Current and Former Members include: Pat Fish aka The Butcher (founder), Max Eider (founder), Steve Valentine, Owen Jones, Curtis E. Johnson, Pat Beirne, Gabriel Turner, Dooj Wilkinson, Dave Henderson, Paul Mulreany, Richard Formby, Alex Green, Alex Lee, David J, Graham Fudger aka Felix Fudger, Julian Poole, Kevin Haskins, Kizzy O'Callaghan, Laurence O'Keefe, Nick Burson, Rolo McGinty, Colin, Sonic Boom, Alice Thompson, Peter Astor, Peter Crouch, Rodney Allen, and Joe Allen.
Official Website: http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb
I Need Meat
The Jazz Butcher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't control the two of us
I'm shakin, quakin, sick with fear
Gotta keep this filled up with beer
I'm gonna lay my head on the track
And when the train comes along,
I'm gonna whip it back
I don't want to be your road statistic
I need meat
I need meat
I need meat
Now I've been down to the bathing place
Those dark eyed boys all over the place
Sweet girl, handsome, don't delay
Get down that subway, straight away
But she's gonna lay her head on the tracks
And when the train comes along she's gonna pull it back
I don't want to be your road statistic
I need meat
That's what I want, I want meat
Oooh ..I need meat
(C'mon whip it on, Dave)
Listen, I don't want to be your road statistic
No, I don't want to be your road statistic
Look, I don't wish to be your road statistic
No, I just don't want to be your roadster...
I need you
Aw, honey just need you
[No clue what next couple lines are ...}
( me neither )
I've been lookin in my horror comic
I've seen somethings I like in there
So, I'm gonna lay my head on the track
And when the train comes along, I'm gonna pull it back
Say, I don't want to be your road statistic
I need meat
Hey, I need meat
You coulda' told, I need meat
I need meat
Check another thing you need feet
Yea, you need feet
To run away.
I need meat
The Jazz Butcher's "I Need Meat" is a raw and gritty song that explores the darker side of life, death, and desire. The opening lines describe a person who is on a runaway bus, unable to control their own destiny or their own fate. The fear and desperation in their voice is palpable as they remark that they need to keep the bus filled up with beer. The lines "I'm gonna lay my head on the track, and when the train comes along, I'm gonna whip it back" suggest a nihilistic outlook on life, where the singer seems to be daring fate to take them out.
The chorus, "I don't want to be your road statistic, I need meat" is repetitive and haunting. The singer seems to be referencing the idea of being a statistic, a number, a faceless entity that is swallowed up by society's expectations. In this case, the singer is yearning for something more visceral and real - meat. This could represent anything from carnal desire to a need for something more substantial than the mundane everyday existence.
The second verse introduces a character who is similarly searching for something more, perhaps for the same reasons. As they head down to the subway, they are described as being surrounded by "dark-eyed boys" and "sweet girls." However, they too seem to have a nihilistic outlook on life and are willing to lay their head on the tracks and "pull the train back" when it comes along. The song ends with a segment that sounds like a horror comic, in which the singer sees things they like and is willing to lay their head on the track and pull the train back again.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been ridin' on a runaway bus
I've been living life recklessly and out of control
Can't control the two of us
I am unable to control myself and the situation I find myself in
I'm shakin, quakin, sick with fear
I am fearful and scared, feeling uncertain about the future
Gotta keep this filled up with beer
I use alcohol to cope with my problems and numb my emotions
I'm gonna lay my head on the track
I am so desperate that I am willing to risk my life and do anything to find relief from my current situation
And when the train comes along, I'm gonna whip it back
I will try to take control of the situation and turn it around for the better
I need meat
I need something more substantial in my life to satisfy my needs and desires
Now I've been down to the bathing place
I have been searching for something to make me happy and fulfilled
Those dark eyed boys all over the place
I have been looking for love and companionship everywhere
Sweet girl, handsome, don't delay
I am still searching for someone to love and be with
But she's gonna lay her head on the tracks
Even the people I care about are struggling and feeling desperate
And when the train comes along she's gonna pull it back
Despite the difficulties, she will try to turn things around and make the most of a bad situation
That's what I want, I want meat
I am still searching for something substantial and meaningful in my life
I need you
I am ultimately searching for love and connection with another person
I've been lookin in my horror comic
I am searching for meaning and inspiration in things that others might find strange or unappealing
I've seen somethings I like in there
I have found some comfort and solace in unlikely sources
Say, I don't want to be your road statistic
I don't want to become another victim of fate or circumstance
Check another thing you need feet
Sometimes the best thing you can do is to run away from a bad situation
I need meat
Ultimately, I am searching for something more substantial and meaningful in my life
Contributed by Blake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.