Soul Coughing,was founded by vocalist and guitarist Mike Doughty (who billed himself at the time as 'M. Doughty'), a folk singer, slam poet, and music writer.
Doughty was a doorman at the old Knitting Factory on Houston Street in New York. While working there he met sampler artist Mark De Gli Antoni, upright bass player Sebastian Steinberg, drummer Yuval Gabay, and artist David Linton. Doughty convinced them to join him in forming a new band. They played their first gig, as 'M. Doughty's Soul Coughing' at the Knitting Factory on June 15, 1992, a late-Monday night slot that Doughty cadged from his boss because nobody else wanted it. In 1993, he founded a club night called SLAW at CBGB's 313 Gallery, which was meant to emulate the popular jazz and hip hop club Giant Step, but eventually became a showcase for Soul Coughing. Posters for SLAW were headlined 'Deep Slacker Jazz' (a parody of The Who's slogan 'Maximum R&B'), which became an enduring description of the band's sound.
The band was signed within a year to Warner Brothers subsidiary Slash Records, and released three albums: Ruby Vroom (1994), Irresistible Bliss (1996), and El Oso (1998). They enjoyed minor hit singles with "Circles," "Super Bon Bon," and "Screenwriter's Blues."
The band broke up in 2000, after years of feuding over songwriting credits and publishing money. Doughty continued as a solo artist, and Gabay, Steinberg, and De Gli Antoni have been involved with other projects including a trio disc sans Doughty in 2004.
Houston
Soul Coughing Lyrics
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She had a spare bag, she had lost some weight
Where I used to work, she was a waitress
She proposed a trade, it was generous
She's gone to Houston, feel like I'm floating in a warm sea
And if she finds out when she comes back, I know that she wil leave me
It was a clock hand, It was snapping back
Oh it wasn't her's, it was the dope's kiss
I'll take the blame upon my shoulder, I just love to feel like this
Roller Boogie, motherfucker
The lyrics to "Houston" by Soul Coughing seem to be about a man who meets a girl he used to work with. The girl has lost weight and seems to be doing better. She offers him a trade, but it's unclear what that trade is. She goes to Houston, and the singer feels like he's floating in a warm sea without her. If she finds out, she'll leave him. The singer then hears a dull crack that turns out to be a clock hand snapping back. He takes the blame upon himself and seems to enjoy feeling the rush of emotion that comes from taking drugs.
The song has a dreamlike quality to it, with the singer seeming to be almost floating through life. There's a tone of melancholy to the song as well, as the singer seems to know that the relationship he has isn't going to last. He's chasing a rush, whether it's from the drugs or from the girl, and he knows that it's ultimately going to result in a crash.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a girl on roller skates
I encountered a woman on wheeled shoes that enable skating
She had a spare bag, she had lost some weight
She possessed an additional sack and had shed some pounds
Where I used to work, she was a waitress
She was an attendant at the former workplace I frequented
She proposed a trade, it was generous
She suggested an exchange, which was kindhearted
She's gone to Houston, feel like I'm floating in a warm sea
She has departed to the largest Texas city, and I am experiencing a sensation akin to being buoyant in tepid water
And if she finds out when she comes back, I know that she wil leave me
If she discovers upon her return, I understand that she will end our relationship
Oh I heard a sign, it was a dull crack
I perceived a noise, which was a muted snap
It was a clock hand, It was snapping back
It was the appendage of a device that displays time, abruptly springing in the opposite direction
Oh it wasn't her's, it was the dope's kiss
Oh, it was not hers, but rather the smooch of the drug
I'll take the blame upon my shoulder, I just love to feel like this
I shall accept responsibility on my own, for I relish in this sentiment
Roller Boogie, motherfucker
Enjoy the roller-skate dance, my dear friend
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind