Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American si… Read Full Bio ↴Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. His music is often (perhaps inappropriately) placed under the genre of "alt-country". Oldham has recorded under many names, including Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and Bonnie Billy. He often plays and records with other musicians, including David Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon, The Boxhead Ensemble, Tortoise, and The Sundowners as well as releasing his first solo album in 1993. Oldham has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references. These include 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie, an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer Nat King Cole. He has also appeared in several films, such as the 1987 film Matewan and most recently in Old Joy (released in late 2006). He is also the photographer of the cover image of the slint album Spiderland.

I Am Drinking Again
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am drinking again, oh
I'm on my seventh cold glass of gin, oh

Life is a tribute to you
And so is dying
And drinking in this way
To die is what I'm trying
I also try to keep my looks

In case an angel loves me
And lifts me up with angel hooks
To someplace high above (me)

I am drinking again, oh
I'm on my ninth cold glass of gin, oh

And people argue with me
But I have never been stronger
Nor held so strong a feeling
Inside of me longer
With no one at all knowing
O but I know
Just what I need to live this life
Oh...

And all of us here
Raise our eyes and our spirits
Our hands and our voices
That your ears may hear it

I am drinking again and I toast you
Who will never know what it is that I do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "I Am Drinking Again" by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy present a deeply personal reflection on life, love, and addiction. The singer reveals his struggle with drinking and the motivations behind it, which center on his desire to both honor someone he loves and to escape from the pains of life. The first two lines, "I am drinking again, oh / I'm on my seventh cold glass of gin, oh," establish the singer's addiction, which is a prevalent theme throughout the song.

The following lines, "Life is a tribute to you / And so is dying / And drinking in this way / To die is what I'm trying," reveal the singer's desire to both honor and join the person he loves. The desire to protect his looks in case an angel loves him indicates he believes he can be saved from his current state, but it is a faint hope he clings to. Despite his addiction and desire to escape, he acknowledges the strength and depth of feeling this drinking brings, noting he's never held something so personal to himself for so long a time.

As the song progresses, the singer seems to find solace in the act of drinking, despite the judgement of others. He states, "And all of us here / Raise our eyes and our spirits / Our hands and our voices / That your ears may hear it." It is a toast to someone he loves, who will never know the actions he takes in her honor. The song ultimately portrays addiction as a complex issue and explores the deep emotional pain and motivations behind it.

Line by Line Meaning

I am drinking again, oh
I have started drinking alcohol again.

I'm on my seventh cold glass of gin, oh
I have already consumed six glasses of gin and I am now on my seventh.

Life is a tribute to you
Life is a way of showing respect to you.

And so is dying
Dying is also a way of showing respect to you.

And drinking in this way
Drinking alcohol excessively.

To die is what I'm trying
I am trying to kill myself.

I also try to keep my looks
I am attempting to maintain my physical appearance.

In case an angel loves me
I am hoping that someone will love me, even if it's an angel.

And lifts me up with angel hooks
I am hoping that this person will take me to a better place.

To someplace high above (me)
To a place that is better than where I am now.

I am drinking again, oh
I am continuing to drink alcohol.

I'm on my ninth cold glass of gin, oh
I have consumed eight glasses of gin and I am now on my ninth.

And people argue with me
Others are trying to convince me to stop drinking.

But I have never been stronger
My willpower to keep drinking has never been stronger.

Nor held so strong a feeling
I have never felt such a strong desire to keep drinking.

Inside of me longer
This feeling has been growing inside me for a long time.

With no one at all knowing
No one is aware of how much I am struggling.

O but I know
I am aware of how much I am struggling.

Just what I need to live this life
Drinking alcohol is what I believe I need to survive.

And all of us here
The people around me.

Raise our eyes and our spirits
We are trying to bring positive energy into this situation.

Our hands and our voices
We are using our hands and voices to make something happen.

That your ears may hear it
I want you to be aware of what we are doing and saying.

I am drinking again and I toast you
I am raising my glass to you, even though you will never know how much I am struggling.

Who will never know what it is that I do
You will never know how much I am suffering and how much I am drinking.

Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Heytaco

5y↑10

Glad this song got so many views over the years. Love this song.

ACB

a classic.

Quint Ork

2y↑1

i havent been so moved by this mood of music since i heard the bone machine album by tom waits on acid in front of a roaring open fire in a lockin pub in ealing when i was 17