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.
Moonsammy
Soul Coughing Lyrics
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Behind the wall. There is a chair. Moon Sammy knows. The chair is there.
But that's OK, that's OK, you can do that--if you're wound up, full of tension,
incoherent. Your mouth is buttered with lies; you ask why, but you could
call it enigmatic; all your thoughts about the chair are full of static.
Automatically your mind goes down the stairwell to the chair; your body
says Moon Sammy, can you come back?
Strum it.
Moon Sammy washes. In the sink. Below the sink. There is a drain. The drain
goes straight. Into the sea. The sink itself. Is porcelain.
Obsess yourself with causality. The information you hear is a loophole,
technicality. Behind every object is a mathematic; an obscure substance
infused with a kinetic force, energy, an obscure conscience shoots a gun at
the feet the world dances.
Babylon, mystery, mother of harlots, and all these abominations of the
earth, that sits on many waters, drunk with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus.
And I wondered with great admiration.
The Soul Coughing's song, Moonsammy, appears to depict a surreal world that is governed by a person named Moon Sammy. The song opens with Moon Sammy wandering across the floor, and as the lyrics progress, we see that below the floor, there is a wall behind which there is a chair. Moon Sammy is aware of this chair's presence, and for some reason, the chair seems to be causing some sort of anxiousness or tension. The lyrics then seem to touch on the idea that this tension is normal, and in fact, it may be understandable or even enigmatic. The singer seems to suggest that we are so caught up in our thoughts that we often forget to be present in the moment, which is why our minds automatically go to the chair even if it is causing us some sort of distress.
The second verse of the song presents a new image - Moon Sammy is washing below the sink, and there is a drain that goes straight into the sea. The lyrics seem to suggest that there is always a deeper level to things which we may not be aware of, and we can try to understand reality by obsessing over causality or by looking for the technicalities. There is an obscure substance infused with kinetic force behind every object, and a conscience guides the world's behavior. The lyrics seem to hint at the idea that there is much more to reality than what we perceive, and we can try to understand the greater meaning of it all by deeply pondering on the causality and technicalities.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon Sammy walks. Across the floor. Below the floor. There is a wall.
Moon Sammy is walking on the floor and below that, there is a wall, but he walks across the floor.
Behind the wall. There is a chair. Moon Sammy knows. The chair is there.
There is a chair behind the wall and Moon Sammy is aware of its presence.
But that's OK, that's OK, you can do that--if you're wound up, full of tension, incoherent. Your mouth is buttered with lies; you ask why, but you could call it enigmatic; all your thoughts about the chair are full of static.
It's okay to act like this and have a cluttered mind, be dishonest and confused, and have a twisted perspective of the chair if you're under stress or anxiety.
Automatically your mind goes down the stairwell to the chair; your body says Moon Sammy, can you come back?
Your own mind and body are conflicted, as your mind races to think about the chair while your body tries to stop itself, asking if you can come back.
Moon Sammy washes. In the sink. Below the sink. There is a drain. The drain goes straight. Into the sea. The sink itself. Is porcelain.
Moon Sammy is washing in the sink which has a drain under it that leads into the sea. The sink is made of porcelain.
Obsess yourself with causality. The information you hear is a loophole, technicality. Behind every object is a mathematic; an obscure substance infused with a kinetic force, energy, an obscure conscience shoots a gun at the feet the world dances.
You should focus on the cause and effect of events. The information you receive might contain loopholes and technicalities. Every object has a mathematical explanation and is filled with energy that pierces the conscience, making the world dance.
Babylon, mystery, mother of harlots, and all these abominations of the earth, that sits on many waters, drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
There is a reference to the bible in this line. The city of Babylon is called the mother of harlots, and it is said to be the source of abominations on earth. Babylon was built on many rivers and baths in the blood of martyrs of Jesus Christ.
And I wondered with great admiration.
The artist is left wondering, awestruck with admiration.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind