Best known for his wry humor, Snider has been a fixture on the Americana, alt-country, and folk scene since his debut on MCA, entitled Songs for the Daily Planet, named for the bar where Snider used to play regularly in Memphis. On that album were the minor hits "Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues", a folk song about the early '90's grunge scene, featuring a band that "refused to play", and "Alright Guy", which later became the title cut of Gary Allan's 2001 album.
He released two more albums for MCA, Step Right Up and Viva Satellite, the latter often sparking colorful debate amongst fans for its comparisons to Tom Petty. He moved to John Prine's Oh Boy Records where he made Happy to Be Here, New Connection, Near Truths and Hotel Rooms, and East Nashville Skyline. That Was Me: The Best of Todd Snider 1994–1998 was released on the Hip-O label in August 2005.
Todd Snider's next studio album, The Devil You Know, was released in August 2006. It marked Snider's return to a major label, as he is now recording for New Door Records, a subsidiary of Universal Records.
The Devil You Know was named to several critics' year-end "best" lists, including a No. 33 ranking in Rolling Stone magazine's top 50 albums of the year, a No. 25 ranking by No Depression magazine, and No. 14 by Blender magazine.
Snider's songs "Late Last Night" and "I Believe You" have been recorded by the Oklahoma country-rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed. He co-wrote the song "Barbie Doll" with country star Jack Ingram.
Snider's new album, Peace Queer, is set to be released on October 14th, 2008, and will be available as a free download from Oct. 11 to Oct. 31 at http://www.toddsnider.net/store/product/1/Peace-Queer .
Alcohol and Pills
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a heart full of hard-luck country songs
But Nashville, Tennessee, they didn't Understand him because he did things
Differently then the way they were done
but when he finally made it to the Grand Ole Opry... he made it stand still.
He ended up on alcohol and pills
With a brand new way of singing
A brand new way of dancing
And even from the waist up, he gave the world
A thrill... he ended up on alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It's a crying shame
you'd think they might have been happy
with the glory and the fame
the fame don't take away the pain
it just pays the bills
and you wind up on alcohol and pills
Janis Joplin, she was a wild and reckless
Then there was Gram Parsons, then there was Jimmy Hendrix.
The story just goes on and on.
I guess it always will... they ened up on Alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It's a crying shame
You'd think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
The fame don't take away the pain
It just pays hte bills
And you wind up on alchol and pills
Sometimes somebody won't wake up one day
Sometimes it's a heart attack
Sometimes, they won't say
When they pulled poor old Hank Williams
Out of that Cadillac Coupe de Ville
He ended up on alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It's a crying shame
You'd think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
The fame don't take away
It just pays the bills
And you wind up on alcohol and pills
... on alcohol and pills
The song "Alcohol and Pills" by Todd Snider is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of fame, and the toll it can take on those who achieve it. The song highlights the tragic stories of some of the biggest names in music history, from Hank Williams to Janis Joplin to Jimi Hendrix. Snider sings about the fact that despite these performers' incredible talent and success, alcohol and drugs ultimately led to their downfall.
The song begins by focusing on Hank Williams, one of the most iconic country musicians of all time. Williams struggled with alcoholism throughout his career, and the song suggests that this may have been one of the contributing factors to his death. Snider points out that even though Williams was immensely popular, his differences from the Nashville establishment caused him to be misunderstood and underappreciated.
From there, the song moves on to other figures who succumbed to the allure of alcohol and drugs, including Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Gram Parsons, and Jimi Hendrix. Snider argues that their incredible fame did not shield them from the pain of their struggles, and that addiction ultimately took its toll. The song ends with a somber reminder that sometimes, the consequences of substance abuse can be fatal.
Line by Line Meaning
Hank Williams, he came up, from Montgomery
Hank Williams began his career in Montgomery.
With a heart full of hard-luck country songs
He sang songs which depicted hard times and life struggles.
But Nashville, Tennessee, they didn't understand him because he did things
Differently then the way they were done
His unique style did not resonate with the Nashville music scene.
but when he finally made it to the Grand Ole Opry... he made it stand still.
However, his performance at the Grand Ole Opry was so impressive that he stunned the audience.
He ended up on alcohol and pills
Sadly, Williams became addicted to alcohol and pills.
Evil Presely, he came up from Jackson
Elvis Presley was born in Jackson, Mississippi.
With a brand new way of singing
He introduced a new style of singing which was different from what was popular at the time.
A brand new way of dancing
He also added an innovative approach to dancing into his performances.
And even from the waist up, he gave the world
A thrill... he ended up on alcohol and pills
Presley became a sensation due to his seductive moves and energetic stage presence, but he also struggled with addiction.
Alcohol and pills
It's a crying shame
you'd think they might have been happy
with the glory and the fame
It is unfortunate that many famous musicians become addicted to alcohol and pills, despite achieving great success in their careers.
the fame don't take away the pain
it just pays the bills
Their fame only provides financial benefit, but it does not resolve their inner struggles.
and you wind up on alcohol and pills
Unfortunately, many artists become addicted to substances as a result.
Janis Joplin, she was a wild and reckless
Then there was Gram Parsons, then there was Jimmy Hendrix.
Janis Joplin, Gram Parsons, and Jimmy Hendrix were all known to be wild and reckless personalities.
The story just goes on and on.
I guess it always will... they ended up on Alcohol and pills
Sadly, the tale of famous musicians struggling with addiction due to their fame is a constant one.
Sometimes somebody won't wake up one day
Sometimes it's a heart attack
Sometimes, they won't say
Sometimes an artist may pass away suddenly, and the cause of death may not be immediately clear.
When they pulled poor old Hank Williams
Out of that Cadillac Coupe de Ville
Hank Williams died while being transported in his Cadillac Coupe de Ville.
Alcohol and pills
It's a crying shame
You'd think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
It is a shame that many musicians who achieve great success do not find happiness and instead turn to addiction.
The fame don't take away
It just pays the bills
And you wind up on alcohol and pills
While fame and success may provide financial benefits, they can also lead to addiction and struggles.
...on alcohol and pills
Unfortunately, the common thread among many successful musicians is addiction to alcohol and pills.
Contributed by Cooper G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark Duncan
Great cover. Any tune that name drops Gram Parsons is alright by me. Todd Snider is a huge talent and he's funny as hell also.
Billy Jack
I discovered this dude from a CD at a yard sale. Best 50 cents i spent. Songs from the daily plant. I think was the Album. It had the song, i think I'm an alright guy. Great Album. Been years since i listened to it.
Matthew Bailey
The story just goes on and on. I guess it always will...
BADFISH417
todd makes me think of tom petty. both are awesome
Tony DuHeaume
The road to hell is often paved with those crazy things we did that gave us a great rush at the time!
FreeBG
alcohol & pills has been the most crazy, amazing, scary, exciting experience of my life. i’m 30 and struggle everyday but if drugs kill me tonight i won’t have one regret!
Juan Federico
It's a goddamn shame.
Jim Krause
Todd's version sounds better though
Ed White
@Roman Candle i like Todd a LOT, but Fred does it better...more authentic...Fred's version makes me cry....
Todd's originals are better to me...and the stories he tells onstage.
Roman Candle
Yep. And that's saying something, because Fred Eaglesmith's original is great.