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Elixir
Professor Elemental Lyrics
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Professor Elemental: Hello old chap.
English Gentleman: Come in old man! Why, why you look like you've seen a ghost!
Prof: I only wish it was.
Gent: It can't be as bad as that.
prof: It's worse I'm afraid. Worse.
Gent: Let me fix you a drink and, you can tell me all about it.
Prof: I have a problem. I've done some terrible things, terrible things.
[Verse the first]
It's not whiskey or gin or puffed in a pipe
Not opium or laudanum, a different high
Not for ordinary mortals, a different vice
For after hours gentlemen who fib and lie
Leave brandies and cigars
Games of bridge with wives
And stride briskly to a risky life
Down backstreets, the air's thick and rife
Bad atmosphere, a glimpse of crime
Mind your business, tight lipped arrive
To a dingy hiding place, where you give your tithe
Receieve for your shilling, a liquid prize
One swig, first sign, is a twitching eye
Your mind begins to fizz, unzip and writhe
Your hat brim widens, grip the sides
A delightful sickness, an itching spine
A roar of bliss, slip into the night
To find poor victims, rip and slice
Stalk and bite
Isn't this the life?
By dawn, more yourself, revisit your wife
"Just a late-night game of cards dear, didn't win the prize"
You, cringe to lie but will still sprint tonight
To purchase more elixir from Mr. Hyde
You, cringe to lie but will still sprint tonight
To purchase more elixir from Mr. Hyde
[Panting]
[Spoken]
Gent: Oh god! Your -inaudbile- must be horrible...
Prof: I've... I've drunk some now!
[Laughing, bestial sounds]
Gent: No! No old chap!
[Screams, more bestial sounds, gulping]
The song "Elixir" by Professor Elemental is a narrative about a gentleman who has fallen into depravity. The singer confides in a friend that he has become addicted to an unnamed substance, that is not whiskey, gin, or any other usual vices, but a "different high" reserved only for the "after-hours gentlemen who fib and lie." This substance is housed in a dingy hiding place, and with a tithe, the gentleman is given a liquid prize that promises incredible sensations. After taking a swig, the gentleman's mind "begins to fizz, unzip, and writhe," and his senses sharpen to an almost inhuman level. He describes the feeling as "a roar of bliss, slip into the night," and the song ends with the gentleman running out into the streets to "stalk and bite" and "find poor victims, rip and slice." Although the song doesn't explicitly name the substance the gentleman is addicted to, the subtext implies it's a metaphor for a hard drug.
The song takes inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," a novella that explores the duality of humanity's nature. The singer's journey from respectable gentleman to addict and monster mirrors the transformation that Dr. Jekyll undergoes when he drinks his notorious potion. The moral of the story is that dangerous temptations lurk around every corner, and that even those who seem the most upright and respectable can succumb to them given the right circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not whiskey or gin or puffed in a pipe
The elixir is not like ordinary alcohol or tobacco
Not opium or laudanum, a different high
The elixir is not like any common drug
Not for ordinary mortals, a different vice
The elixir is meant only for those who indulge in risky behavior
For after hours gentlemen who fib and lie
The elixir is taken by dishonest men in secret
Leave brandies and cigars, games of bridge with wives
These men leave behind their typical indulgences for something more extreme
And stride briskly to a risky life, down backstreets, the air's thick and rife
These men venture into dangerous areas to take the elixir
Bad atmosphere, a glimpse of crime, mind your business, tight lipped arrive
The surroundings are seedy and violent, and secrecy is important
To a dingy hiding place, where you give your tithe, receive for your shilling, a liquid prize
They pay a fee for the elixir, which is kept in a hidden location
One swig, first sign, is a twitching eye, your mind begins to fizz, unzip and writhe
The first effects of the elixir are physical and mental changes
Your hat brim widens, grip the sides, a delightful sickness, an itching spine
The physical sensations become intense and pleasurable
A roar of bliss, slip into the night, to find poor victims, rip and slice, stalk and bite
The drinkers become violent, attacking innocent people
Isn't this the life?
The artist enjoys this dangerous lifestyle
By dawn, more yourself, revisit your wife, 'Just a late-night game of cards dear, didn't win the prize'
The drinker returns to normal and lies to his wife about his whereabouts
You, cringe to lie but will still sprint tonight, to purchase more elixir from Mr. Hyde
Despite guilt, the drinker is addicted and will go to great lengths to get more elixir
Contributed by Mila T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.