Before beginning his solo career, Fulks joined the Bluegrass band Special Consensus. Here he showcased his unique guitar playing, and appeared on the Grammy-nominated album "Hole In My Heart" released in 1989. Fulks' solo debut, "Country Love Songs" was released on Bloodshot Records in 1996 to positive reviews. This album was followed by 1997's South Mouth, which cemented Fulks' retro-alternative image.
As fans had grown used to Bloodshot's rough and sparse sound, many were shocked by the release of Fulks' third album, 1998's "Let's Kill Saturday Night," on Geffen Records. When Geffen disbanded shortly after the release of the record, Fulks found himself without a label, and did the logical thing, starting his own company, Boondoggle Records (distributed by Bloodshot), and releasing an album of previously unreleased material called "The Very Best of Robbie Fulks."
2001 saw the release of both "Couples in Trouble," a dark, brooding, and decidedly non-country album, and, just 3 months later, "13 Hillbilly Giants," a collection of covers of classic country numbers both obscure and well known.
Fulks would not release another album until 2005, when the release of "Georgia Hard" showed a return to his county roots. He also gained attention for a novelty single he wrote called "Fountains of Wayne Hotline," in which he imagined the power pop band Fountains of Wayne as having a hotline which struggling songwriters could call for help with their song structure.
Cocktails
Robbie Fulks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One to wake me up every morning, one with a buddy at noon
One for the road every evening, til I found out pretty soon
It took two to wake me up every morning, two with my buddy at noon
Two for the road every evening, til guess what happened pretty soon
I cheated and I lied, I swallowed my pride
And then, Washed it down with Cocktails
I had a house on a hillside, the car I was driving was new
I had money in my pocket, but look what liquor made me do
I started runnin round with a woman, turned my back on my wife and my kid
Wonder how Momma's gonna tell them, the awful thing that Daddy did
Chorus
Repeat:
Cocktails tore up my family, Cocktails tore down my home
The song "Cocktails" by Robbie Fulks is a tragic tale of how alcohol consumption destroyed the singer's family and home. The lyrics speak to the dangers of alcohol and how it can create a downward spiral of addiction, lies, and infidelity. The song’s opening verse starts with the singer acknowledging that he had a drinking problem and relied on cocktails to get him through the day. He had one in the morning to wake up, one with his buddy at noon, and one for the road every evening. However, as the song progresses, the singer admits to drinking two in each instance, leading him down a self-destructive path.
The chorus, "Cocktails tore up my family, cocktails tore down my home," is a bleak assessment of the damage that alcohol addiction can inflict. The once happy home is now destroyed, and the family is torn apart. The singer has cheated on his wife, lied to those around him, and lost his sense of self-respect. He may have been successful at one point, with a nice house, car, and money, but alcoholism robbed him of everything. The final verse speaks to the agony of this realization, where the singer mentions how he started seeing another woman and turning his back on his wife and child. It's a poignant reminder of how addiction can affect not just the person struggling but everyone surrounding them.
Line by Line Meaning
Cocktails tore up my family, Cocktails tore down my home
Alcohol consumption was the root cause of my family's destruction and my homelessness.
One to wake me up every morning, one with a buddy at noon
I used to drink one cocktail in the morning to start my day, and one with my pal at noon.
One for the road every evening, til I found out pretty soon
I used to drink one cocktail before leaving every night, but I soon realized the damage it caused.
It took two to wake me up every morning, two with my buddy at noon
I drank two cocktails after waking up and two with my buddy at noon.
Two for the road every evening, til guess what happened pretty soon
I drank two cocktails every evening, but that led to disastrous outcomes.
I cheated and I lied, I swallowed my pride
I was unfaithful and dishonest, and I had to let go of my ego.
And then, Washed it down with Cocktails
After all that wrong-doing, I used alcohol as a coping mechanism.
I had a house on a hillside, the car I was driving was new
I had a beautiful home on a hillside and was driving a new car.
I had money in my pocket, but look what liquor made me do
Even though I had money in my pocket, my drinking habits led me to make terrible decisions.
I started runnin round with a woman, turned my back on my wife and my kid
I began seeing another woman, abandoning my wife and child.
Wonder how Momma's gonna tell them, the awful thing that Daddy did
I'm not sure how my mother will tell my family about my shameful actions.
Chorus
Refrain lyrics.
Repeat: Cocktails tore up my family, Cocktails tore down my home
Repeating the chorus of how alcohol ruined my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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