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(He'll Never Be an) Old Man River Lyrics
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I saw his body thrashing 'round
I saw his pulse rate going down
I saw him in convulsive throes
I said "I'll have one of those"
Hilary had
Hilary had
Hilary had it in his veins
Hilary had
Hilary had
Hilary had it in his veins
Hilary had Everest in his veins
Armstrong did moon was not the same
Heroes explore to give us hope
River pushed back the envelope
Drank the slab
Drank the slab
Drank the slab that Bon Scott drunk
Drank the slab
Drank the slab
Drank the slab that Bon Scott drunk
I drank the slab that Bon Scott drunk
I injected some of Hendrix's junk
I booked a seat on Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane
Mama Cass's sandwich I ate the same
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping
I need another celeb to fill my coffin
Where will I get my next drug action?
Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I saw his pulse rate going down
I saw him in convulsive throes
I said "I'll have one of those"
Hilary had
Hilary had it in his veins
Hilary had
Hilary had it in his veins
Armstrong did moon was not the same
Heroes explore to give us hope
River pushed back the envelope
Drank the slab
Drank the slab that Bon Scott drunk
Drank the slab
Drank the slab that Bon Scott drunk
I injected some of Hendrix's junk
I booked a seat on Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane
Mama Cass's sandwich I ate the same
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping
Now I'm bored
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping
I need another celeb to fill my coffin
Where will I get my next drug action?
Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
No one's had a stab at explaining the meaning? OK, I'll give it a go...
Rather than being about River Phoenix & drug overdoses as a superficial read might reveal, I think TISM are going a layer deeper here. I think they are poking fun at celebrity culture & the way people obsessively follow celebrity antics, exactly like it itself is a drug.
I think the following lines illustrate this best..
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping I need another celeb to fill my coffin Where will I get my next drug action? Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
The lines...
I need another celeb to fill my coffin Where will I get my next drug action?
...are particularly telling.
That's my take anyway. YMMV.
Cheers, TV
@tvsinesperanto Ironically MJ later died from a drug overdose
@tvsinesperanto Ironically MJ later died from a drug overdose
Now I'm bored and there's no stopping I need another celeb to fill my coffin Where will I get my next drug action? Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
... Chillingly prescient or what?
Yeah, tvsinesperanto is getting on it.
The song's about the fascination and addiction to celebrity deaths. The speaker's hooked on it, starting with River Phoenix. When he hits a slump and nobody's dying, all he can do is speculate in excitement about who's going to kick it next, whthere it be Michael Jackson or Ruddock, Phil.
The opening verse about the nature of River's death describes how horrifying death really is, with the following talking about Hillary and Armstrong's achievements being things that the average person SHOULD look up to over, say Lynrd Skynard's fiery death. At the end though, the line "River pushed back the envelope!" makes the entire song a direct criticism over reaction to River's death, which sparked the frenzy over the other deaths.
If you'd like to see just how much this criticism is grounded even today, please view the actual literal death of Michael Jackson and the events that superseded it.
tremendous
Could a band be more fistworhy than TISM? I think not.
WELL, I must correct the TITLE of this song!!! Tsk tsk. It is "HE'LL never be an (ol' man river)" Get it right!
@Filius Not according to any reliable sites I can find it referred to in this manner.
@Filius Not according to any reliable sites I can find it referred to in this manner.
Thank you for pointing that out in such a kind and polite way, Filius. Anyway, I have fixed it up now. I'd gone about ten years getting the title wrong!
That's a fucking excellent song.
Did anyone see when they did this song on the John Safran show? Classic!
Yes, using Greek instruments iirc
Yes, using Greek instruments iirc
love tism