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.
Soft Serve
Soul Coughing Lyrics
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I tried to shoot a thought, but the thought sunk.
Nothing to do but scratch words in the dirt and
Watch the water roll down.
Phantom kisses buzzing like the insects.
Beads of sweat dripping down on the rent check.
My Candyland melted down to syrup while I
And here comes the lust in phaze,
but you're down in Marietta.
So sweet my mouth was seared,
But the words you mouthed were sweeter.
My Sister,
Your words can be held against you in a court of law.
My Sister, You owe no allegiance to the facts.
And you're talking like the saint on the site of the accident.
Talking like the clause in the lease about the late rent.
Ringing like the random call patched to the payphone.
Talking like the water rolls down.
Talking like the saint on the site of the accident.
Talking like the botched shot, attempt on the President.
Ringing like the change in the legless man's Dixie Cup.
Talking like the water rolls down.
Day Undone,
Day Undone,
Day Undone,
Watch the water roll down.
The opening lines of the song, "The body like soft serve, dripping down in the June sun," can be interpreted as a metaphor for the fleeting and transient nature of life, much like an ice-cream melting in the sun. The singer of the song tries to capture a thought or an idea, but it eludes him, sinking away like the ice-cream melting in the heat. The only thing left for him to do is to scratch words in the dirt, and watch the water roll down, perhaps symbolizing the passage of time.
The second verse speaks of phantom kisses and beads of sweat, again highlighting the theme of fleeting moments and impermanence. The Candyland melting down to syrup could symbolize the loss of innocence or the destruction of something beautiful. The lust mentioned is in phaze, further underscoring the fleeting nature of desire. The singer's mouth is seared, but the words of the person he desires are even sweeter.
The final verses speak of talking like a saint, perhaps trying to impose order or meaning on chaos or irrationality. The water continues to roll down, a reminder that life keeps moving forward, regardless of our attempts to control or make sense of it. Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the impermanence of life, the futility of our attempts to control it, and the beauty of small fleeting moments.
Line by Line Meaning
The body like soft serve, dripping down in the June sun,
The singer describes the body melting in the sun like a soft-serve ice cream cone.
I tried to shoot a thought, but the thought sunk.
The singer attempted to think of something, but was unable to form a coherent thought.
Nothing to do but scratch words in the dirt and
The singer has nothing else to do but to write meaningless words in the dirt.
Watch the water roll down.
The artist focuses on observing the flow of water down a slope or surface.
Phantom kisses buzzing like the insects.
The artist feels like they're receiving kisses, but it's only a figment of their imagination.
Beads of sweat dripping down on the rent check.
The singer sweats anxiously as they think about paying rent.
My Candyland melted down to syrup while I
The singer's vision of a perfect world has melted down into an unpleasant reality.
Watched the water roll down.
The artist returns to the image of observing waterflow.
And here comes the lust in phaze,
The artist's feeling of strong desire comes in waves, or phases.
but you're down in Marietta.
The person whom the artist lusts after is in a different location.
So sweet my mouth was seared,
The feeling of sweetness is so intense that it almost burns the singer's mouth.
But the words you mouthed were sweeter.
The words spoken by the person whom the artist likes are even sweeter than what the artist tasted.
My Sister,
The singer addresses someone as 'my sister'.
Your words can be held against you in a court of law.
The singer warns 'my sister' that anything they say can be used against them in court.
My Sister, You owe no allegiance to the facts.
The singer encourages 'my sister' to not feel bound by the truth or facts.
And you're talking like the saint on the site of the accident.
'My sister' speaks like someone who's trying to help others in a dire situation.
Talking like the clause in the lease about the late rent.
'My sister' speaks in a very technical and legal way about a clause in a lease agreement.
Ringing like the random call patched to the payphone.
'My sister's' speech rings through the singer's mind like a spontaneous ringtone from a public telephone.
Talking like the water rolls down.
The singer equates 'my sister's' speech to the unpredictable and irregular flow of water.
Talking like the saint on the site of the accident.
Repeating a previous stanza, 'my sister' speaks as if they're helping someone in trouble.
Talking like the botched shot, attempt on the President.
The way 'my sister' speaks is like a failed assassination attempt on a public figure.
Ringing like the change in the legless man's Dixie Cup.
'My sister's' words resound loudly like coins rattling in a disabled beggar's cup.
Day Undone, Day Undone, Day Undone,
Repeating a phrase three times intertwines multiple meanings, often leading to an apocalyptic mood or the end of the day.
Watch the water roll down.
The song ends with the artist looking at the waterflow one last time.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY
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