the intro guitar on TSV note for note.

Damn I'm funky!

i got the cd when i heard the first single and video golden boys...i thought it was pretty good i didnt think anyone would ever pay attention to her