The band broke up in the fall of 1996 after Smith's solo work began gaining popularity. Gust went on to play in the band No. 2. Coomes carried on as half of Quasi, as well as playing as a guest musician for Built to Spill and Sleater-Kinney. Lash currently keeps himself busy as a producer. He helped with the production of Death Cab for Cutie's first two studio albums (Something About Airplanes and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes).
Bottle Rocket
Heatmiser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A watery life of a deep repent
Bothered, I'm on my own collar
And he even knows your name
And on my way down
Right out the door
Amused by the past
I'm a hopeless
I'm gonna have him framed
Oh, anything to pin him down
I need him, he won't take the blame
And on my way down
Right out the door
Amused by the past
I never swallowed that spike before
A watery life of a deep repent
Bothered, I'm on my own collar
And he even knows your neam
And on my way down
Right out the door
Amused by the past
The lyrics to Heatmiser's song Bottle Rocket are rather cryptic and open to interpretation. The mentioned “sink full of numbers” could refer to a mind full of details and memories, perhaps even regrets, and the “watery life of deep repent” may be highlighting the emotional turmoil the singer is experiencing. The line “bothered, I’m on my own collar” portrays the feeling of being trapped, and possibly even shameful or guilty. The line that follows, “and he even knows your name,” could be referring to someone who knows about the singer’s deepest secrets, someone who has a strong hold over them.
The chorus, repeating the lines “And on my way down, right out the door, amused by the past”, could signify a sense of resignation or defeat from the singer. They seem to be leaving or moving on from something, but they’re not entirely free of it yet. The next verse follows up with the suggestion that they’re trying to hold onto someone who won’t take responsibility, who won’t admit to their mistakes. The singer may feel that they themselves are to blame for this situation, shown in the line “I’m gonna have him framed, oh, anything to pin him down. I need him, he won’t take the blame.”
Ultimately, the lyrics to Bottle Rocket leave a lot up to interpretation, but it’s clear that the singer is wrestling with intense emotions and a fear of being trapped or exposed. The repeated line “amused by the past” manages to capture the feeling of being haunted by memories and unable to fully escape them.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a sink full of numbers
He's a complex individual with a lot of layers and deep thoughts.
A watery life of a deep repent
His lifestyle is aimless and apologetic, lacking in strong direction.
Bothered, I'm on my own collar
I am weighed down by my own guilt and self-doubt which is causing me distress.
And he even knows your name
He has power and influence over you, and knows everything about you.
And on my way down
I am spiraling out of control, losing my grip on reality and any sense of stability.
Right out the door
I am making a hasty exit from a situation that is overwhelming me.
Amused by the past
I find comfort and entertainment in my memories, but I am not living in the present moment.
I'm a hopeless
I feel worthless and helpless, like there is nothing I can do to improve my situation.
I'm gonna have him framed
I want to catch him in the act of doing something wrong, and set him up for punishment.
Oh, anything to pin him down
I am desperate to find a way to control him and make him vulnerable.
I need him, he won't take the blame
Despite my desire to blame him for my problems, I am reliant on him for something and he is unwilling to accept responsibility.
I never swallowed that spike before
I am experiencing something new and unfamiliar, something uncomfortable and dangerous.
And he even knows your name
He has power and influence over you, and knows everything about you.
And on my way down
I am spiraling out of control, losing my grip on reality and any sense of stability.
Right out the door
I am making a hasty exit from a situation that is overwhelming me.
Amused by the past
I find comfort and entertainment in my memories, but I am not living in the present moment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AJ Bustamante
This song is perfect....
Dean Fletcher
I remember this song from the Heatmiser demo tape. Could be wrong, but this sounds different. Wonder if it's a different recording or maybe remastered. I liked the demo version.