Crushed Bones Lyrics
I did my best on the transcription, but a lot of it's guesswork, especially in the "riders on the tube" verse. Any suggestions for corrections are very much welcome.
That said, although the song is explicitly about drugs, I'm not sure what Why? is trying to say about them. I'd say that drugs seem to be portrayed in a negative light in the lyrics. I don't know much about Yoni Wolf, but the line that says "Back then I'da..." seems to suggest that maybe the person whose point of view the song expresses, be it Wolf or some imagined character, is a recovering drug addict reflecting on how the experience felt and some of the common sights and occurrences during the time of the addiction.
Anyway, it's an excellent song.
Dude this is a firsthand account about his drug use and yes it's in a fucking negative light holy shit, lol. He's hopelessly addicted and is saying he'd do anything for a bump. He's looking at people on the tube (major form of public transport in London) and just swears they've got some crack on them, see the line: "I swear the riders on the tube tie razors to their elbows". You use razors to cut lines of coke. Excellent line by the way, that kind of paranoia you get when you'd do anything for that special drug of yours....
Dude this is a firsthand account about his drug use and yes it's in a fucking negative light holy shit, lol. He's hopelessly addicted and is saying he'd do anything for a bump. He's looking at people on the tube (major form of public transport in London) and just swears they've got some crack on them, see the line: "I swear the riders on the tube tie razors to their elbows". You use razors to cut lines of coke. Excellent line by the way, that kind of paranoia you get when you'd do anything for that special drug of yours. Suspecting anyone's holding.
Again, it's not some imagined character unless he decided to write a song about another dude who the record labels call Why? I mean come on. This is the lamest analysis ever.
correct lyrics:
Here's To inhaling crushed bones through a dried up white out pen and riding the backwards racer in hot June rain in a matching blue and gold plastic bag / poncho / raincoat.
It's a wooden coaster with a medium hill height mean, high hill to flat ground ratio you know I'd sell my shingles for a thimble dip of snow. Back then I'd've sold my single for a fingertip of glow.
And us in navy blue hoodies and khakis, as was the style that year.
In London, where the sirens yelp like a helpless dog with its paw stepped on, and the rain comes down in late July and the record labels call you Why? and your eyes are slits in bags of fat and your eyes are piss holes in the snow
I swear, The riders on the tube tie razors to their elbows, The riders on the tube keep cold coal in their billfolds, The riders on the tube will hide cocaine in their shell toes, and yes yes yes man they'll novocaine their hello's Till the constables got pit bulls with their paw bones all stepped on Till the constables got pit bulls With crushed bones up their nose holes
And us in fish net hat and canvas shoes, as was the style that year
your eyes are slits IN bags of fat.
I'm sure that this song isn't solely about drugs.I think it's just about times...and how they change...
good job but a few minor corrections:
"white felt pen" should be "white-out pen"
"The riders on the tube keep call callin' their cell phones" should be "The riders on the tube keep cold coal in their belt folds" (i think..)
the "Do the constables.." parts should be "Till the constables.."
and right after that part, you hear someone say in the background "Till the cows come home"
i'm not sure the last two lines in the "riders on the tube" part but you did as good a job as i could've at figuring them out.
also, good song. about coke addiction.
Clearly about coke. Great song.
i swear the riders on the tube tie razors to their elbows, the riders on the tube keep cold coal in their billfolds, i swear the riders on the tube hide cocaine in their shell-toes.
^CORRECT.
I'm pretty sure, "And your eyes are slits and bags of fat"
should be "And your eyes are slits in bags of fat"
And I'm also pretty sure, "Till the constables got pitbulls with their car phones all stepped on"
should be, "Till the constables got pitbulls with their paw bones all stepped on"
being from Cincinnati i know what the Backwards Racer reference is.....King's Island ftw
In this live version I have, he says:
"I'd trade my sister for a fingertip of blow back then I'd have sold my single for a thimble dip of snow"
He prefaces the song by saying it's the first one on the new album, so I would imagine it had already been recorded (this was before EE had been released). I wonder why he didn't stick with that line.
RIght now there's an add for cocaine drug tests on this page. Coincidence?