Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Son Of "Cha!"
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you don't, you'll have to wait
Doctor, help me medicate
Doctor, give it to me straight
If you got the stink of luck
Find a moviestar to fuck
Come on like a semi truck
I said "all night"
Thinking what you shoulda been
Left without a decent friend
Not now, not then
Sell my life in stock and trade
Making like you got it made
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Bailing through my barricade
Living and in love with me
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Don't wanna break down
Yeah (x3)
Passin' up your salad days
Creepin' up on middle-age
Chasin' down the latest craze
Oh yeah, all-right
If you want it, then it's great
If you don't, you'll have to wait
Doctor, help me medicate
Doctor, give it to me straight
Living and in love with me
Bailing through my barricade
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Sell my life in stock and trade
Making like you got it made
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Don't wanna break down
Sell my life in stock and trade
Making like you got it made
So if you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Sell my life in stock and trade
Making like you got it made
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Sailing down my barricade
Living and in love with me
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Don't wanna break down
Yeah (x4)
The Local H's song "Son of Cha!" is a commentary on the pursuit of success and the desperation that often accompanies it. The lyrics suggest that in order to achieve success, one must be willing to do whatever it takes and that success is often equated with material possessions and sex appeal. The line "If you got the stink of luck, find a moviestar to fuck" implies that luck and success are tied to sexual conquests and connections in the entertainment industry.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of disillusionment with the world, as evidenced by the line "Thinking what you coulda been, thinking what you shoulda been, left without a decent friend." This line speaks to the idea that success often comes at the expense of personal relationships and that one can end up feeling isolated and alone despite material success.
The repeated refrain of "If you want another, you know me, I got nowhere to be" speaks to the idea that success can be isolating and that one can end up feeling like they have no real connections or purpose, even if they have everything they thought they wanted.
Overall, "Son of Cha!" is a scathing commentary on the pursuit of success and the personal toll it can take. It suggests that true happiness and fulfillment are not found in material success, but in personal relationships and a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want it, then it's great
If something is important to you, then it is worth pursuing
If you don't, you'll have to wait
If something isn't a priority for you, then you can wait to pursue it later
Doctor, help me medicate
Asking for help to numb emotional pain
Doctor, give it to me straight
Asking for honest advice or information from an authority figure
If you got the stink of luck
If you have good fortune
Find a moviestar to fuck
Taking advantage of good fortune by seeking out pleasure or superficial success
Come on like a semi truck
Acting with force and determination
I said "all night"
Expressing the desire to persist in a certain course of action
Thinking what you coulda been
Regretting missed opportunities and missed potential
Thinking what you shoulda been
Regretting not living up to your own expectations
Left without a decent friend
Feeling lonely and unsupported
Not now, not then
Rejecting the past and present as positive experiences
Sell my life in stock and trade
Trading personal fulfillment for money or other external rewards
Making like you got it made
Pretending to be successful, no matter how dissatisfied you truly feel
If you want another
You know me, I got nowhere to be
Expressing availability and willingness to help others, even if it is to your own detriment
Bailing through my barricade
Abandoning your own defenses against hurt and allowing someone to get close
Living and in love with me
Expressing deep affection for oneself
Don't wanna break down
Resisting the urge to show vulnerability and admit to struggles
Passin' up your salad days
Missing out on youthful, carefree days
Creepin' up on middle-age
Growing older and feeling like time is running out for achieving dreams or goals
Chasin' down the latest craze
Following societal fads and trends
Oh yeah, all-right
An expression of accepting your own situation, no matter how dissatisfied you may be
Sailing down my barricade
Maintaining defenses against hurt and keeping people at a distance
Yeah (x4)
An expression of general affirmation
Contributed by Aaliyah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
joe jones
good album (like all H albums)
Joe Messina
So epic
benzoadone thc
Dr help me medicate