Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British rock band, formed in Llandudno, Wal… Read Full Bio ↴Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British rock band, formed in Llandudno, Wales in 2007. Their debut album, The Balcony, reached number 10 in the UK Albums Chart and achieved Platinum status on 30 December 2016. The band have toured in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia and have featured in a number of festivals including Lollapalooza ,Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading and Leeds, Rock Werchter, T in the Park, Governors Ball, and Bonnaroo. They won their first Brit Award for British Breakthrough act on 24 February 2016. On 27 May 2016, they released their second album, The Ride. On 26 April 2019, they released their third album, The Balance.

Sidewinder
Catfish and the Bottlemen Lyrics

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Give me some madness I can get off on
I want to endorse you
I want you to exhaust me
Give me some mindsets I can rub off on
'Cause when you act placid
You know that I can't stand it

Whoever you're mixing your drinks with is dying to

Go to town on you
Whoever you're mixing your drinks with is dying to
Get it out of you

Give me some assumptions I can make of you
'Cause you've gotten lazy
Go ahead, girl, frustrate me
And give me some inglorious foot to gun
And come back and find me
With her entwined round me

Whoever you're mixing your drinks with is dying to
Go to town on you

Whoever you're mixing your drinks with is dying to
Get it out of you

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Sidewinder" by Catfish and The Bottlemen suggest a thirst for chaos, a craving for something that can bring excitement in life. The singer yearns for madness, something that he can get off on, something that will drive him wild. He wants to endorse, to fully embrace and indulge in the thrilling elements of life that he finds missing. He begs the addressee to give him something to rub off on as he passionately despises when things are placid, suggesting that he thrives under pressure and uncertainty.

The next verse urges the girl to challenge the singer, to confront and frustrate him. He wishes for her to put up a fight, to play hard to get, and eventually overcome her with his charm. The refrain emphasizes the presence of an unknown third party who is mixing drinks with the girl, and the singer believes that this person is waiting for an opportunity to get intimate with her. The verse provides a paradoxical picture of a tense yet sensual moment that is about to play out, full of the urgency to live life to the fullest.

Overall, this song is an ode to living recklessly, embracing uncertainty, and indulging in chaos.

Line by Line Meaning

Give me some madness I can get off on
I want something crazy and exciting that I can enjoy

I want to endorse you
I want to support and promote you

I want you to exhaust me
I want you to tire me out physically and mentally

Give me some mindsets I can rub off on
I want to learn something new from you that I can adopt as my own beliefs

'Cause when you act placid
Because when you're calm and peaceful

You know that I can't stand it
I find it boring and uninteresting

Whoever you're mixing your drinks with is dying to
The person you're drinking with is eager to

Go to town on you
have sex with you

Get it out of you
have sex with you

Give me some assumptions I can make of you
I want to guess some things about you