Lyrics
there must be something that we can eat
maybe find ‘nother lover
should i fly to los angeles
find my asshole brother
mickey mouse has grown up a cow
dave’s on sale again
we kissy kiss in the rear view
we’re so bored
you’re to blame
try to see it once my way
everything zen
everything zen
i don’t think so
raindogs howl for the century
a million dollars a steak
as you search for your demi-god
and you fake with a saint
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your violence
everything zen
everything zen
i don’t believe that elvis is dead, yeah
i don’t believe that elvis is dead
i don’t believe that elvis is dead, yeah
i don’t believe that elvis is, elvis is
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your violence
there’s no sex in your vi—’lence
try to see it once my way
everything zen
everything zen
i don’t think so
zen
zen
ooh, i don’t think so
mm, i don’t think so
uh, i don’t think so
shit, uh
About The Song
wtf does that word mean?:
zen [n.] a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation
demigod [n.] a mythological being with more power than a mortal but less than a god
Band Thoughts:
‘I don’t believe that Elvis is dead’…”it’s the only optimistic statement in a song about disillusionment.”- Gavin
‘Especially because as a song, it’s a statement of intent.’- Gavin (speaking about the line ‘there’s no sex in your violence’)
‘That was about all the infiltration of Britpop and mentioning Minnie Mouse is obviously a reference to David Bowie. …..That’s what the ‘kissy kiss’ part refers to – Suede and Bowie really getting on, being mates, and Bowie going ‘and it’s just amazing how advanced your songs are for your first record’.'- Gavin
‘a bit rocky’- Nigel
“Everything Zen because it started the ball rolling.”- Nigel (speaking about his favorite song off of Sixteen Stone)
“‘Everything Zen’ and ‘Little Things’ are one style–very much in the Keith Moon vein. I wanted open cymbal sounds.”- Robin
from an interview:
interviewer: I know “Everything Zen” has been out for a while’ Gavin, you sing “I don’t believe that Elvis is dead.” Well, what do you think happened to him and where is he now?
Gavin: Well, it wasn’t meant literally. (laughs) He’s in Idaho.
Robin: He’s in Idaho.
Gavin: No, it was more meant as the spirit of him. Which, of course, is alive and well.
“I had one song (”Everything Zen”) that had little things, which was Pixies via Nirvana. It was that thing P.J. Harvey had, that generic grunge rhythm. But then to have a flood over the whole (expletive) rest of the other songs, it was like, absurd. There’s much more to it than that one song. The other thing is, there’s nothing wrong with having bits of people (in your music). I hear bits of us in bands now.”- Gavin
“I met Goldie a couple of times and Tricky I knew from before we went to America. When we played Subteranea in London, he came backstage and he was going mad about that line in ‘Everything Zen’ – ‘there’s no sex in your violence’. He loved it.”- Gavin
“Some songs are just still relevant.’- Gavin
“Someone had just blown my heart up….and I thought my life was becoming too safe in England. ‘Everything Zen’ is about personal headspace and people relate to that. There’s no bravado in our lyrics. Like Gangsta Rap was about a certain way of treating women. Cock Rock was about f**king groupies and doing bad coke.” – Gavin
“The whole song Zen is very ironic and full of its own natural confusion. It’s a jump start song, not a clear train of thought.”-Gavin
Staff Thoughts:
“It’s timeless.Just a beginning.”- Laura
“Everybody talks about Machinehead being the song that gets people pumped. Really, EZ does it for me. Nigel’s slide guitar is unstoppable!!!”-Brandyn
Fan Thoughts:
‘There’s no sex in your violence’- nice twist!’ – Lydia Lunch
