This song, without question, is about abusing heroin. Scott Walker’s lyrics are always indecipherable, but it’s not a coincidence that he mentions the phrases “when all the veins ran out”, “narcrotic”, “insulin”, “pushing on the corner”, “kilos”, “powder”, “twitching”, “boot me”, “bricks”, etc. “epizootics” itself is a term to describe an epidemic affecting and destroying animals, which could not possibly be a more apt description of today’s opiate crisis. Both the song, and even more so the video, are a guide through a heroin trip. A calm beginning, peaceful feelings, nonsensical thoughts, then suddenly the drum/heart beating mercilessly, complete ranges of emotions and random, insane thoughts/lyrics. Without lecturing the listener, it is a remarkable warning about becoming an animal who contracts this “disease”. Walker brilliantly commingles historical events into his brutal lessons, “the galleon cacafuego”, uses words that don’t exist like “melianomed” and “narcrotic”, and creates a confusing, haunting, tormenting video that is naturally shot in black and white. This is the best song he has ever written and he does not want anyone to ever enjoy it. And none of us will
This song, without question, is about abusing heroin. Scott Walker’s lyrics are always indecipherable, but it’s not a coincidence that he mentions the phrases “when all the veins ran out”, “narcrotic”, “insulin”, “pushing on the corner”, “kilos”, “powder”, “twitching”, “boot me”, “bricks”, etc. “epizootics” itself is a term to describe an epidemic affecting and destroying animals, which could not possibly be a more apt description of today’s opiate crisis. Both the song, and even more so the video, are a guide through a heroin trip. A calm beginning, peaceful feelings, nonsensical thoughts, then suddenly the drum/heart beating mercilessly, complete ranges of emotions and random, insane thoughts/lyrics. Without lecturing the listener, it is a remarkable warning about becoming an animal who contracts this “disease”. Walker brilliantly commingles historical events into his brutal lessons, “the galleon cacafuego”, uses words that don’t exist like “melianomed” and “narcrotic”, and creates a confusing, haunting, tormenting video that is naturally shot in black and white. This is the best song he has ever written and he does not want anyone to ever enjoy it. And none of us will