Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, RnB, and reggae. Harper's blend of groove-laden funky soul and folky handcrafted acoustics helped him to gain cult status during the course of the 1990s and widespread attention toward the end of the decade. Harper combines elements of classic folk singers, blues revivalists and jam bands and is embraced by critics and college kids alike. Harper's body of work sells consistently and he tours constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base.
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont, California (in California's Inland Empire). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.
In 2004, Harper recorded the album "There Will Be a Light " as the collaboration Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Next Harper did a worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
In 2007, Harper released the album Lifeline, recorded in Paris just after his tour.
In 2009, Harper recorded the album "White Lies for Dark Times", as the collaboration Ben Harper and Relentless7.
In 2014, Harper recorded the album "Childhood Home" as the collaboration Ben & Ellen Harper.
In 2018, Harper recorded the album "No Mercy in This Land" as the collaboration Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
The Drugs Don't Work
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's getting me down my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
This time I'm comin' down
And I hope you're thinking of me
As you lay down on your side
Now the drugs don't work
But I know I'll see your face again
Now the drugs don't work
They just make you worse
But I know I'll see your face again
But I know I'm on a losing streak
'Cause I passed down my old street
And if you wanna show, then just let me know
And I'll sing in your ear again
Now the drugs don't work
They just make you worse
But I know I'll see your face again
'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead
All this talk of getting old
It's getting me down my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
This time I'm comin' down
Now the drugs don't work
They just make you worse
But I know I'll see your face again
'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead
But if you wanna show, just let me know
And I'll sing in your ear again
Now the drugs don't work
They just make you worse
But I know I'll see your face again
Yeah, I know I'll see your face again
Yeah, I know I'll see your face again
Yeah, I know I'll see your face again
Yeah, I know I'll see your face again
I'm never going down, I'm never coming down
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more
I'm never coming down, I'm never going down
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more
I'm never going down, I'm never coming down
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more
I'm never coming down, I'm never going down
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more
The song "The Drugs Don't Work" by Ben Harper is a cover of the original version by The Verve. The lyrics of the song allude to someone who has been taking drugs to cope with life's struggles. The individual is aware that the drugs are not helping but only making things worse. The singer's voice is a reflection of the person's inner emotional state, as he is getting tired of the talk on getting old and is feeling trapped like a cat in a bag that is waiting to drown.
He hopes that his loved one thinks of him as she lies down on her side. This is a subtle hint that the person's drug usage is affecting their relationship. Even though he knows the drugs are not working, he still longs to see his loved one again, who has probably left him as a result of his addiction. The singer admits that he is on a losing streak, having passed down his old street. He keeps longing for his loved one to return and even promises to sing to her again if she takes him back.
In conclusion, "The Drugs Don't Work" is a poignant song about the struggle that people face when they try to cope with life's problems using drugs. It portrays the reality that no matter how much drugs one takes, they only make things worse. Additionally, the lyrics are a plea to loved ones who are struggling with addiction to seek help and stop their self-destructive behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
All this talk of getting old
The idea of getting old is overwhelming and unpleasant.
It's getting me down my love
This idea is bringing me down and causing me to feel depressed.
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
I feel trapped and suffocated by this feeling.
This time I'm comin' down
This time, I'm succumbing to the negative emotions and feelings.
And I hope you're thinking of me
I hope that you still care about me and are remembering me.
As you lay down on your side
As you go to sleep at night.
Now the drugs don't work
Medicine and drugs are not effective in making me feel better.
They just make you worse
In fact, they have a negative effect on me and make me feel worse.
But I know I'll see your face again
Despite this, I have hope that I will see you again someday.
But I know I'm on a losing streak
I feel like I'm constantly failing and things are not going well.
'Cause I passed down my old street
This feeling is reinforced when I revisit my old memories and past experiences.
And if you wanna show, then just let me know
If you want to see me again, just reach out and tell me.
And I'll sing in your ear again
I'll be there to comfort you and make you feel better once again.
'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Even if you go to heaven, I'll follow you there.
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead
If you were to leave me, I would feel like life isn't worth living anymore.
Yeah, I know I'll see your face again
I have faith that I'll see you again someday.
I'm never going down, I'm never coming down
I'm determined to keep going and not let the negative feelings bring me down.
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more
I'm done with feeling this way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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