The band's website once noted Cracker as "The only band to ever open for both Grateful Dead and Ramones," a unique distinction which is also indicative of the band's sound and style. Cracker comfortably mixes influences and sounds ranging from classic country music, psychedelia, punk and folk into their brand of "Americana" style rock.
Lowery and Hickman are inalterable constants. The band continues to tour (as a full band, and also as the "Cracker acoustic duo").
Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab
Cracker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soraya Rozkuszka: "Someone at the San Francisco shows, Bugs I think, was talking about the recording of Kerosene Hat--the snoring [on Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab] was supposedly the security guard for the sound stage they built, who dozed off so they lowered a boom mike over him. The hammering and sawing is supposedly all them building the stage/set/whatchamacallit."
The lyrics of Cracker's song Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab, from their album Kerosene Hat, tell a story about an encounter with a group of meth dealers in the desert. The song opens with the singer stumbling upon a makeshift meth lab in the middle of the desert, and being greeted by a group of bikers who invite him to join in their revelry. The singer contemplates the potentially dangerous situation he has found himself in, but ultimately decides to go along with it, reveling in the freedom and wildness of it all.
The lyrics are rich with symbolism, referencing the American West and its history of rugged individualism and lawlessness. The meth lab represents a kind of nihilistic freedom that exists outside of society's norms, while the bikers represent a kind of outlaw spirit that has long been associated with American identity. The singer's decision to join in with the bikers is a kind of affirmation of this spirit, even as he acknowledges the potential dangers it poses.
The song is notable for its raw, gritty sound, with the snoring of a security guard and the sound of construction adding to the atmosphere of the desert. It captures the feeling of the open road and the sense of adventure that comes with embracing the unknown. Overall, Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab is a compelling portrait of a certain aspect of American life, one that is both exhilarating and dangerous at once.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna ride down to Parker
I'm going to travel down to Parker, a city located in Arizona.
Get the methamphetamine
Obtain methamphetamine, a powerful and addictive drug.
Out of this trailer
Escape from this mobile home, which is often associated with poverty and drug use.
Eat some chicharrones
Consume some chicharrones, a Mexican snack made from fried pork rinds.
And then I'll listen to Don Edwards
I will listen to the music of Don Edwards, a famous cowboy singer.
And then I'll see the border patrol
I will encounter the United States Border Patrol, a government agency responsible for securing the border between the US and Mexico.
And I'll laugh 'cause they look a little bit like me
I will find it amusing that the border patrol officers resemble me in appearance.
I'm gonna ride till I can't no more
I'm going to keep riding my motorcycle until I am no longer able to do so.
I'm gonna find what I'm looking for
I will continue my journey until I find what I am searching for, whether it be drugs, adventure, or something else entirely.
I'm gonna ride into the Hi-Desert sun
I will travel into the desert under the scorching sun.
I'm gonna get me some
I intend to obtain something, whether it be drugs, money, or another desired item.
I'm gonna ride down to Parker
I plan to visit Parker once again.
Get the methamphetamine
My goal remains to obtain methamphetamine.
Out of this trailer
I wish to distance myself from the trailer, as it is associated with negative aspects of my life.
I'm gonna ride to the biker meth lab
I will travel to a methamphetamine laboratory, often operated by members of the biker community.
With my brothers and my sister and my dad
I will be accompanied by my family members, who are also involved in the drug trade.
We'll mix it up strong
We will enhance the potency of the methamphetamine we produce.
We'll make it light
We will produce a variety of methamphetamine that is less potent than the mixture mentioned before.
We'll sleep all day
After we finish producing the drug, we will sleep for a long period of time.
And dance all night
During the night, we will dance and enjoy the effects of the methamphetamine we created.
I'm gonna ride down to Parker
I intend to return to Parker once more.
Get the methamphetamine
I still need to obtain methamphetamine.
Out of this trailer
I wish to leave the trailer once and for all.
Hammering and sawing
The loud noises produced by the construction of the sound stage/set being built for the recording of Kerosene Hat.
Security guys all groggy-eyed
The security guards assigned to protect the recording studio are sleepy and disoriented.
Lower the boom
A microphone is dropped or moved (using a boom) over the sleeping security guard to capture their snoring.
Bed springs squeakin' all night long
The sound of bed springs squeaking throughout the night, potentially signaling the use of drugs or sexual activity.
Truck drivers yawn, pool players glare
People in nearby areas, such as truck drivers and pool players, show signs of disapproval or boredom towards the loud and disruptive noise coming from the sound stage.
Everyone is wondering where and why I'm here
People around me are curious as to why I have come to this place and what my intentions are.
Contributed by Makayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.