On October 24, 1995, Spacehog released their debut album Resident Alien, which spawned the singles "In the Meantime" and "Cruel to be Kind". The band's second album, The Chinese Album, was released on March 10, 1998. Though it did not sell as well as Resident Alien, the band's popularity was increasing as Spacehog opened for popular acts like Pearl Jam and Supergrass. The Chinese Album featured a more "artsy" sound, with Pink Floyd-like piano on the opening track and Michael Stipe of R.E.M contributing vocals to the song "Almond Kisses".
In 2001, Spacehog released their final album, The Hogessy.
In 2002, Spacehog quietly broke up and the band members went their separate ways, but reformed in 2008.
Perpetual Drag
Spacehog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Peh, peh, peh, look at you now.)
It's 5 a.m. again
The keystones crack in the pouring rain
But I just can't explain
All these perpetual drags
The perpetual drags, the perpetual drags
Chorus:
Could we did we fall in love
Do you think we should
Maybe we should have
Perpetual drags
Days go by the same
I'm by your side but you're miles away
That's why I can't explain
All these perpetual drags
Why did we fall in love
Why did you think we should
Why do we have to have
Such a perpetual drag
All that sugar and spice sure made everything nice
But all my days were lonely there with you
(Chorus) x2
The song Perpetual Drag by Spacehog is about the monotony and frustration of being stuck in a dead-end relationship. The opening lines suggest that the singer is disgusted with someone or something, as he spits out "peh, peh, peh, look at you now." He then laments that it's 5 am yet again, and that the "keystones crack in the pouring rain," presumably as a sign of the singer's weariness and hopelessness. The "perpetual drags" that the singer mentions refer to the dull routines and habits that the characters in this song (presumably the singer and his partner) have fallen into. These "perpetual drags" are causing the singer a great deal of pain and distress, to the point where he or she can't even explain them.
The chorus picks up on this theme of regret and confusion: "Could we did we fall in love, do you think we should, maybe we should have" all suggest a narrator who is struggling to reconcile the past with the present. Despite feeling trapped and alone with his partner, the singer still wonders whether he or she made the right choice by entering into this relationship. The repetition of the phrase "perpetual drags" in the chorus reinforces the idea that the characters are stuck in a painful, unending cycle that they can't escape.
Overall, Perpetual Drag is a poignant and melancholy meditation on love gone wrong, and the way that it can lead to feelings of loneliness and despair. The song's slow, dreamy melody and lyrics create a sense of longing and regret that is both powerful and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
It's 5 a.m. again
It's early in the morning, and I'm awake again, just like the days before.
The keystones crack in the pouring rain
The rain is heavy and loud, and I can hear the sound of my old house creaking because of it.
But I just can't explain
I don't know why, but I can't find the words to describe what I'm feeling.
All these perpetual drags
I keep feeling weighed down by something that never seems to go away.
Could we did we fall in love
Did we actually fall in love or was it just something that we thought we had to do?
Do you think we should
Do you think we made the right decision in falling in love with each other?
Maybe we should have
Perhaps we shouldn't have fallen in love in the first place?
Days go by the same
Every day feels like it's the same, and nothing seems to change.
I'm by your side but you're miles away
You're physically close to me, but emotionally you seem distant and far away.
That's why I can't explain
I can't find the words to describe what's going on because it doesn't make sense to me.
Why did we fall in love
Why did we choose to love each other in the first place?
Why did you think we should
What made you believe that falling in love with me was the right choice?
Why do we have to have
Why do we have to deal with such a burden in our lives?
Such a perpetual drag
This feeling of being dragged down is never-ending.
All that sugar and spice sure made everything nice
At first, everything seemed perfect and sweet.
But all my days were lonely there with you
Despite being with you, I still felt alone and empty.
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pasta Jo
I heard the first 3 notes and I thought it was Rebel, Rebel by Bowie. Anyone else hear it? Also, love the piano riffs!
Tanny Becerra
Love this song ❤️
Tanny Becerra
Peh, peh, peh, look at you now.)
(Peh, peh, peh, look at you now.)
It's 5 a.m. again
The keystones crack in the pouring rain
But I just can't explain
All these perpetual drags
The perpetual drags, the perpetual drags
Chorus:
Could we did we fall in love
Do you think we should
Maybe we should have
Perpetual drags
Days go by the same
I'm by your side but you're miles away
That's why I can't explain
All these perpetual drags
Why did we fall in love
Why did you think we should
Why do we have to have
Such a perpetual drag
All that sugar and spice sure made everything nice
But all my days were lonely there with you
Steven Batty
Top album.
costabass
Great post forgot about this band and this tune - so nice to be reminded
Colin O'Briant
Lol, assuming perpetual drags are kids.