The noisy, bracing Seattle-based post-punk unit Silkworm formed in their na… Read Full Bio ↴The noisy, bracing Seattle-based post-punk unit Silkworm formed in their native Missoula, MT, in 1987. Originally comprised of vocalists/guitarists Andy Cohen and Joel Phelps, vocalist/bassist Tim Midgett, and drummer Ben Koostra, Silkworm rose from the ashes of the band Ein Heit; a prolific and eclectic group from their inception (everyone but Koostra, who exited in 1989, contributed to songwriting duties), they issued their debut cassette Advantage in 1988. After two more tapes, 1989's Girl Harbrr and its companion Girl Harbrr Out-Takes EP, the remaining trio moved to Seattle in the opening weeks of 1990, quickly recruiting drummer Michael Dahlquist to complete the lineup.

Silkworm's "official" debut L'ajre followed in 1992, spotlighting the band's evolving, dissonant sound, anchored in Midgett's propulsive bass work. After the following year's His Absence Is a Blessing EP, the quartet signed to the C/Z label for 1994's In the West, recorded by fellow Montana native Steve Albini (who continued to oversee the majority of the group's work). After 1994's strong Libertine, Phelps left the band, resurfacing in 1996 under the name Joel R.L. Phelps with the solo effort Warm Springs Night. As a trio, Silkworm signed to Matador and in 1996 issued Firewater, a sprawling yet finely honed set which ranked as their finest record to date. Developer followed in 1997, and a year later the group jumped to Touch & Go to issue Blueblood. Around this time, the band finalized their re-location to Chicago. Lifestyle was released in mid-2000, and they toured into the following year to support the release. Italian Platinum followed two years later and featured vocals from Kelly Hogan and keyboard work from the New Year's Matt Kadane. 2004's It'll Be Cool would be their last album. In July of 2005, Dahlquist and two fellow Chicago-based musicians were killed when the car they were occupying was struck by a car driven by a woman intent on ending her life.

Drunk
Silkworm Lyrics

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You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you put it on my tab
You put it on my tab

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you take what you should've left

And leave what you should've grabbed

What drunk with any common sense at all
Would mix his beer and gin like that?
You must really want to get it back

Or may I suggest a draft to help you digest
The sugar in that Boone's Farm Wine
Or any other really cheap apple kind

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you put it on my tab
You put it on my tab

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you take what you should've left
And leave what you should've grabbed

What kind of drunk with any self-respect at all
Would give up on his friends that way
Would give in to the pressure's sway?

I never asked you to swim
In that soup bowl of contempt
So full of wine and bar mop slop
Spilling on the girls like a bull in a china shop

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you put it on my tab
You put it on my tab

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you take what you should've left
And leave what you should've grabbed

What drunk with any common sense at all
Would mix his beer and gin like that?
You must really want to get it back

Did I ever ask you to swim
In that soup bowl of our contempt?
So full of wine and bar mop slop
Spilling on the girls like a bull in a china shop

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you put it on my tab
You put it on my tab

You drink and drink
You never got a reason
But you take what you should've left
And leave what you should've grabbed

You take what you [Incomprehensible]
[Incomprehensible]

Overall Meaning

The song "Drunk" by Silkworm is an interesting take on the consequences of alcoholism - particularly the selfishness and disregard that drunk individuals can display towards others. The singer is addressing a friend or acquaintance who drinks excessively without reason, putting their bar tab on the singer's account and taking what they shouldn't while leaving what they should have taken. The lyrics explore the idea that this person's behavior is such that it lacks common sense and self-respect; someone who would mix beer and gin, behave recklessly around women, and generally be a burden to their friends. The frankness and honesty with which the singer presents their observations is striking - this is not a song about glamourizing drunkenness or embodying a party culture, but rather a sober reflection on how the consumption of alcohol can affect not just the individual but those around them.

The idea of the "soup bowl of contempt" mentioned in the lyrics is particularly interesting - it seems to suggest that the drinking itself, and the associated behavior that comes with it, is a kind of stew of self-loathing and anger that is being projected onto those around them. The singer is trying to distance themselves from this behavior, and to urge their friend to consider the consequences of their actions. There is a sense of frustration and even desperation to the lyrics - the singer seems to be at the end of their rope with this person, who is not only hurting themselves but also causing problems for others. It's a song that approaches the subject of alcoholism from a somewhat unusual perspective - instead of focusing on the individual who is drinking, it examines the impact of their behavior on others.

Line by Line Meaning

You drink and drink
You consume excessive amounts of alcohol

You never got a reason
You have no clear motive for drinking

But you put it on my tab
You expect me to pay for your alcohol

You take what you should've left
You take things that you should not have taken

And leave what you should've grabbed
You leave behind things that you should have taken

What drunk with any common sense at all
What reasonable person who is drunk

Would mix his beer and gin like that?
Would combine beer and gin in their drink

You must really want to get it back
You must really want to seek revenge

Or may I suggest a draft to help you digest
Or perhaps I can suggest a light beer to aid with digestion

The sugar in that Boone's Farm Wine
The high sugar content in Boone's Farm Wine

Or any other really cheap apple kind
Or any other low-quality apple-flavored drink