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The National – I Need My Girl Lyrics 1 year ago
It is about being on tour... missing his wife and family.
The "Forty Five Percenter" line refers to the fact he has been around less than half the time due to either touring or recording.
Most of it is fighting all the temptations on tour. Booze, babes, drugs and whatever else but he is grounded... when it gets to much "he calls her from the party" to bring him back down to ground from the highs of the gig and after party.
A sweet and simple song
People read too much into lyrics some times.

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The National – Don't Swallow the Cap Lyrics 1 year ago
I always assumed it was about his rampant alcoholism back in the beginning when the band got big... he would do a gig, get wrecked, wake up somewhere and be filled with dread, anxiety and depression... then get home and have to explain himself AGAIN to "the girls" (wife and daughter) who always understood and forgave him.
The bubbles is a reference to the old comic adage of a drunk
The "don't swallow the cap" is meaning "keep it under control..."

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