Jump to content

pasalaska

Recommended Posts

Song of the Week this week is the sombre Rotting, originally released in 1997 as a b-side to the Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) single, but better known as track 11 off 2002’s b-side compilation album Shenanigans.

Looking at the lyrics, it’s unclear whether the narrator of Rotting is actually physically dying, or if they’re just at such an emotional low that it feels like they’re falling apart and “rotting inside”. Billie’s unusually low pitch in Rotting just adds to the dark, sombre lyrical content of the song. Musically however, Rotting gives off a lazy, surf-rock (not dissimilar to Last Ride In) sort of feel, which somehow doesn’t quite gel with the mood of the lyrics and vocals of the song.

Sadly there doesn’t appear to be any live recordings of Rotting out there, so here’s the studio version for your listening pleasure:

Lyrics:

I'm rotting inside

My flesh turns to dust

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

I'm so sick to death

Tumours in my head

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

Black rose of death

In my fist I clutch

Thorns shred my finger tips

And drips toxic blood

Kiss me one last time

Wipe off my sweat

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

As my bones they rust

Read vows of trust

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

Black rose of death

In my fist I clutch

Thorns shred my finger tips

And drips toxic blood

I'm rotting inside

My flesh turns to dust

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

Kiss me one last time

Wipe off my sweat

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

Whisper “are you dying?” in my ear

*********************************************************************************************************

You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the SotW Nominations and Archive thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week in its first post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 35
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hmm, not the biggest fan of this song, it just makes me sad :/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though I don't really like these lyrics, the melody of this song is just too awesome not to love it! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything is perfect in this song, in the way that is named "Rotting", Billie Joe actually sings like if he were dying and the lyric is so depressing... for that is not of my favorites but I really enjoy the melody, it's beautiful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Decribes my life so much right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love this song, it's probably one of my favorite Green Day songs!

I want to say something cool and interpret the lyrics like a damn analyst, but pasalaska, you did a pretty good job about it. ._.

Thanks for taking my request, though :3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This song could have been really good, but I feel like something is missing. I can't seem to figure out what though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great song, I love how Billie's voice sounds in it. And as with every Green Day song, the melody is awesome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I REALLY love this song. The lyrics, the way he sings it, the melody, EVERYTHING.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This song always make me sad, I like it but at the end I always end up thinking "Would somebody hold me and whisper me if I was so close to death?" I don't know why I think that, but it's always happened to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Such a great song. The lyrics seem so deep to me and the melody is gorgeous, I love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must say, this isn't one of my favourites. I think it might have something to do with Billie Joe's voice in this song, I'm just not used to him singing as low. I think it IS a pretty interesting track though, since both Billie Joe's singing and the instrumental music seem pretty different from what Green Day was doing around that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Billie's deep vocals on this song, and the actual music though I don't listen to this that much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm... not completely crazy about this song. Very dark. Very different from what I'm used to hearing from Green Day, even from their slow songs. I guess my problem with this song is that I feel nothing. The lyrics are so morbid, yet the music doesn't really show that emotion I'm used to hearing from a Green Day song, where every element is in sync, so it leaves me feeling empty and unemotional and indifferent to it. Not one of their best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a cool song. Billie's voice is interesting, he doesn't usually sing that low. The melody and everything is just beautiful. It's always been a favorite of mine on guitar. I love that intro :wub:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It took me a while to like this song, and hell, all of Shenanigans. Its just an album I didnt have much interest in until like a couple months ago. Good song though, not my favorite, but good song.

This song could have been really good, but I feel like something is missing. I can't seem to figure out what though.

I think its missing the hard rocking chorus that we are used to hearing. Like in Whatsername, its all soft, but once the chorus hits, the song is at full rock. You can also say this for songs like Last of the American Girls and Prosthetic Head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love this song just so much. Really helped me through a lot of hard times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its missing the hard rocking chorus that we are used to hearing. Like in Whatsername, its all soft, but once the chorus hits, the song is at full rock. You can also say this for songs like Last of the American Girls and Prosthetic Head.

Yes. I think that pretty much could be it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. I think that pretty much could be it.

The song is a slow, deep, rocking monotone. What I mean by that is you can hear songs like Macy's Day Parade and Last Night On Earth and the chords are simple and repetitive throughout. But the song just doesnt have the transition from those dark verses to the rocking chorus were used to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always felt this song seemed a bit out of place for GD. Billie is an amazing lyricist but for me these lyrics leave a lot to be desired. I especially dislike the "black rose of death" line. It feels a bit cheesy. That being said, I have always enjoyed the sound of the songso I do listen to it, I just sort of ignore the lyrics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...