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.
True Dreams of Wichita
Soul Coughing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got lost in the
Rideup to the
Plungedown;
Man sends the ray of the electric light
Sends the impulse
Through the air
And you can stand
On the arms
Of the Williamsburg Bridge
Crying
Hey man, well this is Babylon
And you can fire out on a bus
To the outside world
Down to Louisiana
You can take her with you
I've seen the
Rains of the real world
Come forward on the plain
I've seen the Kansas of your sweet little myth
You've never seen it, no,
I'm half sick on the drinks you mixed
Through your
True dreams
Of Wichita
Brooklyn like a sea in the asphalt stalks
Push out dead air from a parking garage
Where you stand with the keys and your cool hat of silence
Where you grip her love like a driver's liscense
I've seen you
Fire up the gas in the engine valves
I've seen your hand turn saintly on the radio dial
I've seen the airwaves
Pull your eyes towards heaven
Outside Topeka in the phone lines
Her good teeth smile was winding down
Engine sputters ghosts out of gasoline fumes
They say You had it, but you sold it
You didn't want it, no
I'm half drunk on static you transmit
Through your
True dreams
Of Wichita
Punch it
I got, uh, fed
I got, uh, too much things on bounce, uh, my head
I got to burn 'em up
I got to burn 'em up now
I got to go uptown, uptown
I got a thing
I got a little bit pushed
got to stand on the corner and bellow for mush
I got a bomb
I got a baby bomb bomb
got to stand on the corner and bellow for my friend Tom
I got a thing, I got to thing it
I got to thing--team
I got to run my side
True dreams
of Wichita by Soul Coughing is a song that can be interpreted in many ways, but the recurring themes seem to be the contrast between the real world and the world of dreams and imagination, as well as the role of technology in our lives. The first verse features lyrics about the loss of a signal to a satellite and the sending of impulses through the air to the home. This could represent the connection that we have to the outside world via technology, and how at times it can be lost or interrupted. The lyrics then transition to the Williamsburg Bridge, where someone can stand and cry that "this is Babylon." This could symbolize the overwhelming and chaotic nature of the city, and how technology and connectivity can make it feel even more overwhelming.
The second verse talks about Brooklyn being like a sea in the asphalt stalks, again emphasizing the contrast between nature and the urban environment. The line "where you grip her love like a driver's license" could represent the hold that technology has on our lives and relationships. The lyrics then shift to the idea of selling or giving away something that we later regret, and being half drunk or sick on the things that we transmit through our technology and our dreams.
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the ways in which technology and our own imaginations can shape our worlds and our experiences, and how they can also be sources of confusion and disconnection.
Line by Line Meaning
Signal got lost to the satellite
Communication was interrupted between the sender and receiver
Got lost in the Rideup to the Plungedown;
The disruption occurred during transmission
Man sends the ray of the electric light
Electricity is used to transmit messages
Sends the impulse Through the air Down to home
The message is carried through the air to the destination
And you can stand On the arms Of the Williamsburg Bridge
The artist is fulfilling a desire to be on the bridge
Crying Hey man, Well this is Babylon
The singer is overwhelmed by the city and its chaos
And you can fire out on a bus To the outside world Down to Louisiana
The singer has the freedom to leave the city and explore
You can take her with you
The artist has someone to travel with
I've seen the Rains of the real world Come forward on the plain
The artist has witnessed the harsh reality of life
I've seen the Kansas of your sweet little myth You've never seen it, no,
The person being addressed has a naive, idealized view of Kansas
I'm half sick on the drinks you mixed Through your True dreams Of Wichita
The singer feels ill due to the idealized vision of Wichita being presented to them
Brooklyn like a sea in the asphalt stalks Push out dead air from a parking garage
The cityscape of Brooklyn is overwhelming and loud
Where you stand with the keys and your cool hat of silence Where you grip her love like a driver's license
The singer is in a relationship and has a sense of control over it
I've seen you Fire up the gas in the engine valves
The singer has observed the person being addressed starting a car
I've seen your hand turn saintly on the radio dial
The person being addressed has a sense of reverence for music
I've seen the airwaves Pull your eyes towards heaven
Music has a spiritual effect on the person being addressed
Outside Topeka in the phone lines Her good teeth smile was winding down
Someone's happiness or positivity is fading
Engine sputters ghosts out of gasoline fumes They say You had it, but you sold it You didn't want it, no
The person being addressed had something valuable but gave it up
I'm half drunk on static you transmit Through your True dreams Of Wichita
The idealized vision of Wichita is affecting the singer negatively
Punch it I got, uh, fed I got, uh, too much things on bounce, uh, my head
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and needs release
I got to burn 'em up I got to burn 'em up now
The artist needs to let go of their worries
I got to go uptown, uptown I got a thing I got a little bit pushed
The artist has somewhere to be and is feeling pressured
got to stand on the corner and bellow for mush
The singer needs to release their emotions loudly
I got a bomb I got a baby bomb bomb got to stand on the corner and bellow for my friend Tom
The artist has pent-up anger that needs to be expressed
I got a thing, I got to thing it I got to thing--team I got to run my side
The singer has something important they need to focus on
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK DEGLIANTONI, MICHAEL DOUGHTY, SEBASTIAN STEINBERG, YUVAL GABAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
eighthaugust88
Lyrics:
Signal got lost to the satellite
Got lost in the
Rideup to the
Plungedown
Man sends the ray of the electric light
Sends the impulse
Through the air
Down to home
And you can stand
On the arms of the Williamsburg Bridge
Crying
Hey man, well this is Babylon
And you can fire out on a bus
To the outside world
Down to Louisiana
You can take her with you
I've seen the
Rains of the real world
Come forward on the plain
I've seen the Kansas of your sweet little myth
You've never seen it, no
I'm half sick on the drinks you mixed
Through your
True dreams
Of Wichita
True dreams
Of Wichita
Brooklyn like a sea in the asphalt stalks
Push out dead air from a parking garage
Where you stand with the keys and your cool head of silence
While you grip her love like a driver's license
I've seen you
Fire up the gas in the engine valves
I've seen your hand turn saintly on the radio dial
I've seen the airwaves
Pull your eyes towards heaven
Outside Topeka in the phone lines
Her good teeth smile was winding down
Engine sputters ghosts out of gasoline fumes
They say you had it, but you sold it
You didn't want it, no
I'm half drunk on babble you transmit
Through your
True dreams
Of Wichita
True dreams
Of Wichita
Punch it
I got, uh, fed
I got, uh, too much things on bounce, uh, my head
I got to burn 'em up
I got to burn 'em uptown
I got to go uptown, uptown
I got a thing
I got a little bit pushed
Got to stand on the corner and bellow for mush
I got a bomb
I got a baby bomb bomb
Got to stand on the corner and bellow for my friend Tom
I got a thing, I got to thing it
I got to thing
Team
I got to run my side
True dreams
True dreams
True dreams
Of Wichita
True dreams
True dreams
True dreams
Of Wichita
<3
Raggamom
Such an incredible song! When I was in 5th grade (I'm 32 now) we played a game in school where we all wrote down what artist(s) was our favorite. Then we had to pick out of a hat and guess who wrote what and I wrote soul coughing. Nobody got it lol.
Sandsome Quidward
I just was talking to a friendly stranger who thought I said Soul Coffin was my fav band.. typical! 😄 Feels good to get got though, even from the comments of yt
lprocksyd
2:14 I love this moment so much when the track gets more layered but its done in such a subtle way that doesnt draw attention to itself. Just amplifies the melancholic, roadtrip to nowhere kind of vibe this song has.
John Sawyer
This song found me while I was in absolute hell grieving my fiance who died 11 months ago. Ironically, she was born in Wichita. Was the first time I'd listened to music because every song reminded me of her and traveling all over America together.
Kanya Etukudo
That was her, she sent it to you ❤
fryday13
i feel like you all understand me just because we all love this song
Aaron Miller
I feel you
Marc Cardwell
i do a crazy chair dance to this, don't tell anyone.
Ben Kelly
True dreeeeeeeams
Of Wichita
Moosedogg
Well said 👍