Apr 262012
In honor of the 18 years in the making “breaking news” regarding Joe Walsh‘s sobriety, let us conduct a Last Man Standing on songs about sobriety. Remember, especially considering this contest’s theme, don’t bogart the thread! Please limit yourself to one entry per post. Thank you.
Iggy Pop – “Lust For Life”
“I’m worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I’m through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With the liquor and drugs
With the liquor and drugs”
“The No No Song” by Ringo Starr
“I’m Straight,” The Modern Lovers
“Alcohol,” The Kinks
Slaid Cleaves — Drinkin’ Days
He names some great bars in this, if you’ve never heard it, I invite you to give it a listen.
http://youtu.be/8koS9tHo2i4
“My drinking days are over
No more nights at the Carousel
My buddies say their gonna miss me
They can go to hell
I never knew what time it was
Til closing time came round
My drinking days are over
But I’m still troublebound”
“The Christian Life,” The Byrds (but the Louvin Brothers first, right?)
Ferlin Husky – The Drunken Driver
“Friends there’s somethin’ been hauntin’ me and I just got to tell you bout it
I saw an accident one day that would chill the heart of any man
And teach them not to drink a drop while the steering wheel’s in their hand”
Dion (and later, Mott the Hoople), “Your Own Back Yard”
John Hiatt – “Stood Up” (I think Nick Lowe played bass on the original studio version of this):
“Now they gave last call for alcohol
And no one has to carry me home
You see I only work here now man
My drinking days are long gone
I couldn’t stand up after one, no
‘Til twenty had me down on the floor
Now the first one doesn’t get me
Even though I’m still the last one out the door”
“Sad memories I can’t recall…”
“Got to Give It Up” Thin Lizzy. I’m not sure Lynott is sober yet, but he’s thinking about it.
“Life By The Drop” – SRV
aloha
LD
“I won’t ever go drinking again” – Squeeze
“The Twelve Steps”-Spiritualized
“Dope Smokin Moron” – Replacements
Lou’s “New Sensations” is all about enjoying the clean & sober life.
“Clean” Depeche Mode. I don’t think sobriety took for Dave Gahan either.
Pete/Who, “However Much I Booze.” Longing for sobriety but not there.
Knock Me Down – Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a somewhat cautionary tale. Been there, don’t do that.
Lou Reed’s “Underneath the Bottle” falls into this subcategory as well.
John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” – the painful struggle to get clean.
Hem: “When I Was Drinking”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZw3rBiDOGI
Modern Lovers (again) – She Cracked
“Wake Up Alone” has the line “I clean around the house / at least I’m not drinking”. Sorry, Amy Winehouse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70B6jci4lLM
I love Kristin Hersh and she has had a public battle with mental illness, substances and attempts to steady her life. This song does double duty: it’s a chronicle of a crackpot (but not crazy enough to make it to tonight’s SNSI) and her attempt to clean up her act. Here’s a live version of “Listerine.”
And Afroman’s “Because I Got High”…maybe…sorta.
Flipside of the longing for insobriety, “Sunday Morning Coming Down”.
Elliott Smith – “Twilight”:
“You don’t deserve to be lonely
But those drugs you’ve got won’t make you feel better
Pretty soon you’ll find it’s the only
Little part of your life you’re keeping together”
I used to see Throwing Muses, back when they only had self-released EP and cassette out, at a tiny bar (Johnny D’s) down the street from where I lived in Allston, MA. I remember liking them at that point, but I’d stopped paying attention by the time they released an album (maybe moving to New York had something to do with it, I dunno…). Anyway, this (and the handful of other tunes I just listened to on YT) sound pretty damn good to me, so, thanks for the reminder!
Detox Mansion – Warren Zevon
“Well, it’s tough to be somebody
And it’s hard not to fall apart
Up here on Rehab Mountain
We gonna learn these things by heart”
Minor Threat – “Straight Edge” (What a buncha killjoys!)
I would highly recommend K. Hirsh’s solo stuff.
Mr. Royale also used to see the TM’s and the Pixies back when they they regularly played The Rat. Maybe you were there?
Procol Harum — “Whiskey Train”
Ain’t gonna ride that whiskey train
Ain’t gonna burn up no more flame
Throw away my bottle down the drain
The Pogues…..Nah, I was just kiddin’..
I may have seen them there, too (I spent plenty of time in the place), I can’t really remember. I do have specific memories of seeing them several times at Johnny D’s on Franklin St. in Allston. They used to move the pool table aside at night to make room for bands. The Rat was ritzy in comparison.
Charlie Rich, Sittin’ and Thinkin’
If I didn’t spend so much time… sittin’ and drinkin’.
We’d still have a love that we once knew.
Oh, I won’t promise the same thing won’t happen again.
But I can promise, it’ll be a long, long time till then.
‘Cause when I’m drinkin’ I am nobody’s friend.
But, please baby wait for me until they let me out again.
Paul Revere and the Raiders — “Kicks”
“Don’t mess with a needle or a spoon or any trip to the moon…” Lynyrd Skynyrd.
“Bottle of Wine” — The Fireballs