Soul Coughing was a New York-based alternative rock band. The band found mo… Read Full Bio ↴Soul Coughing was a New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 90's. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unique cult bands of the '90s ... driven by frontman M. Doughty's stream-of-consciousness poetry, Soul Coughing's sound was a willfully idiosyncratic mix of improvisational jazz grooves, oddball samples, hip-hop, electronics, and noisy experimentalism (described by Doughty as 'deep slacker jazz').

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.

Rolling
Soul Coughing Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm rolling...
I've gotta get a new balm
I've gotta get a tight tension on
I've got to slip it up before the rush gets gone

I've got to feel it with the hot mind on
I'm rolling
Hey Norman was it thrown with a broken arm?

Bottle it up, to keep it warm

I'm rolling
I know you got it but you got to go
I'm gonna get into the batter so the mix might glow
I hate to do it, but I did it though

I'm gonna bite into the body like the risk is no risk
I got the souped up car and what you call tripping on the boom bap etymological
I ride the fader and I ride it low

I'm gonna slip into the field like Han Solo
I'm rolling
One two into the amplifier, the electrified two

Into the amplifier, and you got to get to

Into the amplifier, one two into the amplifier
I'm rolling

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Soul Coughing's Rolling are cryptic and elusive with many instances of wordplay, cultural references, and pop-culture allusions. The opening lines, "I'm rolling... I've gotta get a new balm" give the impression of someone being in a druggy state, possibly tripping or rolling on some kind of substance. The lyrics here are metaphorical, suggesting that the singer is searching for something that will calm them and alleviate their pain. The next line, "I've gotta get a tight tension on" further reinforces the feeling of anxiety and restlessness, as if the person is looking for something to fix their mental tension.

The next line, "I've got to slip it up before the rush gets gone" suggests that the person is looking for a quick fix or escape, while the line "I've got to feel it with the hot mind on" reinforces the idea of someone who is overheated and frenzied. The lyrics then turn to a bizarre exchange between the singer and a character named Norman, who apparently threw something with a broken arm. The following lines "Bottle it up, to keep it warm" could be a nod to drug use, suggesting that the singer is keeping something warm in a glass bottle to keep the contents from crystallizing.

The lyrics continue to be dense and fragmentary, with lines like "I'm gonna bite into the body like the risk is no risk" suggesting a reckless attitude towards life. The line "I got the souped-up car and what you call tripping on the boom bap etymological" appears to be a nod to the band's own musical style, which often features samples from a wide array of sources. The closing lines "One two into the amplifier, the electrified two" suggest a desire for release and escape through music.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm rolling...
I am feeling the effects of drugs and am physically rolling or moving.

I've gotta get a new balm
I need to obtain a new, highly potent drug to intensify my high.

I've gotta get a tight tension on
I need to prepare myself mentally for the intense experience that is about to come.

I've got to slip it up before the rush gets gone
I must take the drug quickly before its effects begin to wear off.

I've got to feel it with the hot mind on
I need to experience the full intensity of the drug with an elevated state of mind.

Hey Norman was it thrown with a broken arm?
A reference to a baseball pitch that is thrown with one's non-dominant arm, suggesting that the song is unconventional or unusual in some way.

Bottle it up, to keep it warm
A metaphor for preparing and preserving a drug for consumption.

I know you got it but you got to go
The artist is urging someone to quickly obtain the drug they need.

I'm gonna get into the batter so the mix might glow
The artist intends to mix drugs together for a more intense high.

I hate to do it, but I did it though
The artist is admitting to having done something regrettable, likely in pursuit of a drug-related high.

I'm gonna bite into the body like the risk is no risk
The singer is willing to take on the risks of drug use to obtain a certain high.

I got the souped up car and what you call tripping on the boom bap etymological
A metaphor for having access to potent drugs and feeling their effects.

I ride the fader and I ride it low
A reference to manipulating audio levels in music production, suggesting that the singer is adept at using drugs to manipulate their senses and experiences.

I'm gonna slip into the field like Han Solo
The singer is going to use drugs to escape from reality, like Han Solo escaped from the Empire in Star Wars.

One two into the amplifier, the electrified two
The singer is making an audio reference and suggesting that taking drugs will amplify their experiences.

Into the amplifier, and you got to get to
Encouraging someone to take drugs to intensify their experience.

Into the amplifier, one two into the amplifier
Reinforcing the idea that drugs amplify experiences.

I'm rolling
The singer repeats that they are feeling the effects of drugs and may be physically rolling or moving.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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