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.
Lazybones
Soul Coughing Lyrics
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And you're in transit, dream to dream,
I'll drift there to meet you, lazybones.
When all the world has lain and sank,
And money sleeps inside the banks,
I'll drift there to meet you, layzbones.
Drunkenness is a hand-held
Scrambling down Delancey
I come stumbling;
Well I hear you had to take a shine
And firing at random, I hear the rays fell upon mine.
Cool you, Miss Amaze, with a handful of water
Trucks encircling, bearing down, coming louder.
If I could stay here, under your idle caress
And not exit to the world and phoniness and people.
When all the noise has left your head
Will someday you rise off the bed?
I'll be there to lift you, lazybones.
The opening lines of the Soul Coughing song "Lazybones" paint a picture of a world in motion. From this fast-paced world, the singer of the song wishes to escape, imagining himself "in transit, dream to dream" with "all the limbs... numb and clean." He desires a life free from the constraints of society, one in which he can be himself without the distractions of the world around him. Hence, he yearns for a life in which he can meet his beloved, who is similarly lazy and laid-back.
The second verse elaborates on this sense of alienation from society. The singer describes a world in which everything "has lain and sank" while "money sleeps inside the banks." In such a world, there is little to do but wait for something to happen, and so he seeks out his lover to pass the time. The third verse sees a shift in perspective, as the singer takes on the role of the cameraman, recording the world around him in a drunken haze, scrambling down Delancey Street.
As for the chorus, which is repeated several times throughout the song, it serves as a kind of promise. Despite the singer's alienation, he will always be there for his lover, to lift her up when she needs it, and to meet her in moments of rest and quiet. Together, they can escape the noise and confusion of the world around them and find peace in each other.
Line by Line Meaning
When all the limbs are numb and clean,
When you have done everything that needs to be done, and you're feeling relaxed,
And you're in transit, dream to dream,
And your mind is wandering from one dream to another,
I'll drift there to meet you, lazybones.
I'll come and meet you in that relaxed state.
When all the world has lain and sank,
When everyone is asleep and the world is still,
And money sleeps inside the banks,
And all financial transactions have stopped,
I'll drift there to meet you, layzbones.
I'll come and meet you in that peaceful state.
Cameraman sways to remember how the eye dances,
The cameraman reminisces about how the eye moves and captures images,
Drunkenness is a hand-held
Being drunk is like holding a handheld object that makes it hard to move around.
Scrambling down Delancey
Hastily moving down Delancey Street in New York City,
I come stumbling;
I arrive unpredictably, unsure of my footing.
Well I hear you had to take a shine
I heard that you had some success,
And firing at random, I hear the rays fell upon mine.
And somehow, your success bounces off you and affects me positively.
Cool you, Miss Amaze, with a handful of water
I soothe you, Miss Amaze, by giving you a few drops of water,
Trucks encircling, bearing down, coming louder.
A group of trucks surround us, getting closer and making more noise.
If I could stay here, under your idle caress
If I could remain here, enjoying your leisurely touch,
And not exit to the world and phoniness and people.
And not have to face the fake people and falsehoods of the world.
When all the noise has left your head
When you don't have any distractions and everything is quiet in your head,
Will someday you rise off the bed?
Will you ever get up and face the day?
I'll be there to lift you, lazybones.
I'll be there to help you get up and face whatever the day brings.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind