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.
Laff on Fat Boy
Soul Coughing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The face concaves
Around the trombone
Forehead, jawbone
Folding
Hope was
Of the box
The pills
They make you strong
They burn the weight
Away
Nineteen
Eighty-nine
A picture
From before
This
Is after
Laugh on, fat boy
The speed induces
Laughter
And my mind swims back to
Fish in the river
Fish in the river
Fish in the river
Thoughts in their heads
The lyrics of Soul Coughing’s “Laff on Fat Boy” present a strange, surreal image of the titular fat boy, his face collapsing, folding in on itself, around a trombone. The strange image is juxtaposed with the idea that hope was the first thing out of the box - suggesting that the fat boy’s strange, distorted existence perhaps represents some kind of existential despair. The idea of pills that make you strong ties in with this, as the fat boy struggles with his weight and image. The chorus repeats, urging the fat boy to laugh on through his struggles, while the verses move further into abstract imagery, mentioning a picture from before and after, and the speed that induces laughter. The final lines of the song suggest a return to nature, with a focus on fish in the river and thoughts in their heads, but it’s unclear how this ties in with the rest of the imagery.
Overall, the lyrics of “Laff on Fat Boy” resist easy interpretation, but there are several potential threads to follow. The focus on the fat boy’s image and weight suggests that this is a song about body image, and the ways in which society values certain bodies over others. The surreal and abstract imagery suggests that this is also a song about the internal struggles that accompany this kind of cultural pressure. The focus on laughter, hope and strength suggest that ultimately, the song is trying to find some kind of positive way forward, some way of breaking free from the constraints that limit fat boy’s existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Laugh on, fat boy
Mock and ridicule while continuing to revel in the pleasures of the moment, regardless of the negative consequences and criticism from others.
The face concaves
The shape of the face sinks as a result of physical or emotional pain and distress.
Around the trombone
The facial muscles shape around the musical instrument, giving way to the physical sensations and emotions brought on by the music.
Forehead, jawbone
The two prominent facial features that reveal the expression of the individual and offer insight into their mental and emotional state.
Folding
The turning inward of the body and mind as a result of external and internal pressures, leading to a collapse or breakdown of the individual.
Hope was
The first thing out
Of the box
At the beginning of something new, hope and optimism are often the first emotions and thoughts to arise, offering the individual a sense of possibility and potential.
The pills
They make you strong
They burn the weight
Away
The use of drugs or medication can bring strength and vitality to the individual, while simultaneously helping them to lose excess weight and feel more in control of their body and mind.
Nineteen
Eighty-nine
A reference to the year 1989, which may represent a significant point in time for the individual, or a time of cultural or historical significance.
A picture
From before
This
Is after
A comparison between a past moment or experience, and the current state of the individual or situation, highlighting the changes and transformations that have occurred over time.
Laugh on, fat boy
The speed induces
Laughter
The use of substances or other forms of stimulation can lead to uncontrollable bouts of laughter, which may be perceived as both positive and negative depending on the context and audience.
And my mind swims back to
Fish in the river
Fish in the river
Fish in the river
Thoughts in their heads
A reflection on the interconnectedness of all living things and the shared experiences and thoughts that bind us together, using the metaphor of fish swimming in a river to illustrate this concept.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CrudeCube
I love when they sample vintage clips of singing in choirs or operas. It gives an ominous an unique feeling to the songs. It irks you because of Its mysteriousness as it sings with Mike.
theoriginalMaxman2
love this... what is the sample of the "water...." it's haunting.... I like it