Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales; formed… Read Full Bio ↴Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales; formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore, with their post-grunge song "Sickfest". Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who supports marijuana for medical use.

Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention, gaining fans and peaking at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Charts; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies also reached No. 2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, which peaked at No. 4, won the 2005 'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards.

The band was signed to Universal Records in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living; "Chemical Heart", via the internet; and a cover of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons EP, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music.

On 4 December 2013, they announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus to pursue individual projects.

Sickfest
Grinspoon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"We also like to blow holes in the heads of rednecks" (sample)

You can't try and sink your thoughts into my brain
Contradict, you've always been too lame
Guilt has always found you hiding away
Wallow in your pity

You make sick

I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you

Train your mind to believe
All that you say
Stab yourself so he will turn in today
Ben and frank, bliss isn't what you prayed
Don't you ever say what matters

You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you

Break you down,
Yeah I'm breaking you down
You're broken down

Crave me!

You can't try and sink your thoughts into my brain
Contradict, you've always been too lame
Guilt has always found you hiding away
Wallow in your pity

You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick
I make you
Every time I see you I break you
You make sick

I make you
Every time I see you I break you

Overall Meaning

The sample at the beginning of the song, which says "We also like to blow holes in the heads of rednecks," sets a violent tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics appear to be directed towards someone who is contradicting the singer and trying to persuade them to think a certain way. The singer is rejecting this person's ideas and tells them that they cannot try and influence their thoughts. The lines "Every time I see you I break you" and "You make sick, I make you" suggest that the singer is trying to assert dominance over the person they are addressing.

The chorus "You make sick, I make you" repeats throughout the song and reiterates the power dynamic between the singer and the person they are addressing. The lines "Train your mind to believe all that you say," and "Don't you ever say what matters" suggest that the singer believes the other person is telling lies or trying to manipulate them. They are determined to break down this other person's beliefs and make them submit to their own way of thinking.

Overall, the lyrics of "Sickfest" are aggressive and confrontational, portraying a power struggle between two people. The singer is determined to assert their dominance and break down the other person's beliefs.

Line by Line Meaning

You can't try and sink your thoughts into my brain
Don't try to influence me with your opinions

Contradict, you've always been too lame
You always dispute without merit

Guilt has always found you hiding away
You're constantly plagued by guilt and avoid confrontation

Wallow in your pity
You enjoy being a victim

Every time I see you I break you
You annoy me and I feel the need to lash out

Train your mind to believe
Brainwash yourself to think your beliefs are the only valid ones

All that you say
Your words are gospel to you

Stab yourself so he will turn in today
Harm yourself to manipulate someone else's actions

Ben and frank, bliss isn't what you prayed
The pursuit of happiness doesn't always lead to bliss

Don't you ever say what matters
You ignore what's important and focus on trivial matters

Break you down,
Reduce you to a lesser state