There is more than one artist with this name:

1) The Loved Ones are … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:

1) The Loved Ones are a punk rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was founded in late 2003 by Dave Hause (formerly of The Curse and Paint It Black) on vocals and guitar, Michael Cotterman (formerly of Kid Dynamite) on bass and Mike Sneeringer (formerly of Trial by Fire) on drums. In 2005, they released a self-titled EP on Jade Tree Records. Their debut full-length album, Keep Your Heart, was released in 2006 on popular San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords.
After leaving Paint It Black, singer Dave Hause worked as a roadie for New Jersey's The Bouncing Souls, which got the Loved Ones' foot in the door. They eventually toured with the Bouncing Souls and many other reputable bands, including Against Me!, Rise Against, Bad Religion, NOFX, and Less Than Jake.
In December 2006, a posting on the band's MySpace page announced that Cotterman had left the band. He was replaced by Chris Gonzalez, and they also added second guitarist David Walsh. They were both formerly members of The Explosion, who had announced their breakup near the time Cotterman left.

2) The Loved Ones were an Australian rock group of the 1960s, formed in the wake of the British Invasion. Although the band’s career lasted only two years, the group is now regarded as one of the most significant Australian bands of the 1960s.

3) The Loved Ones were a nineties rock band from Oakland, California. The released two albums, The Price for Love (1993) and Better Do Right (1994). Although they had quite a following in '94 and '95, the band broke up. Vocalist Bart Davenport has a solo career as well as performs with Honeycut.

Living Will
The Loved Ones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

all alone again
he woke up screaming here
he needs more oxygen to breathe
help him up hold him down
like a freight train
it's bearing down again
he's got holy water in his lungs
help him up

if that's how it's gonna be
wake me up wake me up
pump me full of meds
don't let me drink from that cup
slide a little pill down my throat
i'll try to keep it down
or pull my plug and don't be frightened by the sound

seventy and ten
outlived the best of men
he wants to see his little kids again
help him up
but in all his years
the pain's never been this severe
now he's spiraling in fear
hold him down

if that's how it's gonna be
wake me up wake me up
pump me full of meds
don't let me drink from that cup
slide a little pill down my throat

i'll try to keep it down
or pull my plug and don't be frightened by the sound

Overall Meaning

The Loved Ones's song "Living Will" is a melancholic tale of a man struggling with physical and emotional pain. The opening lines convey the sense of isolation and desperation as the man wakes up screaming and needs more oxygen to breathe. He feels like a train bearing down on him, with holy water in his lungs, perhaps an allusion to the cleansing power of religion or the futility of trying to purify something that is already damaged. He asks for help, adding a sense of urgency to his situation.

The second verse shows the man grappling with the idea of death and the choices that come with it. He asks to be woken up, pumped full of medication or given a pill to swallow, or to have his plug pulled. He is willing to try anything to alleviate his pain and suffering, even if it means losing his life. The final section of the song adds a bittersweet touch, as the man reflects on his life and wants to see his children again before he dies. The juxtaposition between these wishes and the brutal reality of his illness and pain adds a layer of poignancy to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

all alone again
The person is alone and lonely yet again.

he woke up screaming here
He woke up with a jolt, frightened and screaming, in this place.

he needs more oxygen to breathe
He is struggling to breathe and needs more oxygen.

help him up hold him down
Help him stand, but also hold him down or restrain him as necessary, probably due to his fear and desperation or physical distress.

like a freight train
His struggles or problems are coming at him like a speeding freight train with great force and impact.

it's bearing down again
The problems or challenges he is facing are approaching rapidly once more.

he's got holy water in his lungs
This is metaphorical, suggesting that he is gasping or choking for air like he has swallowed water, but it is 'holy' to emphasize how desperate the situation is and how he may need some kind of divine intervention to save him.

if that's how it's gonna be
He is resigned to whatever fate or outcome will come next, but also suggesting that there is a possibility of a better outcome if something is done differently.

wake me up wake me up
He wants to be awake and alert, rather than asleep or unconscious.

pump me full of meds
He wants to be medicated heavily to ease his pain or anxiety, perhaps even to the point of being numbed or sedated.

don't let me drink from that cup
He wants to avoid anything that might be harmful, dangerous, or risky, even to the point of death.

slide a little pill down my throat
He is willing to take medication orally, even if it is unpleasant, difficult, or painful, to improve his condition or prolong his life.

i'll try to keep it down
He is willing to cooperate and do his part to improve his situation, by trying to swallow the pill successfully and not vomit it back up.

or pull my plug and don't be frightened by the sound
He is also willing to accept death, even if it means taking action to end his life if his condition is untenable, and he wants his loved ones to be brave and not scared by his decision or his passing.

seventy and ten
The person is eighty years old.

outlived the best of men
The person has lived longer than many admirable or remarkable people.

he wants to see his little kids again
He has a strong desire to meet or see his children, who may be gone or grown up with their own lives.

in all his years
In his long life so far.

the pain's never been this severe
He has never experienced such intense or unbearable pain before.

now he's spiraling in fear
He is becoming increasingly scared, anxious, and out of control as his situation worsens.

hold him down
He needs to be restrained or comforted to prevent him from hurting himself or others due to his fear or distress.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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