The ballad of the Bangkok Novotel

No scream, no smile,
No nothing for me
It's so hot that I can't breathe
Nine stone two and six foot three
Rats are crawling on my feet
Shrivel to nothing for the company
Lizards and geckos cover me
Military Police are after me
But everybody else seems so happy

Mini sized apples filled with disease
Even the water tastes like tea
On a diet of Gaviscon
Look at me I'm fucking gone
A light watch, my time today
Madonna's fucking on the car again
On the phone ten times a day
Hiding under the table again

Breakfast, my mouth tastes like piss
Masturbation, there's nothing left
In a daze, anorexic haze
Look outside and join the insane
The bug inside of me won't go
Egg and chips is all I want
So hungry I can taste home
Wake up screaming on all fours

Knocking knock knocking on my door
My life is a disaster
Giant ice cubes rolling on the floor
Someone help me dear God
Everybody has fake smiles
I am losing my fucking mind
I've had enough of being alone
I'd give anything to save my soul

I think that I have seen the Devil
Satan smiles at me in the mirror
Revolution in the Golden Palace
Four sickly boys are losing resistance
So much porn and alcohol
I'm so numb to my hormones
But my liberty is winning
Five years later I'm still shaking




Lyrics submitted by Songmeaningsuser

Ballad Of The Bangkok Novotel song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

3 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    My Opinion

    The song I think most likely relates to experiences abroad touring. If I had to be specific: Manics in Bangkok 1994. The single was released 2001, but the song was likely recorded/written earlier, ('Five years later I'm still shaking', so it was probably written in 2000).

    I don't usually like to assume a lyric directly relates to the author's own life, but it's pretty plain to see here. Nicky has mentioned that particular tour as being really awful, the start of a downward spiral, that they all came back with some kind of 'bug', etc.

    The lyrics particularly refer to a number of issues. Quite prevalent is the fear Nicky had of being abroad, in Thailand. He hated the food, didn't eat anything apart from apples reportedly, it was all too weird. The fauna, the customs, the disorientation that comes with being surrounded by things you don't understand in the heat. At this point also he has said that his hypochondriac tendencies were a problem, especially in Bangkok, being preoccuopied with all the unkown food and places. Nicky was said not to leave his room if he could help it.

    There was an incident to do with disrespecting the royalty which caused some disturbance I gather. They played Repeat, and Nicky followed up with 'Long live the King! May he reign in hell!'. This does not make for good for publicity in Thailand. From this stemmed a paranoia of arrest, by military police.

    So the basis for the song seems to be the chaos of that time, not helped by tensions within the band. Bangkok saw Richey get given a set of knives by a fan, cut his chest onstage, and get a handjob from a hooker much to the scandal of the British music press. Nicky was not a very happy bunny, so he wrote a song about it five years later.

    chalkedon June 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I Hear What You're Saying "i_am_the_law" And It's The Complete Truth. But Also I Think It's An Illusion To Nicky Being Threatened With The Death Penalty In Thailand (An Extremely Monarchistic Country) When He Said "...Let Your King Reign In Hell" Before Ripping Into 'Repeat.' Particularly Typfied As It Was Written And Sung By Nicky Himself.

    ManicMartin1989on July 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    is this only a live song or is it available on a disc or to download

    Koalablubblubon April 06, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.