Had anyone actually thought about it, Drugstore should have been branded Alt-indie-country - as Isabel’s smoky vocals and pitch-dark lyrical subject matter, coupled with the band’s minimalist, melancholic guitar and string arrangements, stick them firmly in the lovelorn, caustic company of Low, Dusty in Memphis and Leonard Cohen.
Throughout the band's eventful career (although Isabel prefers to describe it as an adventure rather than a professional enterprise), the band have landed 2x top 50 album charts and a top 20 single.
Drugstore's music nimbly hops over the ages, from 1920s Berlin cabaret through the French chanson tradition, via The Velvet Undergrounds woozy melodic charm and Tom Waits’bar-room badinage, across PJ Harveys earnest intellect and The Bad Seeds’rumbling, angry melancholia, with an intoxicating mix of heartfelt and carefree disarming vérité.
The band was formed in 1993 when Isabel Monteiro and american drummer Mike Chylinski got together via a flat-share in East London. Soon after their self-financed debut single ‘Alive’ was released, and having only performed a handful of gigs, the band signed a major deal with maverick label GoDiscs.
The single immediately draw an unprecedented amount of attention, earning the band their first of many 'single of the week' in Melody Maker, Music Week, Q and others.
Another 2 critically acclaimed albums followed: White Magic for Lovers’, in 1998, which features the top 20 sinle ‘El President’, a duet with Thom Yorke – and ‘Songs for the JetSet’, released in 2001.
In the summer of 2001, while the band were in the middle of promoting the 'Songs for the Jetset' album, to the surprise of band members and dismay of the Record Company, Isabel suddenly decided to 'walk away from it all' and the band went into hibernation.
8 years later, in 2011, Isabel Monteiro reappeared with the semi-acoustic intimate album ‘Anatomy’, released by RocketGirl and partly financed by the fans.
In 2013 the band teams-up with London based label Cherry Red Records, for the release of a 'Best of' compilation, released on September 2013, which includes tracks spanning the band’s 20 year career and 4 albums.
The band now plays special gigs, and Monteiro is currently writing material for a new album.
Can't Stop Me Now
Drugstore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tied down, wasting
could never let me go
It was too hard to break it and
deep enough to hold what felt
like an ocean in places
Flooding up into the well
I was tied down, wasting
I need a drink, I need a little high
Just gimme something to hold
Like a drop in the rain
That's just starting to fall
Like a runaway train
When it comes to a halt
Just like some of the thingsThat you can't see at all
You can't stop me now
Well today is a good day
for feeling pretty small
I could hideout in places
get myself inside the wall
Like a bomb in the making
all you got to do is haul
I was tied down, wasting
I was slowly turning purple and cold
I need a drink, I need a little high
Just gimme something to hold
Like a drop in the rain
That's just starting to fall
Just like a runaway train
When it comes to a halt
Just like some of the things
That you can't see at all
You can't stop me now
Like a drop in the rain
Like a drop in the rain
Just like a runaway train
When it comes to a halt
Just like some of the things
That you can't see at all
You can't stop me now
No you can't stop me now
You can't stop me now...
The lyrics to "Can't Stop Me Now" by Drugstore depict the struggle of feeling trapped and tied down in a situation that is suffocating and draining. The person feels like they are slowly losing their color and energy, and they need something to hold onto to keep them going. They compare their situation to an ocean flooding into a well, overpowering and overwhelming them. However, they refuse to be stopped or held back by their circumstances.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this determination and resilience, with the repeated line "You can't stop me now." The person is determined to keep going, even if they feel small or insignificant, and they compare themselves to a drop in the rain or a runaway train that can't be halted. They even suggest that they could be a bomb in the making, ready to explode and break free at any moment.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of defiance and grit in the face of difficulty. Despite feeling trapped and drained, the person refuses to give up or let their circumstances hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
Tied down, wasting
I was stuck and wasting away, unable to move forward or progress in life.
could never let me go
The situation was so difficult to break free from, that I was never able to let go and move on from it.
It was too hard to break it and
The situation was extremely difficult to overcome and conquer, and I struggled to find a way out of it.
deep enough to hold what felt
The situation was so all-encompassing that it held onto my emotions and feelings, leaving me feeling trapped.
like an ocean in places
The situation was like a vast and endless ocean, with deep and dark places that were impossible to navigate.
Flooding up into the well
The intensity of the situation was overwhelming and kept overflowing, making it feel like it was consuming me entirely.
Yeah I was tied down, wasting
My inability to break free from the situation caused me to feel stuck and wasted away, unable to live my life fully.
I was slowly turning purple and cold
The situation was slowly draining me of all my emotion and energy, leaving me feeling numb and lifeless.
I need a drink, I need a little high
I turned to temporary escapes, like drinking or getting high, as a way to cope with my situation.
Just gimme something to hold
All I wanted was something to cling onto, something tangible that could give me comfort in this difficult time.
Like a drop in the rain
Even the smallest change or progress, like a single drop in a rainstorm, can give me hope and motivation to keep going.
That's just starting to fall
The beginning of progress, no matter how small, is still progress and is worth celebrating.
Like a runaway train
My life felt like it was spinning out of control, like a runaway train that couldn't be stopped or redirected.
When it comes to a halt
Eventually, even the most out-of-control situation will come to a stop, giving me the chance to regroup and regain control of my life.
Just like some of the things That you can't see at all
Some of the most important aspects of life, like progress or change, are intangible and can't be seen or measured.
You can't stop me now
Despite the difficulties and challenges in my life, I am determined to keep moving forward and conquering my obstacles.
Well today is a good day
Even on days when everything feels difficult and overwhelming, I still try to find some positivity and hold onto it as motivation.
for feeling pretty small
Some days, I feel insignificant and overwhelmed by the world around me, but I still try to push through and keep going.
I could hideout in places
Sometimes I feel like hiding away or escaping from my situation entirely, but I know that won't solve anything in the long run.
get myself inside the wall
I try to find comfort and safety within myself, even in the midst of difficult times and situations.
Like a bomb in the making
My emotions and feelings can sometimes feel like a ticking time-bomb, constantly building up and waiting to explode.
all you got to do is haul
All it takes to set off this emotional bomb is a small trigger or event, and everything can come crashing down.
No you can't stop me now
I am determined to overcome my obstacles and challenges, and no one can stand in the way of my progress and success.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.