Originally comprising vocalist, bassist and songwriter Duff McKagan (formerly of Guns N' Roses), guitarist Michael Barragan (formerly of Plexi), guitarist Dez Cadena (formerly of Black Flag) and drummer Taz Bentley (formerly of The Reverend Horton Heat), the band released Episode 1999: Live in 1999.
In 2000, McKagan began recording Dark Days, which was released in 2001, with drummer Geoff Reading (formerly of New American Shame and Green Apple Quick Step) and Dave Dederer (formerly of The Presidents of the United States of America) with additional guitar parts added by touring guitarist Mike Squires (formerly of Nevada Bachelors and Harvey Danger). For the tour, bassist Jeff Rouse (formerly of Alien Crime Syndicate) was added to the group. During the tour, both Squires and Rouse left to rejoin Alien Crime Syndicate with gutiarist Dave Kushner, formerly of Wasted Youth and Electric Love Hogs, and bassist George Stuart Dahlquist, formerly of Asva and Burning Witch, replacing them.
With both McKagan and Kushner going on to form Velvet Revolver with McKagan's former Guns N' Roses bandmates, Slash and Matt Sorum, and then former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland in 2002, Loaded were put on semi-hiatus with the band playing a few shows each year with former members Rouse and Squires returning to the group.
Loaded regrouped in 2008, with the lineup still consisting of McKagan, Squires, Rouse and Reading. The band released extended play Wasted Heart in September in support of their UK/European tour. The follow up to Dark Days, Sick, was released on April 7, 2009 and charted at number 43 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart. A tour of the US and Europe as well as South America followed along with stints supporting Black Stone Cherry and Mötley Crüe.
In September 2009, drummer Reading announced his departure from the group with Isaac Carpenter, formerly of Loudermilk, Gosling and The Exies, announced as his replacement. The group are currently working on new material for their next release.
King of the World
Duff McKagan's Loaded Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The dirty clothes that I slept in,
Today I'm finally through, it's time for something new
Morning coffee and Ritalin,
Haven't slept since I don't know when,
I need a friend or two, someone I haven't used
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, at least I quit cocaine
You dirty fuck you lied again,
This isn't black tar heroin,
To get me through the day, I'll do it anyway
I hid a gun in a darkened place,
A simple short arm's length away,
Somebody's gotta pay, I hate the world today
Tremors, shakes, can't break this chill that's in my veins,
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, at least I quit cocaine
You can't stop me, I can't stop me,
Yeah, can't cure this chill that's in my veins
Turn, go away, stop knocking,
Turn, go away, stop knocking,
Turn, go away, stop knocking,
Can't you tell there's no one home
Tremors, shakes, can't break this chill that's in my veins,
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, I guess I quit cocaine
Tremors, shakes, can't break this chill that's in my veins,
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, at least I quit cocaine
The lyrics to Duff McKagan's Loaded’s King of the World are undoubtedly raw and blunt, exploiting the themes of addiction, desperation, and despair. From the very first line where he mentions the empty bottle of Vicodin, we can tell that the singer is trying to escape the pain through the substances. He is sick of the cycle, the dirty clothes, and the need for drugs to get through the day. He desires something new, desperately searching for help and true friendship. It seems like he has been using people for a long time to get what he wants and now he wants to stop.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that quitting substance abuse is not as easy as it may seem. Even though he is trying to quit consuming cocaine, the singer is aware that he is quite addicted, and stopping the intake is hard. He wants to use other drugs to replace cocaine, and even thinks about using a gun. The lyrics display an individual struggling with addiction, trying their best to overcome it but at the same time, finding it hard to break away from it.
The themes explored in the song are what make it an emotional and relatable piece. McKagan, the band’s frontman, has been sober for many years, and this song is interpreted as an exploration of his own past experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Empty bottle of Vicodin,
I consumed Vicodin and the bottle is now empty.
The dirty clothes that I slept in,
The clothes I wore while I was asleep are now dirty.
Today I'm finally through, it's time for something new
Today marks the end of a cycle, and it's time for something new.
Morning coffee and Ritalin,
I took Ritalin and drank coffee in the morning.
Haven't slept since I don't know when,
I cannot recall when I last had a good sleep.
I need a friend or two, someone I haven't used
I need real friends, not people who just use me.
Tremors, shakes, can't break this chill that's in my veins,
I experience tremors and shakes due to the chill that's in my veins.
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, at least I quit cocaine
I still experience tremors and shakes, but I am determined to quit taking cocaine.
You dirty fuck you lied again,
You are a dirty person who lied to me once again.
This isn't black tar heroin,
This is not the drug I wanted to take.
To get me through the day, I'll do it anyway
Even though this is not the drug I wanted, I will still take it to get through the day.
I hid a gun in a darkened place,
I hid a gun in a place where it's difficult to see.
A simple short arm's length away,
The gun is within my arm's reach.
Somebody's gotta pay, I hate the world today
I am angry at the world, and I feel like someone has to pay for it.
You can't stop me, I can't stop me,
No one can stop me, not even myself.
Yeah, can't cure this chill that's in my veins
I cannot get rid of the chill that's in my veins.
Turn, go away, stop knocking,
I want whoever is knocking to go away and stop bothering me.
Can't you tell there's no one home
I am not in the mood to talk to anyone.
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, I guess I quit cocaine
I am still experiencing tremors and shakes, but I think I have successfully quit taking cocaine.
Tremors, shakes, can't stop today, at least I quit cocaine
I am still experiencing tremors and shakes, but I am proud of myself for quitting cocaine.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DUFF MC KAGAN, ISAAC HEATH CARPENTER, JEFFREY JOHN ROUSE, MICHAEL JAMES SQUIRES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind