Pills
St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
I spent a year suspended in air
My mind on the gap, my head on the stairs
From healers to dealers and then back again
From guru to voodoo and voodoo to zen
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
I'm behind the wheel
I'm leavin' your state
I can't even swim in these waves I made
From the bath to the drain, and the plane to the stage
To the bed, to give head, to the money I made
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
I heard the tales, fortune and blame
Tigers and wolves defanged by fame
From the chains to the reins to the vein
To the brain, anyway there's a day
And I'll pay it in pain
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
Come all you villains, come one and all
Come all you killers, come join the war
Come all you wasted, wretched, and scorned
Come on and face it, come join the war
Come climb the rafters, come out to space
Come for the answers, throw them away
Come kiss me stupid, come kiss me sore
Come find me standin' under the wall
Come all you killers, come out to play
Everyone you know will all go away
Come all you wasting, wretched, and scorned
Come watch me standin' under the wall
Come all you children, come out to play
Everyone you love will all go away, hey, hey
The lyrics in "Pills" by St. Vincent seem to reflect on the widespread dependence on medication to get through daily life. The song, with its catchy melody and upbeat tempo, utilizes irony to bring attention to the fact that popping pills has become normalized in our society. The repetition of "pills, pills, pills" emphasizes our reliance on them to function.
The lyrics also suggest a journey into substance abuse, with the singer going from "healers to dealers and back again," and referencing a "good stiff drink" alongside the pills. The "year suspended in air" and "mind on the gap, head on the stairs" suggest that the singer's mental state has been adversely affected by her pill dependence. The line "I can't even swim in these waves I made" adds an element of helplessness and desperation.
At the same time, however, the song also talks about facing the consequences of one's actions. The line "I'll pay it in pain" suggests that the singer knows she has made mistakes and expects to suffer the consequences. The final verse, with its call to action to "come join the war," could be interpreted as a rallying cry against pill dependence and a commitment to facing life without them.
Line by Line Meaning
Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Medications for both waking and sleeping
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
The excessive and daily use of pills
Pills to walk, pills to think
Medications for walking and thinking
Pills, pills, pills for the family
The use of medication not only for oneself but for the family as well
I spent a year suspended in air
The feeling of being lost and out of touch with reality for a long period of time
My mind on the gap, my head on the stairs
Constantly being stuck in between different states of mind and viewpoints
From healers to dealers and then back again
Going from legitimate medical professionals to buying medicine illegally and then back again
From guru to voodoo and voodoo to zen
Going from one belief system to another and feeling lost in the process
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Medication to help grow and/or shrink parts of the body
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink
Combining medication with alcohol intake
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Medication use for sexual purposes and/or to control appetite
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink
Washing away and disposing of unused or unwanted medication in the sink
I'm behind the wheel
Being in control of one's own destiny
I'm leavin' your state
Breaking free from a toxic relationship or situation
I can't even swim in these waves I made
The actions and choices made in the past has led to a feeling of being unable to cope in the present
From the bath to the drain, and the plane to the stage
Metaphor for life experiences, from private moments of contemplation to public events
To the bed, to give head, to the money I made
Great effort placed in creating and accumulating wealth
I heard the tales, fortune and blame
Listening to stories of success and failure, being careful not to fall into either category
Tigers and wolves defanged by fame
The loss of ferocity and grit that comes with attaining celebrity status
From the chains to the reins to the vein
A progression from one level of control to another, from external constraints to internal ones
To the brain, anyway there's a day
A shift in focus to mental and emotional well-being, towards a future that is yet to come and is uncertain
And I'll pay it in pain
The acceptance of challenges and difficulties as part of the human experience
Come all you villains, come one and all
Invitation to all who are viewed as villains or outcasts
Come all you killers, come join the war
A metaphorical war against the status quo and established societal norms
Come all you wasted, wretched, and scorned
Invitation to those who are struggling, viewed as undesirable or rejected by society
Come on and face it, come join the war
Encouraging those who are struggling to take action and participate in challenging the existing systems
Come climb the rafters, come out to space
Invitation to those who are willing to venture outside of their comfort zones and take risks
Come for the answers, throw them away
The journey towards enlightenment and truth may end up challenging or contradicting previous ideas and beliefs
Come kiss me stupid, come kiss me sore
Invitation to experience life and everything it has to offer, even if it leads to pain and mistakes
Come find me standin' under the wall
Finding support and connection in others who are similarly struggling
Come all you killers, come out to play
Invitation to all who are willing to challenge the established systems and ways of thinking
Everyone you know will all go away
The inevitability of change and loss
Come all you wasting, wretched, and scorned
Invitation to those who are struggling, viewed as undesirable or rejected by society
Come watch me standin' under the wall
Finding support and connection in others who are similarly struggling
Come all you children, come out to play
Inviting those who have a sense of wonder and willingness to explore and learn
Everyone you love will all go away, hey, hey
The fleeting nature of relationships and the ephemeral quality of life itself
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Annie Clark, Jack Antonoff, Mark Anthony Spears
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ralph Morris
Annie nailed it! This video is so manic and captures the vibe perfectly. She always makes a helluva point!
Mara H
@John Smith 😂 😂
John Smith
what 'point' do you think she's making? this isn't an anti-pill song if that's what you're thinking.
Gvido
she didn't really have anything to do with the creation of the video though lol
TheDemonLilith
"From the chains
to the reins, to the vein
To the brain, anyway, there’s a day
and I’ll pay it in pain."
Forever a fav
J C
And now she has elaborated on that thought with Pay Your Way In Pain
Ancient One
wow, art rock rides again. she's what music has needed for years.
Chris Don't Miss
I would it's more art pop
Jorge Alarcón
This inspired me to write my first short film. Today is the premiere and I’m happy and excited. I know that there’s like 0% of possibility that you’ll read this but thanks! Thanks por inspiring people!! I wish you could see Perpetuo (that’s the name of my short film) but hopefully one day we’ll work together and you’ll see it <3
kelljan70
I've always found jerky, unnatural movements to be highly unsettling (Silent Hill being a great example). That ending where everyone's eyes fade away to little TVs....and when she starts to cry....
I think this may be the first time I've felt creeped out and sad at the same time.