As well as being classed as a "punk revival" band (reminiscent of UK 1970s bands such as Stiff Little Fingers, The Damned, Sham 69 and Eddie & the Hot Rods), Swingin' Utters have increasingly shown themselves to be influenced by Irish folk, particularly The Pogues. The Utters paid homage to their influences with a stellar cover of Cocksparrer's I Got Your Number on the Blackout compilation Punk Rock Jukebox.
Members of the Swingin' Utters have been involved in many musical side-projects, most notably Johnny Bonnel and Darius Koski's Filthy Thieving Bastards and Druglords of the Avenue (formed in Oakland, California in 2004), and Spike Slawson's Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (in which he is the singer). Drummer Greg McIntee's side project Viva Hate was founded with Tiger Army bassist Geoff Kresge and singer Matt Wedgley of The Force. Guitarist Jack Dalrymple formed and fronted the Fat Wreck band Dead to Me after One Man Army disbanded. Dalrymple, Slawson and Koski also play together in the Re-Volts.
Swingin' Utters tracks have been used in the soundtracks of computer games including "Five Lessons Learned", which appeared on the soundtrack to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and "Stupid Lullabies" which was used as the title track to Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX.
Pills & Smoke
Swingin' Utters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My daddy hated it because of its fame
I never noticed really I was too young at the time
To care about the history in its name
Some years go by and they move me to the sticks
Some dinky satellite of my old home
And it was there I took off to meet my mind on the streets
And I've been sick
And I've been tired
I've been a madman slashing tires and starting fires
I'm not afraid
Cowards be damned
I'm full of pills and smoke and booze and I'm teenage
A few wasted years, a cup of tasteless tears
I learned my lessons the old fashioned way
Some think I'm angry and mean, but, hell, I'm only eighteen
There's only so much a kid can take
Another day, another time, My life and loves are in line
But I never lost the nerve that I had
It kept my insides clean my soul solid and lean
My independence guiding me through the crap
And I've been sick
And I've been tired
I've been a madman slashing tires and starting fires
I'm not afraid
Cowards be damned
I'm full of pills and smoke and booze and I'm teenage
I'm full of pills and smoke and I'm teenage
I ain't more, I can't get outta this
Gotta get some more pills,
Gotta get some more smoke,
Go on, go robbin'
And I've been sick
And I've been tired
I've been a madman slashing tires and starting fires
I'm not afraid
Cowards be damned
I'm full of pills and smoke and booze and I'm teenage
Gimme' some pills and smoke!
The song "Pills & Smoke" by Swingin' Utters talks about the struggles and experiences of growing up in a city and then being forced to move to a smaller town. The lyrics convey the rebellious attitude of a teen who has had enough of being confined and wants to break free. The singer talks about being sick, tired, and using drugs and alcohol as an escape from reality. Despite facing hardships and being judged by others, the teen remains strong and independent, guided by their own instincts.
The first verse of the song describes the singer as a city baby who was raised on a well-worn street. The dad despises the place where they live because of its fame, but the singer is too young to care about the town's history. When the singer moves to a smaller town, they feel suffocated and start drifting away. The chorus of the song talks about the singer's rebellious streak and how they have turned to pills, smoke, and booze as a coping mechanism to deal with the hardships of life.
The second verse talks about the singer's experiences after moving to a smaller town. The singer learns life lessons the hard way but never loses the nerve to take control of their own life. The chorus repeats the same theme of the singer being full of pills and smoke and not afraid of anything.
Overall, "Pills & Smoke" is a song about the struggles of growing up and the need for independence and self-discovery. The song conveys a sense of teenage angst and rebellion against societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a city baby raised on a well worn street
I grew up in the city on a street that had seen better days.
My daddy hated it because of its fame
My dad didn't like the notoriety of the street we lived on.
I never noticed really I was too young at the time
I didn't really pay attention to the street's history because I was too young to care.
To care about the history in its name
I didn't care about the street's reputation or past.
Some years go by and they move me to the sticks
Years later, my family moved me to a small town far from the city.
Some dinky satellite of my old home
The new town was a small, insignificant place compared to the city I grew up in.
And it was there I took off to meet my mind on the streets
It was in this new town that I started to explore and take risks.
And it was there I made off on my own
I became independent and started to make my own decisions.
And I've been sick
I've been physically ill.
And I've been tired
I've been exhausted both physically and emotionally.
I've been a madman slashing tires and starting fires
I've done crazy things like vandalizing cars and setting things on fire.
I'm not afraid
I'm not scared of the consequences of my actions.
Cowards be damned
I don't have time for cowards.
I'm full of pills and smoke and booze and I'm teenage
I'm a teenager who likes drugs and alcohol a little too much.
A few wasted years, a cup of tasteless tears
I've spent a few years doing things I regret and feeling empty inside.
I learned my lessons the old fashioned way
I learned things the hard way, through experience and making mistakes.
Some think I'm angry and mean, but, hell, I'm only eighteen
Some people think I'm unpleasant, but I'm still young and figuring things out.
There's only so much a kid can take
Being a teenager is tough and sometimes I feel like I've reached my limit.
Another day, another time, My life and loves are in line
Despite everything, my life is slowly coming together and I'm finding things to love.
But I never lost the nerve that I had
I never lost my courage or my willingness to take risks.
It kept my insides clean my soul solid and lean
Taking risks and being independent has helped me stay true to myself.
My independence guiding me through the crap
Being independent has helped me navigate through the tough times.
I'm full of pills and smoke and I'm teenage
I'm a teenager who likes drugs and alcohol a little too much.
I ain't more, I can't get outta this
I can't handle any more of this.
Gotta get some more pills,
I need to get more drugs.
Gotta get some more smoke,
I need to get more cigarettes or marijuana.
Go on, go robbin'
I might even resort to stealing to get what I want.
Gimme' some pills and smoke!
I want more drugs and cigarettes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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