Drops Of Jupiter

by Train

1.
Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey

Chorus 1
Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated
Chorus 2
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

2.
Now that she's back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey

Now that she's back in the atmosphere
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Chorus 3
Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
Chorus 4
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

3.
Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

[Repeat Chorus 3]
[Repeat Chorus 1]

Vocabulary Aids

Tropfen vom Jupiter

von Train

Deutsche Übersetzung © von Volker Pöhls

1.
Wieder eingetaucht in die Atmosphäre
mit Tropfen von Jupiter im Haar
benimmt sie sich wie der Sommer und geht wie der Regen
erinnert mich, dass es Zeit für Veränderung gibt.
Seit ihrer Rückkehr vom Mond
hört sie zu wie der Frühling und spricht wie der Juni

Refrain 1
Sag mal, bist du über die Sonne gesegelt?
Hast du es bis zur Milchstraße geschafft?
Hast du gesehen, wie die Lichter schwächer wurden
und dass der Himmel überbewertet wird?
Refrain 2
Sag mal, bist du einer Sternschnuppe/einem Senkrechtstarter verfallen,
einem ohne eine dauerhafte Narbe?
Und hast du micht vermisst, als du da draußen dich selbst gesucht hast?

2.
Jetzt, wo sie wieder von ihrem Urlaub für die Seele zurück ist
und ihren Weg durch die Sternzeichen nachverfolgt
befasst sie sich mit Mozart und macht Tae-bo.
Das zeigt mir: Es gibt Raum zum Wachsen!
Jetzt, wo sie wieder in der Atmosphäre ist,
fürchte ich, dass sie mich für einen alten Simpel hält.
Sie hat eine Geschichte erzählt von einem Mann,
der aus Angst vorm Fliegen niemals gelandet ist.

Refrain 3
Sag mal, hat dich der Wind umgeweht?
Hast du jetzt endlich mal die Chance gehabt, bis Tagesanbruch durchzutanzen
und dann zurück zur Milchstraße zu kommen?
Refrain 4
Sag mal, hat Venus dich um den Verstand gebracht?
War das alles, wonach du gesucht hast?
Und hast du mich vermisst, als du da draußen dich selbst gesucht hast?

3.
Kannst du dir das vorstellen: keine Liebe, Stolz, Tiefkühlhähnchen
dein bester Freund, der immer zu dir hält, auch wenn ich weiß, dass du im Unrecht bist
Kannst du dir das vorstellen: kein erster Tanz, gefriergetrocknete Romantik, fünf Stunden lang telefonieren
Den besten Sojamilchespresso, den du je erlebt hast . . . und mich

Talking Points

1. Summarize: What is the song all about?
2. Try to explain the metaphors. What do they stand for?
3. Try to reveal the secret double meanings behind expressions such as "fall for a shooting star", "Milky Way to see the lights all faded" etc.
4. Describe the relationship between the "I" and the woman!
5. Try to describe a) the man and b) the woman based upon the details mentioned in the lyrics.
6. Why did she leave him? [He is too plain, afraid to fly, she fell for a shooting star, was looking for herself, took a soul vacation]
7. Has anything changed after her return? What have the two learnt from their separation? [There's time to change, There's room to grow]
8. Do you think that their relationship has a second chance? Suppose there was a saying such as "You cannot mend a broken relationship" would you disagree?
9. In the last stanza the "I" enumerates his quallities. Do you believe that this is enough for a renewed and stable relationship?
10. Do you detect traces of reproaches and ridicule between the lines? Is that an appropriate reaction?
11. Does/should the man ask himself if he has made mistakes?
12. Writing assignments:
    1. What would the "I"'s best friend advise him to do?
    2. How would the woman react to the lyrics?
13. If Jupiter represents a lover she met, what could be the significance of the "drops"?
14. "Did Venus blow your mind" If Venus stands for a woman, can this be read as an allusion to a lesbian affair?
15. Try to interpret the lyrics as a science fiction story about a woman who travelled through space.
16. Wie beurteilen Sie Bertram Quadts Übersetzung von a) "Did you fall for a shooting star" mit "Bist du von einer perfekten Sternschnuppe runtergefallen" und b) "soy latte" mit "Sojamilch"?
17. Comment on "Drops of Jupiter is a rare and superb piece of poetry"!
18. There are other ways of reacting to a partner's fooling around with other partners: "Hey Joe" (Jimi Hendrix), "Was soll das" (Herbert Grönemeyer), "It Wasn't Me" (Shaggy), "Strong Enough" (Cher)
19. Some people say that the author of the words is the one who can explain the meaning of the lyrics the best. Do you agree?
20. In an interview Pat Monahan, the author of "Drops of Jupiter", said that the song was written after his beloved mother had died of cancer in December 1998. When writing the song his idea was: "What if no one ever really leaves. You're here, but different. The idea was: She's back - here in the atmosphere." Interpret the lyrics in the light of this statement!
21. Would you say that the idea that heaven is to be located in outer space is kind of naive?
22. Do you think that a son-revenant mother-story would have been as successful as "Drops of Jupiter" turned out to be?
23. Do you know any works of art that deal with a) revenants = dead people who return b) dead persons who live in a parallel world? [e.g. films:"Heaven Can Wait", "Ghost - Nachricht von Sam", books: "Les Jeux Sont Faits". Check out wikipedia on "Revenant (folklore)" and "Revenant (fiction)"!]
24. How do you like the fact that "Drops of Jupiter" is so enigmatic and ambiguous?