Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Drug Buddy
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll go out walking,
Make a call on the way.
She's in the phone booth now,
I'm looking in.
There comes a smile on her face.
There's still some of the same stuff we got yesterday,
Yeah.
I'm too much with myself,
I wanna be someone else.
I'm too much with myself,
I wanna be someone else.
I'm too much with myself,
I wanna be someone else.
So we take off out Fiona's door,
Walk until it's light outside,
Like before when we were on the phone.
We have to laugh to look at each other.
We have to laugh 'cause we're not alone.
As the cars fly up King St.
It's enough to startle us,
It's enough to startle us
I love my drug buddy.
My drug, my drug buddy.
I love my drug buddy.
My drug, my drug buddy.
The lyrics of Marissa Nadler's song "Drug Buddy" speaks about a relationship between two people where they rely on each other for companionship and escape from their own struggles. The singer is deeply introspective and feels disconnected from herself, desiring to be someone else. She seeks comfort in her drug buddy, who she goes out walking with, makes calls with and uses drugs with.
The line "I'm too much with myself, I wanna be someone else" captures the theme of disconnection and lack of self-acceptance. When the two are walking outside, they have to laugh to look at each other because they're not alone in their struggles. The verse "As the cars fly up King St. It's enough to startle us" mirrors the intensity of their escape from reality. The refrain "I love my drug buddy. My drug, my drug buddy" emphasizes the importance of the relationship and the depth of dependency which is akin to addiction.
"Drug Buddy" is a homage to the 1993 song of the same name by The Lemonheads. Addiction, alienation, friendship, and trying to find love in a darkened world are common themes throughout Nadler's album "Ballads of Living and Dying". The starkly different treatment of The Lemonheads song and Nadler's interpretation of it has contributed to its lasting relevancy. Nadler herself has struggled with anxiety and depression throughout her life and mental health themes permeate her music.
Line by Line Meaning
She's coming over,
She is coming to my place to hangout.
We'll go out walking,
We plan to go for a walk together.
Make a call on the way.
We'll make a phone call while we're walking.
She's in the phone booth now,
My friend is currently using a public telephone to make a call.
I'm looking in.
I am watching her from outside the phone booth.
There comes a smile on her face.
She appears happy or pleased about the call she just made.
There's still some of the same stuff we got yesterday.
We still have some of the drugs we purchased the day before.
Yeah.
An affirmative response or agreement.
I'm too much with myself,
I am too preoccupied with my own thoughts and feelings.
I wanna be someone else.
I wish I could be a different person or escape my current reality.
So we take off out Fiona's door,
We leave Fiona's house and begin our walk.
Walk until it's light outside,
We continue to walk until the sun rises and it is no longer dark outside.
Like before when we were on the phone.
Our current walk reminds us of past conversations we had over the phone.
We have to laugh to look at each other.
We need to laugh in order to connect and feel less alone in our drug use.
We have to laugh 'cause we're not alone.
Our laughter is a coping mechanism, a signal that we understand each other and are in this together.
As the cars fly up King St.
Cars are moving quickly on a specific street near us.
It's enough to startle us,
The speed of the cars is causing a sense of shock or surprise.
It's enough to startle us
The aforementioned event was striking enough to be mentioned twice.
I love my drug buddy.
I have affection and appreciation for my friend who uses drugs with me.
My drug, my drug buddy.
My friend who does drugs with me is someone I consider special and close.
I love my drug buddy.
Reiteration of previous statement.
My drug, my drug buddy.
Reiteration of previous statement.
Contributed by Ian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michaelc5373
Absolutely beautiful