Riot Coming

The first line is DEFINITELY "In Storyville, I fucked a cop". I listened to 2 different recordings of this [live & studio] and it is clearly this. Whoever has the power to, please change this.

I think he is talking about that general and natural sense of impedeing doom. His own nervousness and anxiety. then the song goes into how drugs seem to temporarily relieve it for him. because once its done, it comes back. it seems to me he recognizes the vicsous cycle. The part "My body's running....", feels like utter hopelessness. in the last verse i think he is talking about trying to find the answer but also at the same time having the feeling that the search is futile. and being scared that he might actually find it. i dont completely get this though. "Like a drug in the water"= melting spoon. the riot will soon come following mixture of drug with water in the melting spoon. "a punch in the stomach......." abuse from step father causing this. fact: 90% of drug addicts were abused/neglected in some way by the same sex parent. This song, among others, has impacted my life profoundly. thank you elliott.

If it is "storyville," which i think it is, then i think it makes better sense with the last verse. My interpretation: I got busted by vice, while i was on prescription drugs (painkillers? during a detox, there can be pain and increased libido). I need a hit. (If it is "punch," he is referencing Charlie's abuse. If it is "bunch," he is again talking about painkillers. "Punch" makes more sense with "drug in the water.") I hate that I need this so much. I hate how it makes me. It was so much better the first time, when she showed me. Now I'm stuck in this addiction. I have a hard time keeping track of my life. My life is so pointless. I wish it would end. So I'm sitting here in jail, and my cell-mate has this way about him. He contradicts himself and acts illogically. At first I felt like I was better than him, but now I see. We're the same. When I get out, I'm shooting up. I don't care anymore. This is the only way I can feel good.

amazing song.

Okey I know the lyrics of this song have never been printed, but I'm sure the first line is "In Storyville, I fucked a cop". Storyville being this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyville

I dunno what he means by that first line but I'd never try and figure it out, Elliott's lyrics were too amazing for that. I prefer to see them from a personal point of view. Like I hear the chorus as...

"There's a riot coming, like a drug in the water. A BUNCH in the stomach makes sons into daughters"

I feel like he may be talking about those prescription pills, taking a bunch of them in his stomach. But that's more a personal thing, I know what addiciton to painkillers can do. I guess the thought of it "making sons into daughters" is kinda scary, some prescription pills can cause impotence O_O

I can see why people have their own interpretations, but the line is surely a PUNCH?

Thanks for the Storyville tip, IcOnFeSsImEsSeDuP.

There is actually a storyville blue book on sale at ebay! That would be an awesome piece of American history--too bad it's $1,600.

And I think nickdunny has the interpretation down right.

the riot his his addiction and withdrawal symptoms. the riot is his addiction's ferocity.

i love this song.

I met a girl on the square Who showed me how to kill my cares But once that's done, man, there's nothing to do

Girl introduced him to heroin. Once the high is gone, what else is there to do but try to get high again? What's the point of even getting sober, because what else is there to do?

Oh, Elliott.