Before beginning his solo career, Fulks joined the Bluegrass band Special Consensus. Here he showcased his unique guitar playing, and appeared on the Grammy-nominated album "Hole In My Heart" released in 1989. Fulks' solo debut, "Country Love Songs" was released on Bloodshot Records in 1996 to positive reviews. This album was followed by 1997's South Mouth, which cemented Fulks' retro-alternative image.
As fans had grown used to Bloodshot's rough and sparse sound, many were shocked by the release of Fulks' third album, 1998's "Let's Kill Saturday Night," on Geffen Records. When Geffen disbanded shortly after the release of the record, Fulks found himself without a label, and did the logical thing, starting his own company, Boondoggle Records (distributed by Bloodshot), and releasing an album of previously unreleased material called "The Very Best of Robbie Fulks."
2001 saw the release of both "Couples in Trouble," a dark, brooding, and decidedly non-country album, and, just 3 months later, "13 Hillbilly Giants," a collection of covers of classic country numbers both obscure and well known.
Fulks would not release another album until 2005, when the release of "Georgia Hard" showed a return to his county roots. He also gained attention for a novelty single he wrote called "Fountains of Wayne Hotline," in which he imagined the power pop band Fountains of Wayne as having a hotline which struggling songwriters could call for help with their song structure.
She Took a Lot of Pills
Robbie Fulks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody thought she′d go far
And at 20 years old she was rich as could be
And a world-famed Hollywood star
With the big parts coming
And the sweethearts, too
Life was a hell of a ride
But her star soon fell and her body got old
So she took a lot of pills and died
She took a lot of pills and died
She took a lot of pills and died
Her star soon fell and her body got old
So she took a lot of pills and died
While the traffic crawled by in the street outside
She was sitting in her kitchenette
Listening to the scuttle of the rats in the wall
And staring at her TV set
She once might have been
Too proud to be found
In a hovel on the lower East Side
But nothing in the world seemed
To matter much now
So she took a lot of pills and died
Now she hasn't been seen on the silver screen
And she never may be again
But every once in a while at the far end of the dial
You can see her how she was back then
In a soft close-up, with her hair backlit
She seemed to glow inside
Yeah, but something went wrong
′Cause forty years on
She took a lot of pills and died
The song "She Took a Lot of Pills" by Robbie Fulks is a poignant and sad story of a young Hollywood starlet who achieved fame and fortune by the age of 20, but whose star soon fell and body aged. The song tells the tale of a girl who succumbs to the pressures of fame and the inevitable decline of youth and beauty. The lyrics describe how she took solace in pills and ultimately dies from an overdose.
Fulks uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of the starlet's decline, painting a picture of the girl sitting in her kitchen and listening to rats scuttle in the walls. Despite her initial success and beauty, she ends up living in a hovel on the lower East Side, unable to escape the pressure and stress of fame. The use of the line "nothing in the world seemed to matter much now" emphasizes just how much the young starlet had lost and how hopeless her situation had become.
The chorus emphasizes the tragic ending of the story, with the repetition of the line "She took a lot of pills and died." The song highlights the fragility of youth and beauty, and the tragic consequences of the pressure and stress that come with fame.
Line by Line Meaning
With her drop-dead looks and her little girl charm
She was physically attractive and had a demeanor that was childlike.
Everybody thought she'd go far
Many people believed she would become very successful.
And at 20 years old she was rich as could be
At the young age of 20, she had accumulated a great deal of wealth.
And a world-famed Hollywood star
She was famous all over the world for starring in Hollywood films.
With the big parts coming
She had many important roles lined up.
And the sweethearts, too
She had many romantic interests and admirers.
Life was a hell of a ride
She experienced many ups and downs in her life.
But her star soon fell and her body got old
Her fame declined and she aged.
So she took a lot of pills and died
She committed suicide by taking a large quantity of medication.
She took a lot of pills and died
She committed suicide by taking a large quantity of medication.
Her star soon fell and her body got old
Her fame declined and she aged.
So she took a lot of pills and died
She committed suicide by taking a large quantity of medication.
While the traffic crawled by in the street outside
The vehicles on the road moved slowly and noisily.
She was sitting in her kitchenette
She was seated in her small kitchen.
Listening to the scuttle of the rats in the wall
She could hear the sound made by rats moving inside the walls of her home.
And staring at her TV set
She was looking intently at her television.
She once might have been
It is possible that in the past she would not have behaved in a certain way.
Too proud to be found
She would not have wanted to be discovered doing something unbecoming.
In a hovel on the lower East Side
She would not have wanted to be found in a squalid and run-down apartment on the East Side of town.
But nothing in the world seemed
She no longer cared about anything.
To matter much now
Nothing held importance for her anymore.
So she took a lot of pills and died
She committed suicide by taking a large quantity of medication.
Now she hasn't been seen on the silver screen
She has not appeared in movies for some time.
And she never may be again
It is possible that she may never return to the movie industry.
But every once in a while at the far end of the dial
On rare occasions, when changing channels to the very end of the dial, she can be seen.
You can see her how she was back then
She is visible in the same form she was in during her heyday.
In a soft close-up, with her hair backlit
She is filmed in a way that creates a soft, gentle focus with backlighting to highlight her hair.
She seemed to glow inside
She appeared radiant from within.
Yeah, but something went wrong
Something happened to cause things to go awry.
'Cause forty years on
Forty years went by without change.
She took a lot of pills and died
She committed suicide by taking a large quantity of medication.
Writer(s): Fulks Robert William
Contributed by Alexandra R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.