The band are best known for their singles "5 O'Clock" and "Saturday", and for their covers of Spirit of the West's "Home For a Rest" and AC/DC's "Long Way to the Top". In addition, the band recently hit it big with the single "Lost," which was featured in the promos for the NBC television show The Black Donnelly's. Their single Animal was featured on the soundtrack of the hit video games Burnout 3: Takedown and MX vs. ATV Unleashed.
The band's name comes from the occupation of the Campbell brothers prior to forming the band; they were mixing mortar and carrying bricks for bricklayers. The band was influenced by traditional Scottish music as well as hard rock groups like AC/DC. The Mudmen have opened for many bands, including ZZ Top, Tool, Dropkick Murphys and Bowling for Soup as well as fellow Canadians Nickelback, Sum 41 and The Guess Who.
The Mudmen have toured in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. The band has three albums, Mudmen (2000), Overrated (2003) and Defending the Kingdom (2005). Six Mudmen videos have been produced and shown on MuchMusic. As of 2005, the band is touring throughout Canada and are have released their third (October 11th) album Defending the Kingdom and are working on a live DVD.
Coma
Mudmen Lyrics
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Been down too long on the bottom
Sink like a stone to the bottom
She's always wrong on the bottom
Coma, 4x
There's nothing left on the bottom
Can't find her soul on the bottom
Gets torn apart on the bottom
Coma 4x
Appreciates your sympathy
And shocked to find some empathy
Coma 4x
She can't be touched on the bottom
There ain't no sound on the bottom
Just skin and bones on the bottom
Can't find the words on the bottom
Coma 4x, Coma long.....
The lyrics to Mudmen's song Coma describe a lonely, dark and painful existence at the bottom. The singer is constantly sinking to the bottom, feeling lost and unable to find her soul. She feels like a piece of sediment, like there's nothing left of her anymore. The bottom represents a metaphorical coma, where she is numb, unable to feel, and to find the words that would express her pain. She is alone, isolated, and vulnerable; she can't be touched, no sound can reach her. She's always wrong on the bottom, indicating that she may have made choices that led her to this state. The only thing she seems to have left is her appreciation for some empathy and sympathy, that come from others who may also be at the bottom, and who can relate to her sorrow and pain.
The use of repetition in the lyrics of Mudmen's Coma adds to the desolation of the song, and reinforces the idea that there is no way out of the bottom, that she's trapped in a loop of misery. The chorus consists only of the word "coma," repeated four times (four being a symbol of stability and practicality), and later on, it's drawn out to reinforce the sense of hopelessness. The chorus is an echo of her feelings of detachment, a confirmation that she's lost, and it also expresses the idea that she's not fully alive, that she's in a comatose state of mind. The lack of variation in the lyrics, and the absence of a clear narrative, highlights the idea that she's in a state of mind that precludes clear thought, introspection, and communication.
Line by Line Meaning
She's coming up from the bottom
She is slowly starting to move towards a better place from a very low point in her life.
Been down too long on the bottom
She has been in a low and difficult situation for a very long time that it has affected her in a very negative way.
Sink like a stone to the bottom
She easily falls back to her low ways and quickly feels like she hit rock bottom once again.
She's always wrong on the bottom
Despite her efforts, she always seems to find herself in difficult situations, making her believe that she is wrong or unworthy.
There's nothing left on the bottom
Being at rock bottom has, in a sense, taking away or destroyed everything of value or importance in her life.
She's sediment on the bottom
She feels emotionally and mentally stuck or burdened by her troubles.
Can't find her soul on the bottom
Being at rock bottom has stripped her of her identity and values, making her feel soulless or empty.
Gets torn apart on the bottom
Her struggles and negative experiences have left her feeling broken and damaged.
Appreciates your sympathy
She values and acknowledges the kind and empathetic gestures and support from others during her difficult times.
And shocked to find some empathy
She is surprised and touched to find that there are people who genuinely understand and feel her pain and struggles.
She can't be touched on the bottom
Being at rock bottom feels so isolating and lonely that she feels like no one can truly understand or help her.
There ain't no sound on the bottom
Being at rock bottom makes one feel so isolated and hopeless that they feel cut off from the world and everything else.
Just skin and bones on the bottom
Being at rock bottom can leave a person feeling so stripped down, raw, and vulnerable that they feel exposed like all that's left is their body and nothing else.
Can't find the words on the bottom
Being at rock bottom can be so overwhelming and indescribable that it's hard to put into words or express to others what it feels like.
Coma 4x, Coma long.....
Repeating 'coma' in this part of the song signifies her hopelessness, struggle, and inability to move past her difficult situation.
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.