After releasing two albums with this line-up, Sal left due to musical differences, and recruited a drummer for the recording/touring of 'Soul Searching Sun.' Caputo felt that the band's original spirit had left the band, and decided to quit in 1997. After a tour with replacement vocalist Whitfield Crane, the singer from Ugly Kid Joe, the band officially disbanded in 1999.
In 2003, the band reunited with their original line-up and played two sold-out shows before their home-town crowd, receiving great reception. This eventually led to a new studio album in 2005, namely 'Broken Valley'. Caputo came out as transgender in 2011. The band broke up again in 2012.
In 2014 the original 'River Runs Red' line-up returned to stage for several gigs. Their latest album A Place Where There's No More Pain was released in 2017. An upcoming album 'The Sound of Scars' is set to be released in 2019.
Heroin Dreams
Life of Agony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it was never enough now
That heroin stuff
Traveling through Daddy's arm now
Cuffed in that junk who knows if I would survive
Once you start shooting, forget living life
Lost in your shadows, no soul, no backbone
Everybody's talking about heroin dreams...
What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your life?
Scream at me, back slap me, chew off my ears
And I can't stop this sickness, I've been trying for years
Deeper and deeper lies, sensational fears
They're here just to guide you as we age through the years
Everybody's talking about heroin dreams...
What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your life?
What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your time?
I'm lost in your shadows...
The first two lines of the song “Heroin Dreams” by Life of Agony speaks of the never-ending cycle of addiction. The singer searching for a high that he could never be satisfied with. The third line mentions Daddy's arm, suggesting that this cycle of addiction could have been passed down from a parental figure. The song then moves to a jittery and paranoid state, where the singer wonders if he can even survive getting high again. He muses that once you start down this path, you cannot live any semblance of a normal life, and you lose yourself in a world of addiction. The lines “Lost in your shadows, no soul, no backbone” directly indicate that by indulging in heroin, a person loses sight of themselves, their personality, and their moral compass.
The chorus of the song “Everybody's talking about heroin dreams, What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your life?” brings the focus to the bigger picture. The singer is reflecting on the path of his life and where it has taken him, and he is asking the same question of his listeners. The chorus seems to be a plea for people to make better choices and not allow their lives to be controlled by addiction. The lines “Scream at me, back slap me, chew off my ears, and I can't stop this sickness, I've been trying for years” reveal how addiction is a sickness that is incredibly difficult to shake. The final lines “They're here just to guide you as we age through the years. I'm lost in your shadows…” expresses a sense of acceptance that the addiction will follow them throughout their lives, and they will always be in its shadow.
Line by Line Meaning
And it was never enough
The addiction to heroin cannot be satisfied with any amount of drugs that the person injects.
And it was never enough now
The person's craving for heroin only keeps increasing as time passes.
That heroin stuff
Refers to the addictive drug known as heroin.
Traveling through Daddy's arm now
The father is also a heroin addict and is injecting the drug into his or someone else's arm.
Cuffed in that junk who knows if I would survive
Survival is uncertain when a person gets addicted to heroin.
Once you start shooting, forget living life
Heroin addiction is so powerful that it consumes a person's life completely.
Lost in your shadows, no soul, no backbone
The addiction makes the person lose all sense of self and makes them feel powerless.
Sucked in, locked down, spinning breakdown, heroin whores
The person is trapped in a never-ending cycle of addiction, surrounded by others who are addicts.
Everybody's talking about heroin dreams...
The prevalence of heroin addiction is so high that everyone seems to be discussing its effects.
What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your life?
The addiction threatens to take over the person's entire life.
Scream at me, back slap me, chew off my ears
The pain of addiction is so intense that the person would rather endure physical abuse than endure the withdrawal symptoms.
And I can't stop this sickness, I've been trying for years
The person is aware of the negative effects of heroin addiction but it is difficult to quit.
Deeper and deeper lies, sensational fears
The addiction causes the person to become less trustworthy and paranoid.
They're here just to guide you as we age through the years
The addictive nature of heroin will cause a person to struggle with it as they grow older.
What the fuck you gonna do with the rest of your time?
The addiction consumes so much time that a person is left wondering what to do with their time.
I'm lost in your shadows...
The addiction has caused the person to become completely consumed by it and feel powerless.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN ROBERT, DAN RICHARDSON, JOEY ZAMPELLA, KEITH CAPUTO, SAL ABRUSCATO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind