Murder by Death released its first studio album (Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing) in 2002, and has since released seven more studio albums. The band's current lineup consists of two founding members, Adam Turla and Sarah Balliet. Balliet plays cello for the band, an instrument that has been present consistently throughout the band's evolution. Murder by Death's 2012 album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon reached #76 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful release.
Murder by Death was formed in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana, by guitarist Adam Turla, cellist Sarah Balliet, percussionist Alexander Schrodt, keyboardist Vincent Edwards, and bassist Matt Armstrong. One of the group's first shows was at the Channing-Murray Foundation's cafe The Red Herring in Urbana, Illinois, with former American Football drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickly, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records), who also took an interest in the band. In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.
Murder by Death plays a range of music including instrumentals, rock and alt.country. The band uses cello (with an electric cello for live shows) to create a gothic sound with occasional Western references.
The band often arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil into concept albums. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico.
As Long as There Is Whiskey in the World
Murder By Death Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been down too long this time
I drank 'em to the bottom
'til I found myself there too
And the taste of defeat
Has never been so sweet
So I pour 'nother glass
Fail again, and again
I've been down
And I've been higher than Sears Tower
I've asked the higher powers
If they would just spare a drink
Did they answer my cries?
I was a bit preoccupied
I toasted them, boasted to them
That they had met their match
But as long as there is whiskey in the world
We can drink away the heartache
We can drink away the girls
Who we long to love, but we'll never touch
As long as there is whiskey in the world
I have loved
And I've lost all that they gave me
They all try and save me
But I'm seeing this thing through
And these feelings of remorse
They leave me no recourse
So I pour 'nother glass
Fail again, and again
But as long as there is whiskey in the world
We can drink away the heartache
We can drink away the girls
Who we long to love, but we'll never touch
As long as there is whiskey in the world
I don't want to be saved!
As long as there is whiskey in the world
As long as there is whiskey in the world
As long as there is whiskey (as long as there is whiskey)
As long as there is whiskey in the world
The lyrics of Murder by Death's song "As Long as There Is Whiskey in the World" speak of the singer's struggle with failure, love, and the remedy that has gotten him through it all - whiskey. The song starts with the admission that the singer has been down on his luck for a long time and has turned to drinking heavily to cope with his situation. He drinks until he is at the bottom of the bottle, and even though he fails repeatedly, he finds solace in the sweet taste of defeat that the whiskey brings. The song delves into the irony of the singer's situation, where he has asked the higher powers to spare him a drink while boasting that they have finally met their match. Despite being preoccupied, he still pours himself another glass.
The second verse speaks to the love that he has lost and the efforts that people have made to save him, which he refuses to accept. The singer's feelings of remorse leave him with no recourse but to pour another glass and repeat his past failures. However, he finally finds hope in the form of whiskey, which allows him to drink away his heartache and the women he longs to love but can never touch. The chorus of the song bears repetition for emphasis, as long as there is whiskey in the world, he won't let himself be saved.
The song speaks to the common problem of addiction and the often harmful ways in which people cope with their problems. The singer has turned to whiskey as a remedy for his situation, which although understandable, is not a sustainable solution. The message resonates with many people who might have turned to drinking or other forms of addiction to cope with their problems. Overall, the lyrics of the song capture the irony and helplessness that one can feel when dealing with addiction and the need to find a way to break the cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been down on my luck
I've been struggling and experiencing misfortune
Been down too long this time
My downward spiral has lasted longer than usual
I drank 'em to the bottom
I drank all my troubles away
'til I found myself there too
Drinking has caused me to become just as troubled as what I was trying to escape
And the taste of defeat
The feeling of failing is bittersweet
Has never been so sweet
I've never appreciated the feeling of failure like I do now
So I pour 'nother glass
I keep turning to alcohol to cope
Fail again, and again
I continue to make mistakes
I've been down
I've hit rock bottom
And I've been higher than Sears Tower
I've experienced extreme highs and lows
I've asked the higher powers
I've pleaded to a higher deity for help
If they would just spare a drink
I begged for a drink as a form of salvation
Did they answer my cries?
My prayers went unanswered
I was a bit preoccupied
I was too focused on drinking to notice anything else
I toasted them, boasted to them
I raised a glass to the heavens and bragged about my love for alcohol
That they had met their match
I believed my love for alcohol was stronger than any higher power's attempts to intervene
We can drink away the heartache
Alcohol is a temporary escape from emotional pain
We can drink away the girls
Drinking can provide a temporary escape from longing for unattainable love
Who we long to love, but we'll never touch
We desire someone we cannot have
I have loved
I have experienced love
And I've lost all that they gave me
I've lost everything that came with that love
They all try and save me
People try to intervene and help me stop drinking
But I'm seeing this thing through
I am committed to continuing to drink
And these feelings of remorse
I feel regret for my actions and their consequences
They leave me no recourse
I feel like I have no choice but to keep drinking
I don't want to be saved!
I don't want help struggling with my addiction
As long as there is whiskey in the world
As long as alcohol exists, I will have an escape from my problems
As long as there is whiskey (as long as there is whiskey)
I will keep drinking as long as alcohol exists
As long as there is whiskey in the world
Alcohol is my coping mechanism for my problems
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Williford
One of my favorite music videos of allll time. You have no idea how much this song means to mean guys - thank you all!
D3istewie
In a time where all of this generic, souless music is being peddled; it's nice to know that there are some true artists are left out there. In my opinion, this is the very essence of music; you can tell they truly love what they do and they put their heart and soul into what they do. I hope I get to see them live some day!
Brooke Stone
They are absolutely fantastic live. All of that energy translates very well into a live show.
The Dermatological Zoo
This is my favorite band. ...in case any of you care.
Matty Brooo
One of my favs too and love how theyve translated through the years!!!
Chris Mikulasik
I saw them opening for Against Me in 2005, they were so good they should have reversed the band order, they keep getting better, I am looking forward to seeing them in 2012.
Daveh H
this album is secured in my top 10 since it came out. Thanks for the full share!
VikkiChris Meh
Just came across this band today for the first time,i think they're great!
Daveh H
Great band, Great song, wish they would do more of these just plain good bar fly/ proch sitting summer songs
Javi de Prado
Love it