In 2013, while still a teenager, Marshall released the first King Krule album, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, on XL in the U.K. and True Panther in the U.S. Marshall then collaborated with his brother Jack for the relatively fluid, more electronic A New Place 2 Drown. Released in 2015 and credited to Archy Marshall, its physical edition was packaged with a 208-page book of poetry, photography, and art. King Krule fully reactivated in 2017 with a handful of varied singles -- the dreamlike ballad "Czech One," the mid-tempo rocker "Dum Surfer," and the rumbling "Half Man Half Shark," all featuring saxophone from Ignacio Salvadores -- that led up to The Ooz, an hour-long follow-up written during a three-year period.
Rock Bottom
King Krule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To a Mr. Bream
A Mr. Read
A Mr. Piney
And a Mr. Mood
I've hit rock bottom
Ooh now I'm running away
I've made it babe
Think of what your lover would say
Think in a properly way
See girl, I won't say it
Until it finds me
One day
My mind starts to derange
Distortion to rage
As sight loses its range
As everyone's perspective begins to change
Ooh, I'm the same
Just something to blame
Another thing wrong with the game
Watch me as I descend
Into shame
Into
Into shame
Into
Into shame
When your hearts got no more
You're lying dead on the floor
The wounds in your back are still sore
And everyone who watched you
Watched on in awe
But now you see you're nothing but poor
Another lost soul
Never accomplished a goal
Or made a light out of their lives
And they're the ones who pulled out the knifes
Lying there
Oh, like that, everything is gone in front of your eyes
Your hand shave lost the grip on their prize
And you've got no more tries
Cause you've lost them through lies
Oh but your lucky this time
And hopefully it'll make you seem more wise
Or otherwise
They'll leave you to your own demise
'Cause it's the end of something I did not want to end
Beginning of hard times to come
Something that was not meant to be is done
I guess it's the start of what was
intended
King Krule's song Rock Bottom is a melancholic ballad that explores the feeling of hitting rock bottom, both metaphorically and literally. The song is dedicated to four individuals: Mr. Bream, Mr. Read, Mr. Piney, and Mr. Mood, who could possibly be people in Archy Marshall's (King Krule's real name) life. The lyrics start with the announcement that the song is dedicated to these people, which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. Archy then sings, "I've hit rock bottom, ooh now I'm running away," which suggests that he's experienced some kind of physical or emotional trauma that has caused him to hit rock bottom. He then goes on to say that he's "made it babe" and to think of what "your lover would say," which portrays a feeling of triumph in the face of adversity.
In the following verse, Archy sings about his mind starting to derange and become distorted with rage. He's losing sight of things and everyone else's perspective is starting to change. However, he's still the same person and everything that's happening is just something to blame. The chorus then comes in, repeating the phrase "Into shame" as Archy descends into a hopeless state of regret and failure. He sings about feeling poor and not accomplishing any goals, and how everyone who watched him is now watching in awe. The song ends with the line "I guess it's the start of what was intended," which could suggest a sense of hope that things can only get better from here.
Line by Line Meaning
This is dedicated
This song is dedicated to the people in King Krule's life who may have also hit rock bottom.
To a Mr. Bream
Specifically dedicated to a person named Mr. Bream.
A Mr. Read
Specifically dedicated to a person named Mr. Read.
A Mr. Piney
Specifically dedicated to a person named Mr. Piney.
And a Mr. Mood
Specifically dedicated to a person named Mr. Mood.
I've hit rock bottom
King Krule has hit an all time low in his life.
Ooh now I'm running away
In response to hitting rock bottom, he is trying to escape his reality.
I've made it babe
Despite being at his worst, he has come to accept this as his current state of being.
Think of what your lover would say
He encourages the listener to consider what their significant other would say if they were in his shoes.
Think in a properly way
King Krule suggests that the listener should evaluate the situation with a clear and levelheaded perspective.
See girl, I won't say it
King Krule refuses to vocalize his true feelings on the matter.
Until it finds me
He is waiting for inspiration or an epiphany to guide him out of this rut.
One day
He hopes that one day he will find the way out of his current situation.
My mind starts to derange
As he spirals further, his mental state begins to deteriorate.
Distortion to rage
His mind begins to cloud over with anger and negative thoughts.
As sight loses its range
His perception of the world around him becomes more narrow and focused on his problems.
As everyone's perspective begins to change
He realizes that his behavior is also affecting those around him.
Ooh, I'm the same
Despite everything, he is still the same person on the inside.
Just something to blame
He is searching for something or someone to place the blame on for his current state.
Another thing wrong with the game
He sees his struggles as just another part of life's difficulties.
Watch me as I descend
He recognizes that he is falling further into his crisis.
Into shame
He is ashamed of his current state.
Into
The repetition of 'into' highlights his sense of being pulled down into his crisis.
Into shame
He is continuing his descent into shame.
Into
The repetition of 'into' continues to emphasize his downward spiral.
Into shame
He is still struggling with shame and guilt over his current situation.
When your hearts got no more
This line shifts the focus onto the listener, suggesting that they too may experience the pain of hitting rock bottom.
You're lying dead on the floor
King Krule is painting a picture of the devastation one may feel in this situation.
The wounds in your back are still sore
The emotional pain continues to hurt long after the initial pain.
And everyone who watched you
Others may be observing one's struggle and feeling helpless to assist.
Watched on in awe
One's fall may be unexpected and awe-inspiring.
But now you see you're nothing but poor
One may realize that their current state is not only emotional poverty, but potentially financial as well.
Another lost soul
A lost soul is someone who is struggling to find meaning or purpose in life.
Never accomplished a goal
This line highlights the sense of hopelessness and failure that comes with not meeting one's goals.
Or made a light out of their lives
The metaphor of making light out of one's life implies that one has not succeeded in finding happiness or joy in life.
And they're the ones who pulled out the knifes
In this case, King Krule is suggesting that those around us may end up pushing us down rather than offering help.
Lying there
King Krule emphasizes the sense of helplessness and surrender that may come with hitting rock bottom.
Oh, like that, everything is gone in front of your eyes
The sudden sense of loss and instability is overwhelming.
Your hand shave lost the grip on their prize
The 'prize' in question could be one's job, relationships, or sense of self worth.
And you've got no more tries
The sense of having exhausted all options and energy is palpable.
Cause you've lost them through lies
King Krule suggests that one's past decisions (self deception, hurtful behavior towards others) may have consequences and impact one's rock bottom crisis.
Oh but your lucky this time
Despite everything, King Krule sees the potential for this to be a learning experience and offer growth for the future.
And hopefully it'll make you seem more wise
He hopes that this experience will foster self growth and inner wisdom for himself and others.
Or otherwise
There is also the potential that this crisis will be the end of one's journey.
They'll leave you to your own demise
If one cannot learn and grow from this crisis, there is potential for the situation to become worse or deadly.
'Cause it's the end of something I did not want to end
King Krule recognizes the end of a chapter of his life that he may not have been ready for.
Beginning of hard times to come
This new chapter will likely bring additional challenges and adversity.
Something that was not meant to be is done
King Krule suggests that perhaps things were not meant to go the way they did.
I guess it's the start of what was
Despite the difficulties, this can be the start of a new journey towards something better.
never going to come
This refers to the idea that the previous situation was hopeless and a new direction is needed.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ARCHIE IVAN MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind