Hi all,
I'm not sure where the appropriate place to post this is, but I figure I'll start here...
I spend a lot of time listening to music, and a lot of time drinking. Often the two intersect, leaving me with a solid list of songs that I associate with boozing. So I thought it might be cool to start a thread in which we can list tunes that we relate to TSM - whether the songs are about drinking, redemption, addiction, alcoholics, Jack Kerouac or just songs you like to drink alone to...hell, post any great songs that you want to share with others on this forum (so I can tell all my friends that I found a new great band and steal the credit). At the very least, I figured this might be a fun distraction. I've no doubt many of you already have some good tunes in mind.
Okay? I'll go ahead and kick it off...
Song:
"All the Wine" by The National
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuD2U0NIohcLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858540524/Commentary: I love the imagery in the first verse of a man lit from behind by headlights, his shadow projected in front of him to form "a wingspan, unbelievable." I think "I'm a festival / I'm a parade" can relate to the feeling of elation the narrator gets from the overwhelming opiate rush, and while he may feel on top of the world in his short-circuited mind, he likely looks like a car wreck (perhaps literally) to everyone else.
Song:
"Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM0mjukDGRwLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/52001/Commentary: This track is the apex of Adams' masterpiece "Heartbreaker," an album that is often described as "the perfect drinking companion." Everything about this song - the harmonica, the brutal honestly, the details, the vulnerability...just an awesome track. I highly recommend checking out the entire album.
Song:
"Polar Opposites" by Modest Mouse
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvH6twZClMLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/32951/Commentary: "I'm trying to drink away the part of the day that I cannot sleep away." That's pretty self explanatory right there, and I think this describes someone in the depths of an epic bender...the seemingly unending cycle of drunkenness and alcohol-induced slumber. Been there. I like how the second verse is kinda nonsensical, perhaps suggesting that the protagonist cannot even form coherent thoughts at this point (and there is simply an instrumental interlude to close the track out...no words/thoughts at all).
Song:
"Women Without Whiskey" by Drive-By Truckers
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd906MTv92o (couldn't find the studio version - definitely check that one out, because Cooley struggles a bit with the vocals live)
Lyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858497628/Commentary: DBT have a lot of songs about boozing, but this one is my favorite (probably my favorite song of their entire catalog, actually). "Can you tell me when to tell when I've had enough?" A concept that is so easy for everyone else - "enough" - is something that we struggle so hard with. Indeed, whiskey is hard to beat.
Song:
"Let Her Cry" by Hootie and the Blowfish
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVHLL5egRY&ob=av3eLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/17013/Commentary: Yes, Hootie! (I'm switching the gears up a bit here) I think most people focus on Hootie's lighter fare and picture Darius Rucker fumbling passes from Dan Marino when they think of this band. "Let Her Cry" is an incredibly sad, dark song. I suspect that the protagonist's girl is a self-destructive alcoholic, and despite all that she does to herself and her man, he can't stop thinking about her and is willing to do just about anything to make her happy - he's prepared to let her walk away or welcome her back. Perhaps that's why those of us that who have families can still maintain them despite our all of our problems with the sauce. Under the crippling addiction, we're still lovable - even if it's just the pre-alcoholic memory of us that our families are thinking of. Musically, I think this song is f*cking perfect. Very underrated tune.
Song:
"Constructive Summer" by The Hold Steady
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daUyogS1wjMLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858723640/Commentary: Gotta give a shout out to a band from minneapolisnick's hometown. Alcohol and the people that consume it are pretty much Craig Finn's muses. He has a difficult voice to get past (kinda like a more nasally Springsteen), but if you can get around the rough edges, his lyrics are incredible (riddled with hyper-literate references, and he is excellent with storytelling and clever phrasing). "We are our only saviors." YES!
Song:
"Lived in Bars" by Cat Power
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVGgGW1ZalY&ob=av3eLyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858572156/Commentary: "There's nothing like living in a bottle / And nothing like ending it for all the world." Fellas, at the very least you should check out the YouTube video because Chan Marshall is easy on the eyes.
Song:
"Holocene" by Bon Iver
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OELyrics:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858869380/Commentary: I'm not that great with lyrics, especially ones as cryptic as these, but this track became one of my more recent go-to drinking songs. Something about the vibe, the busy drum brushes, Justin Vernon's layered falsetto vocals, the tiptoeing bassline...it's exactly what I wanted to hear after I had a few. If you've never heard "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, you need to get on that sh*t as well -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrMmr1oMPGAI can think of quite a few others, but I just wanted to get the dialogue going and I'm hoping others join in and post some tracks.
Get after it!
-Hesster
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