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
The Monster
Lovedrug Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You should pack your bags
And leave your children behind,
I hear Egypt is nice this time of year,
The shadows from outside are creeping in,
In dreams it seems you're lacking of the
Dreams you need to wake up,
Careful,
The monster is round that corner
And he's waiting for blood tonight,
He knows that you might fight back
your eyes are growing dark,
The windows to your soul are showing off,
It's hard for me to say
"That's how I like it," baby
The screaming from the cellar never helps
You're dreams they seem to leave you alone,
In dreams it seems you can't fight,
But some weapons would be nice
Careful,
The monster is down that hallway
Drooling over your tasty arm,
He knows that you can't harm him ever
But he doesn't know
You've got an exorcism show,
But he knows,
Rot in hell, rot in hell
The song "The Monster" by Lovedrug is a haunting and dark ballad that explores the themes of fear and powerlessness. The lyrics depict a sense of impending danger and the need to escape from it. The reference to Egypt being a nice place to go is a metaphorical escape from reality, as Egypt typically represents a place of mystery and wonder. The shadows creeping in the room and the monster waiting for blood add to the sense of danger and fear. The lyrics show a protagonist who is aware of the monster's presence and knows that fighting back is futile. The line "You've got an exorcism show" suggests that the singer has some kind of power or weapon to fight the monster, but it is unclear whether it is enough to protect them.
The song uses vivid imagery to create a sense of tension and fear. The lyrics are open to interpretation and could be seen as a metaphor for various situations where people feel trapped and powerless, such as abusive relationships or mental illness. The repeated warnings to be careful add to the tension and reinforce the idea that there is a genuine threat.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is growing dark,
Night is approaching and things are becoming ominous.
You should pack your bags
It's time to leave because things are getting dangerous.
And leave your children behind,
It's a time of desperation and impossible choices must be made.
I hear Egypt is nice this time of year,
There is an escape, a sanctuary that one can hide in.
The shadows from outside are creeping in,
Danger is approaching from the outside, closing in on you.
In dreams it seems you're lacking of the
In a state of dreaming, there is a lack of the necessary elements for survival.
Dreams you need to wake up,
One needs dreams that will help them survive the challenges of reality.
Just to run out of luck
Even with the necessary dreams, luck may not be on your side.
Careful,
Be aware of what's ahead, there is danger approaching.
The monster is round that corner
There is a dangerous enemy lurking nearby.
And he's waiting for blood tonight,
The enemy is out for blood and is eager to take a life.
He knows that you might fight back
The enemy is aware that there may be resistance and is prepared for it.
your eyes are growing dark,
The situation is becoming more dire and dangerous for you.
The windows to your soul are showing off,
Your emotions and feelings are becoming more exposed as a result of the danger.
It's hard for me to say
It's difficult to talk about the situation at hand.
"That's how I like it," baby
It's not a situation that is pleasant or desired.
The screaming from the cellar never helps
The situation is only made worse by the sound of something terrifying.
You're dreams they seem to leave you alone,
One's hopes and aspirations seem to have abandoned them.
In dreams it seems you can't fight,
Even in one's dreams, they are powerless and unable to overcome challenges.
But some weapons would be nice
Having tools or resources to fight back against challenges would be helpful.
Careful,
Be aware of the danger surrounding you.
The monster is down that hallway
The dangerous enemy is now in a specific location nearby.
Drooling over your tasty arm,
The enemy is eager to consume and destroy that which is important to you.
He knows that you can't harm him ever
The enemy is aware that you are powerless against them and will never be able to harm them.
But he doesn't know
The enemy is unaware of something important.
You've got an exorcism show,
There is a plan or means of defeating the enemy.
But he knows,
The enemy is aware of something threatening to its existence.
Rot in hell, rot in hell
A curse or angered wish for the enemy to die and suffer.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL L. SHEPARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind