Lovedrug drew nationwide attention with two independent EPs in 2003 and 2004, followed by the highly acclaimed debut full-length Pretend You’re Alive in July 2004 on indie The Militia Group (Sony). The fastest selling debut in label history, Militia upstreamed the band to parent label Columbia Records for a planned rerelease in March 2005 around the radio single “Spiders”. Though unrelated corporate purging at Columbia left many plans stillborn, Lovedrug toured heavily, including dates with The Killers, Robert Plant, Switchfoot, and Coheed & Cambria, and established a sizable American following.
By late 2006, Lovedrug had a new album’s worth of material and, to avoid continued upheaval at Columbia, returned to The Militia Group to release Everything Starts Where It Ends in March of 2007. The album was well received, selling close to 30k albums in several months on the back of Japanese and North American touring, including two headline runs and tours with Sparta and Blue October. Several singles/videos saw traction at radio & MTV, including “Ghost By Your Side” and “Happy Apple Poison”, but a lack of significant label support failed to capitalize, leaving the band frustrated and burned out.
After a brief interlude, founder Shepard reformed the group and proceeded to write what would become Lovedrug’s 3rd album as a bit of catharsis, working with iconic producer Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mew) to exorcise several years of demons in an aggressive homage to grunge. Though the 2008 release of The Sucker Punch Show coincided with the collapse of the Militia Group in North America, the album was especially well received upon it’s 2009 release in Europe, landing at #6 on the coveted Visions summer chart, garnering broad radio play for the single “Only One”, and seeing the band play shows and festivals with Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Silversun Pickups, and Eagles of Death Metal.
Following the European summer tour, a fully revitalized Lovedrug took the rest of 2009 to explore and define what would come next. The band self-released EP- PART I in April, the first in a series of three such indie EPs planned for 2010, while continuing to write, tinker, and prepare for the HiFi album to come. Lovedrug will play a number of dates this spring, including a headlining tour June/July, Bamboozle, and others.
Band Members:
Michael Shepard - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Jeremy Michael Gifford - Guitar, Synthesizer, Piano
Thomas Bragg - Bass
James Childress - Drums
Rocknroll
Lovedrug Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't even fall in love at happy hour
I think I'll go home now and dream about
The nightmares that could be
Like all my friends turning into my enemies
You're good at pushing me out
Late that night I am awakened by the banshee's cry
I see the rusty swing set blow
From generations long ago
Under moonlight the plow is stained
by the power of your name
You're good at pushing me out
The farmer's daughter raises hell
When I try to kiss her
Screaming "daddies" now I run
Here's to sickle swinging fun
You're good at pushing me out
The lyrics to Lovedrug's "Rocknroll" speak to feelings of loneliness and isolation, accentuated by alcohol abuse and dark fantasies. The singer is a person who finds themselves turning to alcohol as a quick fix for their problems, but they are unable to form any meaningful connections with others, even in social situations such as happy hour. Instead, they retreat into their own mind, where they entertain nightmares of losing their friends and becoming an outcast. The second verse takes an even darker turn as the singer is awakened by a ghostly howl and is too frightened to reach for the bottle. They witness surreal scenes like a rusty swing set and a blood-stained plow, connected to someone with a powerful and sinister influence over them. The final lines allude to an encounter with the titular farmer's daughter, who rejects their advances with violence, leaving the singer to flee into the night.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of someone struggling within themselves and with their relationships to others. The use of the banshee's cry and other supernatural imagery further emphasizes the singer's feelings of being haunted and trapped. The tone is both melancholic and haunting, matching the desperation of the singer's situation.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Tuesday and I already hit the bottle
I am already drinking on a weekday
I can't even fall in love at happy hour
I cannot find love even during the most sociable hours
I think I'll go home now and dream about The nightmares that could be
I would rather go home and dream about possible nightmares
Like all my friends turning into my enemies
I fear that my friends may turn against me
You're good at pushing me out
You have a habit of keeping me at arm's length
Late that night I am awakened by the banshee's cry
I am disturbed by a loud and frightening noise at night
And I am much too scared to get a drink
I am too scared to drink anything to calm myself
I see the rusty swing set blow From generations long ago
I see an old, rusty swing set swaying in the wind
Under moonlight the plow is stained by the power of your name
The moonlight reveals your name on a plow, reminding me of your influence
The farmer's daughter raises hell When I try to kiss her
The farmer's daughter gets angry when I try to kiss her
Screaming "daddies" now I run Here's to sickle swinging fun
She shouts for her father and I quickly leave, pretending it was all in good fun
You're good at pushing me out
You have made it clear that you do not want to be close to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL L. SHEPARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind