Sounds like a song about Heroin addiction-"Never say my name
Fairly I may treat you
But you'll fear me just the same" refers to the fact Heroin is always fair until you can't afford it, the "fear" being of exactly that.
Verse #2 refers to the subservience to the habit and by necessity its secrecy-"Never speak before me
If you ever speak at all
And always walk behind me"
Verse #3 is about the desperation and degradation in feeding the beast-having to ally oneself with strangers etc-"And where, where are you?
Running with the strays and drifters
Spreading rumours on street corners
Making allies of strangers". This describes life as a junky too perfectly.
The verses from there are allegorical to the decline and in the final verse the "Hammer" that comes down can be construed as the old school drug culture slang for Heroin (Hammer) and the violence of the withdrawals being the sickness.
FMP make references in their lyrics that may or may not emphasis addiction torment-see "Hit The Hay" for similar.
Sounds like a song about Heroin addiction-"Never say my name Fairly I may treat you But you'll fear me just the same" refers to the fact Heroin is always fair until you can't afford it, the "fear" being of exactly that.
Verse #2 refers to the subservience to the habit and by necessity its secrecy-"Never speak before me If you ever speak at all And always walk behind me"
Verse #3 is about the desperation and degradation in feeding the beast-having to ally oneself with strangers etc-"And where, where are you? Running with the strays and drifters Spreading rumours on street corners Making allies of strangers". This describes life as a junky too perfectly.
The verses from there are allegorical to the decline and in the final verse the "Hammer" that comes down can be construed as the old school drug culture slang for Heroin (Hammer) and the violence of the withdrawals being the sickness.
FMP make references in their lyrics that may or may not emphasis addiction torment-see "Hit The Hay" for similar.