A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Laughner remains a rather little known figure; nonetheless, Richie Unterberger described him as "probably the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleveland's alternative rock scene in the mid-'70s."
He led a variety of groups (including Mr. Charlie, Cinderella Backstreet, Peter & The Wolves, The Blue Drivers and Friction) but his most enduring contributions were to Rocket From The Tombs and the early work of Pere Ubu. In addition to all this, he wrote for Creem magazine.
Laughner was a voracious rock fan and writer, and was heavily influenced by Lester Bangs's writings. Like Bangs, Laughner worshipped Lou Reed, but also drew inspiration from folk and blues figures such as Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie. He was a unique, visceral lead guitarist whose greatest influence was Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson. Laughner was briefly considered as a replacement for Richard Lloyd when he departed Television, a band whom he championed from their earliest days.
Laughner had severe drug and alcohol abuse problems that led to his death by acute pancreatitis in 1977 at the age of 24. Rumors to the effect that Laughner was despondent, even suicidal, at the time of his death have been contradicted by Laughner's last known message, written and mailed to Cleveland singer Ruby Port on the evening prior to his death. This letter revealed his intent to move to a retreat in the Ohio countryside, where he could write new music as well as rest and regain his health. Bangs wrote a eulogy for him. Laughner's only known entrance into a recording studio was for the Pere Ubu single sessions, though he left behind countless lo-fi live, rehearsal, and demo recordings. In 1994, Tim/Kerr label released Take the Guitar Player for a Ride, a 15 track compilation drawn from these tapes. This compilation has since gone out of print. Fans continue to circulate bootleg recordings and a Cleveland-based label, Handsome Productions, offers a comprehensive collection of his music on CD, officially endorsed by his estate. As of 2007, the Smog Veil record label is reported to be releasing a Laughner box set (with tapes procured from Handsome Productions, David Thomas, and Tim Wright) which should materialize in late '07 or early '08. Smog Veil announced July of 2008 that the box-set would more likely be released in 2009.
Amphetamine
Peter Laughner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never in his life been satisfied
Thinks he owes some kind of debt
Just can't seem to get over it
With your bowling green
And your movie scene
And you don't know what I mean
With your Japanese hips
And your Spanish lips
Take the guitar player for a ride
He's never once been satisfied
Thinks he owes some kind of debt
It'll take him years to get over it
But you're so easily overexcited
We were having a party but we weren't invited
I took the kid down to the Harbor Inn
Ah but the cops they wouldn't let him in
But he's used to being turned away
He's gonna show them some fine day
And you're so easily excited
We were having a party but we weren't invited
With your better days and your shifty face
And your Purple Haze
It's like a game that you play
And you're so easily overexcited
We were having a party but we weren't invited
Until I found myself on the floor
I thought I knew better than I know now
Home was where I chose to hang my hat
And I guess that I got over that
I was so easily excited
There was always a party but I was never invited
Pretty baby said she was glad she got this far
And she went up on the roof just to read the stars
I gave her a hug and a kiss
But I could never give her this
Take the guitar player for a ride
He's hardly ever been satisfied
Thinks he owes some kind of debt
Maybe you can help him get over it
But you're so easily excited
It's like having a party and you aren't invited
Peter Laughner's song Amphetamine is an enigmatic, cynical reflection on disappointment, addiction, and disillusionment. The lyrics revolve around a guitar player who is constantly searching for satisfaction, haunted by some kind of unsettling and unclear debt. The singer seems to be both detached and sympathetic, observing the character from a distance and yet also empathizing with his struggles. The first stanza, "Take the guitar player for a ride / Never in his life been satisfied / Thinks he owes some kind of debt / Just can't seem to get over it," sets the tone for the song, with the repetition of the line about the debt suggesting that it's a key internal conflict for the character.
The second stanza brings in some surreal and disorienting imagery, with references to "bowling green," "movie scenes," and "Japanese hips" juxtaposed in a way that's difficult to make sense of. The singer seems to be commenting on the character's detachment from reality and perhaps his own inability to articulate the nature of his dissatisfaction. The last stanza offers a glimmer of hope, with the line "Maybe you can help him get over it," but this is undercut by the bleak repetition of the final line: "It's like having a party and you aren't invited."
Overall, Amphetamine is a complex and abstract song that defies easy interpretation. Laughner's lyrics are full of vivid, poetic images that hint at deeper meaning without ever fully cohering. The song is a haunting reminder of the enduring power of music to capture and express the most elusive and enigmatic aspects of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the guitar player for a ride
Take advantage of the guitar player's vulnerabilities
Never in his life been satisfied
The guitar player is always wanting more
Thinks he owes some kind of debt
The guitar player feels like he owes something to someone
Just can't seem to get over it
The guitar player cannot move on from his feelings of owing a debt
With your bowling green
With your bland and unremarkable surroundings
And your movie scene
And your superficial lifestyle
And you don't know what I mean
You cannot understand what I am going through
But you don't know what I've been
But you have not experienced what I have
With your Japanese hips
With your exotic appearance
And your Spanish lips
And your seductive demeanor
It'll take him years to get over it
It will take the guitar player a long time to move past his feelings of indebtedness
We were having a party but we weren't invited
We were excluded from the excitement of life around us
But he's used to being turned away
The guitar player is accustomed to being rejected
He's gonna show them some fine day
The guitar player will one day prove his worth to those who have rejected him
With your better days and your shifty face
With your past successes and your untrustworthy demeanor
And your Purple Haze
And your drug-induced euphoria
It's like a game that you play
It's like you are playing with people's emotions
Until I found myself on the floor
Until I hit rock bottom
I thought I knew better than I know now
I used to be more confident in my abilities
Home was where I chose to hang my hat
I felt comfortable wherever I was
And I guess that I got over that
And I suppose that I moved on from that mentality
Pretty baby said she was glad she got this far
The girl I was interested in was content with our current situation
And she went up on the roof just to read the stars
And she sought out a moment of peace and tranquility
But I could never give her this
But I could never give her the excitement and fulfillment she desired
Maybe you can help him get over it
Perhaps you can assist the guitar player in moving past his feelings of indebtedness
It's like having a party and you aren't invited
It's like feeling left out of the excitement around you
Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sam Willetts
I've never thanked anyone before for putting a song up - thank you. This is the best song about addiction I've ever heard; I'm in my late fifties, a recovering addict, a former teenage punk rocker - I've heard them ALL. Did I say thank you?
Nicolas Lacour
beautiful and touching, and very sad and yet true and authentic, from another former addict
mike hunt
take care of yourself, Sam. I am proud of you!!!
Nicolas Lacour
Same with me brother
Raflo
This guy is so fantastic, it really is evocative music. I feel like crying in frustration that he died so young and hardly got off the ground/was just getting started musically. We have been robbed of some great music
THOTH
its so true, and so sad, just think of how many incredible songs we could have gotten if he lasted longer. RIP Peter, gone but never forgotten
Daniel Pap
27. .. rip - P- Laughner .. yes it is - pretty things goes to "hell".. die to early ...
lendogglc
A total of 285 likes for this video/song. I presume the 4 dislikes are from guitar players taken for a ride, and they have hardly ever been satisfied.
If the 4 dislikes aren't from guitar players, it's 4 people that were having a party and they weren't invited.
Peter Laughner is gone, but we still have his music forever. The good die young.
Cat Cat
Sylvia Plath, Ian Curtis….Peter Laughner….genius that spoke the truth down to the bone. His music cuts to the emotional core of my soul, emptying every gram of sorrow onto the floor.
His music is authentic as it comes.
RushReverie
This is what I live for. To discover and appreciate music that chills me to the bone.