The song samples Fats Domino's 1961 US Top 20 single "Let the Four Winds Blow".
The song's popularity was also aided by its later (and rather frequent) use in the British television show Trigger Happy TV.
Novocaine for the Soul
Eels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so am I
You'd better give me something
So I don't die
Novocaine for the soul
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
And I am black
Jesus and his lawyer
Are coming back
Oh my darling
Will you be here
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Guess who's living here with the great undead
This paint by numbers life is fucking with my head, once again
Life is good
And I feel great
'Cause mother says I was
A great mistake
Novocaine for the soul
You'd better give me something to fill the hole
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
The lyrics to Eels’s song “Novocaine for the Soul” deal with themes of existential crisis, depression, and the use of anesthetics to numb emotional pain. The opening lines, “Life is hard and so am I,” sets the overall tone of the song as one of bleakness and emotional pain. The singer begs for “Novocaine for the Soul” to keep them from “sputtering out” or breaking down completely. The lyrics deepen the theme of this song by creating metaphors of both white and black, representing the duality of good and evil. The reference to Jesus and his lawyer possibly suggests that the singer may be thinking of their own sins and hoping for salvation. The final line of the verse asks their lover to be there “before I sputter out,” suggesting that the singer sees the salvation of their relationship as a means to alleviate their suffering.
The second verse shifts the focus to the singer’s current reality, highlighting their disconnection from their surroundings. The lyrics “Guess who's living here with the great undead/ This paint by numbers life is fucking with my head, once again” present a sense of detachment and hopelessness. The final verse suggests that there may have been a mistake in bringing the singer into the world. However, the use of Novocaine, yet again indicates the singer's escape from the intolerable pain. This song addresses not only depression but also the helplessness that one feels when they're stuck in a situation that can't change.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is hard
Life is difficult to deal with
And so am I
I too am struggling to cope with life
You'd better give me something
I need help from someone
So I don't die
So that I can survive this experience
Novocaine for the soul
I want something to numb my psychological pain
Before I sputter out
Before I completely give up and lose hope
Life is white
Life seems unsullied and pure
And I am black
But I feel like the opposite, dark and dismal
Jesus and his lawyer
Metaphorical representation of confronting judgement and accountability
Are coming back
I feel that my misdeeds will catch up to me
Oh my darling
A plea for emotional support
Will you be here
Can I count on you to be by my side
Guess who's living here with the great undead
I feel like I am surrounded by depressed and lifeless people
This paint by numbers life is fucking with my head, once again
I feel that my monotonous and unoriginal life is affecting my mental state, yet again
Life is good
Things are going well at the moment
And I feel great
I am enjoying this period of happiness
'Cause mother says I was
My mother believes I was a successful person
A great mistake
But I feel like a failure and a disappointment
You'd better give me something to fill the hole
I need something to make up for my feelings of inadequacy and emptiness
Before I sputter out
Before I lose my will to keep going
Before I sputter out
Before I completely give up and lose hope
Before I sputter out
Before I lose my will to keep going
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK GOLDENBERG, MARK O. EVERETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tweakradje
Life is hard
And so am I
You'd better give me something
So I don't die
Novocaine for the soul
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Life is white
And I am black
Jesus and his lawyer
Are coming back
Oh my darling
Will you be here
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Guess who's living here with the great undead
This paint by numbers life is fucking with my head, once again
Life is good
And I feel great
'Cause mother says I was
A great mistake
Novocaine for the soul
You'd better give me something to fill the hole
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
Before I sputter out
@brainscott8198
I am 64 yrs old, saw The Beatles live on Ed Sullivan, saw The Doors in 1967, lived thru the 70's, Zeppelin, and 80's new wave, etc. Without a doubt the mid 90's from 1994 to about 2001 or 2002 was the single greatest 7-8 year period of music EVER. Don't ask me why, maybe it's a personal thing, maybe it's the alt rock movement in full swing by then, but I know other ppl feel the same way too....I'm not alone. This song by The Eels was in late 1996 when a ton of great alt rock was happening.
@SeanLozano
honestly, probably the last greatest period in music that 7-8 years .. it hasnt been the same since
@gluserty
I like New Wave, Retrowave, and everything in-between, and was a teenager in the era of this type of music (19 in 1996), and this particular song has always spoke to me, especially how dark things became for me in the late 1990s (less dark these days; I'm practically the welcome wagon at times😁).
@jaredm9679
You are correct indeed, young folks seem to think they know it all because they listen Miley and Justin.... haven't a clue on what they missed out on, sad in many ways
@GariSound
God Bless, so lucky🤙
@sophosschool
MOOD
@LeRouxBel
"Life is hard, so am I."
That's how a song is supposed to begin !
@HeqrtRqte
Yup
@akvam9069
its not easy being a hipster...
@TheFixerOfAll
@A Kvam Life is hard and so is the object I've become after living it. Glasses don't make the hipster before modern hipsters were a thing.