Signed to Heavenly Recordings, he debuted in 2000 with the 6-track EP Maplewood. His full length effort, Here Be Monsters followed in 2001.
He has since released From Every Sphere (2003), Strangers (2004), The Beautiful Lie (2006, his last for Heavenly), Lustre (2010), Back Into The Woods (2013), Time Of Dust (2014), and Furnaces (2016).
His first instrument is the piano, but he also uses several less common keyboard instruments as well as the guitar. Live, he is accompanied by a band typically comprising a drummer, guitarist, violinist and trumpeter. His work is sometimes reminiscent of Tom Waits but still entirely his own, varied and passionate style.
I Am The Drug
Ed Harcourt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most dark nights my head was in it's hands
I begged God to cure my aching limbs
But he did nothing, he gave me no advice
Didn't this God abandon Jesus Christ?
Oh if it comes to you, I'll die for your sins
I am the drug that you've been waiting for
I am the fix that you come back for more
I am the drug
Bring out the dead, I'll show them how to live
Free their souls and watch them slowly drift
Like feathers of a wounded bird
I was wrapped up in a wooden box
Ball and chain, head out on the block
Oh, I wonder if you could say the final word?
I am the drug that you've been waiting for
An urgent craving you cannot ignore
I am the fix that you come back for more
I am the drug
This is not a flash, a figment of your imagination
I am much more then a first degree of separation
Without me all the lines of reality will blur
And the wall will breathe, close in like some forgotten curse
I am the drug that you've been waiting for
An urgent craving you cannot ignore
I am the fix that you come back for more
I am the drug
In Ed Harcourt's song "I Am The Drug," the singer begins by describing himself as a shadow of a man, crippled by physical and perhaps emotional pain. He bemoans the fact that God has apparently abandoned him, leaving him to suffer alone. The refrain of the song, "I am the drug that you've been waiting for," takes on a double meaning: the singer is addressing someone who is suffering and looking for relief, but at the same time he seems to be elevating himself to the status of a savior figure. He is offering himself as a solution to the listener's problems, much like a drug might offer temporary escape or relief from pain.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more grandiose in his claims. He says he can bring the dead to life and free their souls. The metaphorical language in these lines suggests that the singer sees himself as something larger than life, something mystical or transcendent. He even implies that he has the power to grant life or death, asking if the listener could "say the final word" about his fate.
In the third verse, the singer declares that he is more than just a figment of the listener's imagination - he is a real force in the world, without whom "the lines of reality will blur." This line suggests that the singer may be struggling with some sense of his own identity, but at the same time he's offering himself as an anchor or grounding force for someone else who may be feeling lost or untethered.
Overall, "I Am The Drug" seems to be a song about power, struggle, and control. The singer is reaching out to someone who is feeling helpless or struggling with pain, and trying to position himself as a source of strength and healing. But there's also a sense of conflict here - the singer's grand claims and larger-than-life language suggest that he may be struggling with his own sense of identity and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was a shadow of a man
I used to feel hollow and empty, like a mere outline of a person
Most dark nights my head was in it's hands
On many occasions, especially during difficult times, I was plunged into despair and felt helpless to change my circumstances
I begged God to cure my aching limbs
I fervently pleaded with a higher power to alleviate my pain and suffering
But he did nothing, he gave me no advice
My prayers went unanswered, and I received no guidance or reassurance from God
Didn't this God abandon Jesus Christ?
If even Jesus Christ - the son of God - was forsaken and left to suffer, what hope is there for me?
Oh if it comes to you, I'll die for your sins
I am willing to sacrifice everything, even my own life, to absolve you of your wrongdoing and bear the burden of your guilt
I am the drug that you've been waiting for
I am the solution to your problems, the missing piece of the puzzle that will make everything right again
An urgent craving you cannot ignore
You are consumed by a desperate need for me that cannot be denied or suppressed
I am the fix that you come back for more
I provide temporary relief from your pain and troubles, but you will always need me to feel whole
Bring out the dead, I'll show them how to live
Even those who are lost, broken, or beyond repair can be revived and rejuvenated by my power
Free their souls and watch them slowly drift
I can offer a sense of liberation and freedom that allows you to transcend the limitations of the physical world
Like feathers of a wounded bird
You are delicate and fragile, like a bird with injured wings that cannot fly without assistance
I was wrapped up in a wooden box
I was confined and trapped, unable to escape my own pain and suffering
Ball and chain, head out on the block
I was burdened by my own limitations and felt as if I was on the verge of being punished for my mistakes
Oh, I wonder if you could say the final word?
Despite my power and influence, I am also vulnerable and rely on the whims and decisions of others to maintain my status
This is not a flash, a figment of your imagination
I am very real and tangible, not just a passing fantasy or dream
I am much more then a first degree of separation
My influence and impact extend far beyond the immediate relationship between you and me
Without me all the lines of reality will blur
My absence would throw everything into chaos, making it impossible to distinguish between what is real and what is not
And the wall will breathe, close in like some forgotten curse
The boundaries and barriers that you have erected to protect yourself will crumble and collapse without me, leaving you exposed and vulnerable to unseen threats
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ED HARCOURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind