Clare Fader & the Vaudevillains is a dark cabaret act that blends cabaret, … Read Full Bio ↴Clare Fader & the Vaudevillains is a dark cabaret act that blends cabaret, jazz, pop, and world music that calls Winston-Salem, North Carolina their home.

Led by Clare Fader on vocals, the Vaudevillains - Aaron Bachelder (percussion), Brad Cokendolpher (guitar), Mary K. Elinks (cello), and Andy Mabe (bass and backing vocals) - released the album Seventh and Trade in 2003 on the Raconteur Records label, "The Southeast's Most Independent Label" founded by Fader herself.

Prior to Seventh and Trade, Fader released a "solo" album entitled The Elephant's Baby in December, 2000, to which Dirty Linen said, "One of the more unique American recordings I have heard in recent years."

Clare Fader's music has been used in episodes of MTV's The Real World, as well as in Ramin Bahrani's film Man Push Cart. She's also been featured on a "Biddycast," which is a Podcast program started by her friends the Lascivious Biddies.

Drunk On Skin
Clare Fader Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My life was free of friction
I needed a new addiction
But every drug I tried
Left me paranoid
And I was feeling apprehensive
'Cause my tastes are so expensive
And while I sighed inside
I was never satisfied

Till I got drunk on skin

Now I'm drunk on skin
Yeah skin is in
I'm drunk on skin
Thank God that skin is in

I was tired of party tricks
I was ready for a fix
To ease my melancholy
With something more than folly
I needed an elixir
Like Kansas needed a twister
Every stabbing pain
Soon became inane
Till I got drunk on skin

Try not to stare
When all is laid bare
Shed every layer
You wear

I was feeling past my prime
I'd lost my taste for wine
The only thoughts I'd muster
Seemed jaded and lackluster
So hopeless and bucolic
Like a plateaued alcoholic
Then came a warm breeze

That knocked me to my knees
When I got drunk on skin

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Clare Fader's song "Drunk on Skin" speak of a desire for a new addiction, a fix to ease the melancholy that comes with the monotony of life. But every drug tried just left the singer feeling paranoid and apprehensive. It wasn't until they discovered the addiction to "skin" that they found something that truly satisfied them. "Skin" seems to be a metaphor for true human connection and intimacy, something that can't be found in any drug or party trick. The chorus repeats "I'm drunk on skin," expressing the singer's newfound addiction and gratitude for its existence.

Line by Line Meaning

My life was free of friction
I was living a smooth and problem-free life

I needed a new addiction
I wanted something to obsess over and consume my time

But every drug I tried Left me paranoid
Any substance I tried to replace my craving left me anxious and uneasy

And I was feeling apprehensive 'Cause my tastes are so expensive
I was nervous because my desires were expensive and difficult to fulfill

And while I sighed inside I was never satisfied
Even though I was sad, nothing was able to truly make me happy

Till I got drunk on skin
Until I found comfort and pleasure in the touch of another person's skin

Now I'm drunk on skin Yeah skin is in I'm drunk on skin Thank God that skin is in
I have found my new addiction and I am happy that the sensation of touch is so popular

I was tired of party tricks I was ready for a fix To ease my melancholy With something more than folly
I was tired of temporary distractions and needed something that could truly help me overcome my sadness

I needed an elixir Like Kansas needed a twister
I needed something powerful and transformational, like a tornado is for the Kansas landscape

Every stabbing pain Soon became inane
Any emotional pain I felt became meaningless once I found comfort in the touch of another person

Try not to stare When all is laid bare Shed every layer You wear
Don't be surprised if you feel exposed and vulnerable when you let yourself be touched intimately

I was feeling past my prime I'd lost my taste for wine The only thoughts I'd muster Seemed jaded and lackluster
I felt like I was getting old and nothing was exciting anymore; my thoughts were boring and uninspired

So hopeless and bucolic Like a plateaued alcoholic Then came a warm breeze That knocked me to my knees When I got drunk on skin
I felt stuck in a rut, like a heavy-drinking alcoholic who can't quit, but then I discovered the ecstasy of physical touch and it changed everything for me

Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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