Since 1996, an evolving lineup of the band, always fronted by singer/songwriter John Easdale, has been performing in one incarnation or another (initially billed as Easdale solo but usually with assistance from former band mates), and from then until 2003 played occasional shows in the L.A. area, as well as in New Jersey. However, amid renewed interest since the Bands Reunited episode in January 2004 and a large-scale appearance at KROQ-FM's annual Inland Invasion festival concert (attended by more than 78,000 fans) in September 2003, Dramarama has been touring nationally in 2004 and 2005, and released their first new, full-length studio CD, titled "everybody dies," on October 25, 2005.
In 1982, Dramarama formed in and around Wayne, New Jersey, where founding member Chris Carter owned a record store called Looney Tunez Records. The initial line-up consisted of singer/songwriter John Easdale, "Mr. E Boy" (Mark Englert) and Carter, later joined by Peter Wood on guitars, Jesse Farbman on drums. Jesse would leave the group after the third album, and was eventually replaced with drummer Clem Burke, whose prior band was Blondie. Other early bandmates included keyboardists Theothorous Athanasious "Teddy" Ellenis and "Secret Weapon" Tommy Mullaney, who doubled as the band's tour manager.
The current lineup consists of frontman John Easdale and several players from Dramarama's former incarnation, including lead guitarist Mark Englert and rhythm guitar player Peter Wood (the only band member who moved back to New Jersey and still maintains a residence there). Rounding out the band are Los Angeles-based musicians Tony Snow on drums, and Craig Ballam (guitar) and Mike Davis (bass), the two of whom also maintain a side project called Shobud. In addition, Mike Davis is the official bass player for Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford's eponymous solo band, and appears on Halford's upcoming CD, Halford IV.
A number of prominent musicians has joined the band for studio sessions on specific tracks over the years, perhaps most notably pianist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and guitarist Mick Taylor, late of the Rolling Stones, on Vinyl. In addition, fellow power pop artist Dwight Twilley lent vocals to several songs on hi-fi sci-fi, on which The New York Dolls' Sylvain Sylvain also made a vocal appearance.
In addition, other artists often join Dramarama onstage or in the studio, including bassist Steve "Muddy Shews" Shewchuk from seminal Jersey shore band Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes; keyboardist Morley Bartnoff from Cosmo Topper (formerly of the 1980s band Burning Sensations), and harmonica player "Trashcan" Ray Barwick, as well as former No Soap Radio members Danny Roselle on keys and guitar, and drummer Chris O'Hara.
Last Cigarette
Dramarama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya know it's sharper than a sabre, I don't feel like Errol Flynn
Got no computer I can't type the letter in
You're not responding right I guess I better start again
Well lets pretend this fellas hungry got a dozen mouths to feed
He asked for money for a bus pass and my, heart bleeds
I throw him a dollar that's exactly what he needs
To get another jug of Thunderbird and naturally ask me for a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
A wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
A wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
I know it's killing me
Yea I know it's killing me
Yea I know it's killing me
Yea I know I know I know I know I know I know I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
(Shut up!)
It's getting late you got to get the kitten fed
You got to kiss the little woman put the children in the bed
Check the sports and weather and the living and the dead
You don't have to read the headlines you can hear what Johnny Carson said
Oh mister sandman won't you listen to me please I'm saying
I'll stay in bed but I'll pretend I'm on my knees and praying
One for my hunger and another for my greed
And just forget about my envy Lord and give me what I need, I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
A wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
A wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
I know it's killing me
I know it's killing me
I know it's killing me
Yea I know I know I know I know I know I know I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
"Last Cigarette" by Dramarama seems to be a reflection on addiction and the difficulty of breaking free from its grasp. The singer of the song seems to be struggling with both his physical dependence on cigarettes and his general tendency towards indulgence in other areas of his life. The opening lines suggest a desire to return to simpler times, but also a frustration with the limitations of traditional tools like pens and paper in comparison to the ease and speed of modern technology. This sentiment is echoed later in the song when the singer expresses frustration over not being able to communicate effectively via electronic means.
The verses that follow describe a scene in which the singer encounters a man asking for money for a bus pass. The singer gives him some cash, but seems to simultaneously judge him for his reliance on alcohol and cigarettes as well. The repetition of the phrase "last cigarette" throughout the song underscores its central importance to the singer's daily routine and perhaps even his sense of identity. The repeated use of the phrase "one before I go to bed" reinforces the idea that the addiction is deeply ingrained and difficult to shake.
The final verse of the song returns to the theme of wanting to simplify one's life and stop indulging in unnecessary desires. The singer turns to prayer, acknowledging both his physical hunger and his spiritual need for guidance. Despite the hopeful tone of this verse, the fact that the song ends on the refrain of "last cigarette" suggests that the struggle to overcome addiction is ongoing and difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey hey it's been so long since I have written with pen
It has been a while since I last used a pen to write
Ya know it's sharper than a sabre, I don't feel like Errol Flynn
Pens are sharper than swords, but I don't feel heroic
Got no computer I can't type the letter in
I don't have a computer to type my letter
You're not responding right I guess I better start again
You're not responding to me properly, so I have to start over
Well lets pretend this fellas hungry got a dozen mouths to feed
Let's imagine this person is hungry and has many mouths to feed
He asked for money for a bus pass and my, heart bleeds
He requested money for a bus pass, and I feel sorry for him
I throw him a dollar that's exactly what he needs
I give him the exact amount of money he asked for
To get another jug of Thunderbird and naturally ask me for a
He uses the money to buy alcohol and then asks me for a cigarette
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
I need one last cigarette before going to bed
It's getting late you got to get the kitten fed
It's getting late, and I need to feed the kitten
You got to kiss the little woman put the children in the bed
I have to kiss my wife and put the children to bed
Check the sports and weather and the living and the dead
I need to check the news for sports, weather, and current events
You don't have to read the headlines you can hear what Johnny Carson said
I don't need to read the headlines, I can just listen to Johnny Carson
Oh mister sandman won't you listen to me please I'm saying
Mr. Sandman, please listen to my request
I'll stay in bed but I'll pretend I'm on my knees and praying
I'll stay in bed but pretend to pray
One for my hunger and another for my greed
I need one for hunger and another for greed
And just forget about my envy Lord and give me what I need, I need a
Please forget my envy, Lord, and give me what I need - one last cigarette before bed
I know it's killing me
I am aware that smoking is harmful to my health
Yea I know I know I know I know I know I know I need a
I know I need one last cigarette before bed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID BRYAN, JON BON JOVI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@guillermoalbertogarciapere6052
Hey hey it's been so long since I have written with pen
Ya know it's sharper than a sabre, I don't feel like Errol Flynn
Got no computer I can't type the letter in
You're not responding right I guess I better start again
Well lets pretend this fellas hungry got a dozen mouths to feed
He asked for money for a bus pass and my, heart bleeds
I throw him a dollar that's exactly what he needs
To get another jug of Thunderbird and naturally ask me for a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
A wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
A wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
I know it's killing me
Yea I know it's killing me
Yea I know it's killing me
Yea I know I know I know I know I know I know I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
(Shut up!)
It's getting late you got to get the kitten fed
You got to kiss the little woman put the children in the bed
Check the sports and weather and the living and the dead
You don't have to read the headlines you can hear what Johnny Carson said
Oh mister sandman won't you listen to me please I'm saying
I'll stay in bed but I'll pretend I'm on my knees and praying
One for my hunger and another for my greed
And just forget about my envy Lord and give me what I need, I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
A wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
A wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua, a wha wha wha hua
I know it's killing me
I know it's killing me
I know it's killing me
Yea I know I know I know I know I know I know I need a
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
Last cigarette, last cigarette, last cigarette, one before I go to bed
@markboyd1696
It is an absolute pathetic shame that this song and video doesn't have at least a million views. A classic song that unfortunately went too far under the radar. Terrific band and this is an all time classic.
@stephenparis9595
You're absolutely correct, but somehow at the same time, that's exactly as it should be.
@Jason-kg4rs
Their timing was off, arrived to early, I remember hearing them on the independent indie station we had and nowhere else.....if they had hit mid nineties they could have been huge. Just keep them as a gem for yourself.
@yepok2957
Turned my nephews and nieces onto this. Seventeen to twenty two. They love it. I grew up with it.
@jonsteelman6871
so-called alt. rock was entirely under the radar. too bad; some very interesting performances by Dramarama. not quite rock; not quite punk. we took clients to see them at the Irvine Amphitheatre 1993; a warm up for Cult. We were in the 7th row from the stage, AND I still have hearing loss today.
@nealswanson9729
I don't even smoke cigarettes but this song gets stuck in your head
@supercheese905
This song makes me wanna smoke a cigarette lol
@sweetpurplegurl
2020 and still a cool song 💜💜💜
@stolatboy9058
Great band, great song, very dearly missed !
@Sofi-lb6hl
Such a great song. I think of it every time I have a cigarette late at night