Alcohol
Suggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parade me around these grubby streets
Shake me
The joy you seem to take
Turning me into a fake
Like a plastic cherry on a cardboard plate
So, rollout the barrel, tonight I've had my fill
Mouths hanging sideways, open out into the street
Cigarettes, matches, un-coordinated feet
There's door fulls of winos in the
Learing London light
And for the crouds of sightseers
I make quite a sight
Reeling sideways downwards
Take a picture of me
Of all the tourist sights
I'm a sight to see
It's clear, it's clear as mud
It's in, it's in my blood
I come from a long line
Whose only fear is closing time
Alcohol!
Nnnno more alcohol, oh
Nnnno more alcohol, yeah yeah
No more alcohol
On and for the fifth time tonite
You are sliding down
But you won't stop there
You start falling through the ground
Will he make it, ha
But he's up, hey hey, he's Cassius Clay
Throwing rights and lefts
They're coming everyway
Mistaking lamposts for boys and girls
Yeah, single handedly, taking on the world
It's clear, it's clear as mud
It's in, it's in my blood
I come from a long line
Whose only fear is closing time
It's clear, it's clear as mud
It's in, it's in my blood
I come from a long line
Whose only fear is closing T-I-I-I-IME
(Oh greedy alcohol, you've taken the lot
We were having such a good time
You don't know when to stop)
(No) no more alcohol
(Rum, Pernod, Pink Gin, He'll drink anything
So long as his troubles disappear)
Same again,
Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol
Would you like to dance?
Yeah
I'm only here for the beer
The song "Alcohol" by Suggs is a commentary on the effects of alcohol on an individual's behavior and their surroundings. In the opening verses, Suggs speaks directly to alcohol, calling it "greedy" and blaming it for turning him into someone he is not. He describes how the joy it seems to take in making him a "fake" is like a plastic cherry on a cardboard plate, suggesting that it has no real substance or value.
As the song progresses, Suggs paints a picture of the chaotic environment that alcohol can create. He speaks of barmaids' tills being emptied, mouths hanging sideways, and uncoordinated feet. He then moves on to the streets, where he's among a crowd of winos and is a sight to see for the tourists. The chorus is a repeated plea to be done with alcohol, as it's "clear as mud" that it has taken hold of him and is in his blood.
In the final verse, Suggs describes the struggles of someone who has had too much to drink, yet continues to try to stay on their feet. He likens this struggle to that of Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) in the boxing ring, who threw punches in every direction. Suggs acknowledges that he comes from a long line of people with a similar weakness for alcohol, whose only fear is closing time.
Overall, "Alcohol" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking too much and losing control. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the chaos and confusion that can result from excessive drinking.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh greedy alcohol, you take me
Alcohol has a powerful allure over the singer, drawing them in with its strength and influence.
Parade me around these grubby streets
Alcohol compels the singer to wander through dirty, grimy areas.
Shake me
Alcohol vigorously shakes the singer, influencing them to behave in a way they normally wouldn't.
The joy you seem to take
Alcohol is personified as deriving pleasure from transforming the artist's character.
Turning me into a fake
Alcohol changes the artist's personality to a counterfeit version.
Like a plastic cherry on a cardboard plate
The singer's fake persona is akin to a fake cherry on a paper plate.
So, rollout the barrel, tonight I've had my fill
The singer has consumed a great deal of alcohol and wants more to drink.
I've emptied both my pockets in the barmaids till
The artist has spent all of their money on alcohol and has none left.
Mouths hanging sideways, open out into the street
The artist is disoriented and can't control their facial features as they stumble onto the street.
Cigarettes, matches, un-coordinated feet
As the artist wanders, they have cigarettes and matches despite being unsteady and uncoordinated.
There's door fulls of winos in the Learing London light
The singer sees many homeless people drinking on the streets of London.
And for the crouds of sightseers
The artist becomes a spectacle for tourists to behold.
I make quite a sight
The singer's drunken state is quite a spectacle to see.
Reeling sideways downwards
The singer is staggering and losing balance.
Take a picture of me
The singer is reduced to being an amusing entertainment for others to capture.
Of all the tourist sights
The artist is lumped in with the other attractions that tourists can see.
I'm a sight to see
The artist's drunken state is catching attention and making them visible to others.
It's clear, it's clear as mud
The idea is well known and understood, but it is still unclear and confusing.
It's in, it's in my blood
Alcohol is so ingrained in the singer's life that it feels like a natural part of them.
I come from a long line whose only fear is closing time
The artist is predisposed to drinking, stemming from alcoholism that runs in their family.
Nnnno more alcohol, oh
The artist regrets drinking too much and wants to stop.
Nnnno more alcohol, yeah yeah
The artist reiterates their desire to quit drinking.
No more alcohol
The singer has ultimately realized that they need to stop drinking completely.
On and for the fifth time tonite
Continuing to drink even though the artist knows they should stop, having done so several times tonight.
You are sliding down
The singer is sinking into a drunken stupor.
But you won't stop there
The singer knows they should stop drinking, but they can't seem to do so.
You start falling through the ground
The singer is so intoxicated that they feel like they're falling through the ground.
Will he make it, ha
Others are worried about the artist's ability to recover and overcome their addiction.
But he's up, hey hey, he's Cassius Clay
The artist compares their return from the brink of alcohol addiction to the famous boxer Muhammad Ali's recovery from boxing losses.
Throwing rights and lefts
The singer fights against their addiction by resisting the urge to drink.
They're coming everyway
The urge to drink is pervasive and constantly present in the singer's life.
Mistaking lamposts for boys and girls
In their drunken stupor, the artist is so disoriented that they can't tell the difference between a lamp post and a person.
Yeah, single handedly, taking on the world
The artist feels alone in their battle against addiction but is still determined to overcome it.
(Rum, Pernod, Pink Gin, He'll drink anything So long as his troubles disappear)
The artist will drink anything that will help them escape their problems and stresses in life, including rum, Pernod, and pink gin.
(No) no more alcohol
The singer continues to emphasize their firm resolution to quit drinking.
Same again
The artist sarcastically orders another drink, even though they know they shouldn't.
Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol
The singer remains fixated on alcohol, even though it's causing damage to their life.
Would you like to dance?
The singer tries to mask their addiction with social connections and activities, like dancing.
Yeah
The singer agrees to dance, but it's still clear that they're struggling with their addiction.
I'm only here for the beer
The artist's sole reason for being at social events is to drink, and they're aware of it.
Contributed by Benjamin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.