Generating a singular brand of noisy chaos, Swedish post-punk band Viagra B… Read Full Bio ↴Generating a singular brand of noisy chaos, Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys fuse pounding hard rock grooves, minimalist melodies, discordant guitar and sax, and howling vocals into an uncompromised volley of sound. Fascinated with drugs, anger, and the evils of male privilege, Viagra Boys became a cult phenomenon in their homeland before word spread throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America about their punishing and articulate approach. After making their recording debut and setting their creative template with the 2016 EP Consistency of Energy, Viagra Boys both refined and sharpened their signature sound on their first full-length album, 2018's Street Worms. The album's strong critical reception helped bolster enthusiasm for their follow-up, Welfare Jazz, which appeared in early 2021.

Viagra Boys formed in 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden. Tattoo artists Henrik Höckert and Sebastian Murphy (the latter born in San Francisco but living in Stockholm) met through a mutual acquaintance and went out for a night of drinking. The two ended up at a karaoke bar, and after hearing Murphy belt out a unique version of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," Höckert decided they needed to form a band. With Murphy on lead vocals and Höckert on bass, they recruited guitarist Benjamin Vallé, who had previously worked with Höckert in the group Nitad. With the addition of drummer Sol Tor Sjödén, the core of the group was complete and they began writing songs.

By the time Viagra Boys started playing out in June 2015, they'd added Oskar Karls on sax and producer Martin Ehrencrona on keyboards. By 2016, they decided it was time to document their music, and they cut a four-song EP, Consistency of Energy, issued by Kosmos Recordings. The Push My Buttons label brought out their second record, the 2017 EP Call of the Wild, but for their first full-length album, 2018's Street Worms, they signed with Year0001 Records, putting them on the same label as Swedish rapper Yung Lean. If the band was uncomfortable with the association, they didn't show it, and Street Worms got enthusiastic reviews while the tracks "Sports" and "Just Like You" earned enough streaming plays and video views to raise their following beyond the underground. Viagra Boys' unpredictable live show was documented on a 2019 concert recording, Shrimp Sessions, that was released only in Japan. In April 2020, Viagra Boys were back with their first studio recordings since Street Worms, a forceful four-song EP titled Common Sense. This was followed in January 2021 by Welfare Jazz, their chaotic and subversively satirical sophomore full-length.

Shrimp Shack
Viagra Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

I put a towel in a bag
With formaldehyde
I put that shit up to my mouth
And get really high

Don′t give a fuck about these people
Following me down the street
Everybody want a part of my life

Can't you see?

I′m surfin'

I'm fuckin′ surfin′
I'm surfin′

I gave your dog a little snack
I met your mom down at the Shrimp Shack
She asked me then, "Where you been?"
I lied to her and told her I didn't know
Took off my shirt and so did she
We rolled in the dirt and got dirty

I′m surfin'
Surfin′ with your mom
Surfin' through life
Give a shit about anything
I'm in the dirt
With your mom in the dirt, ah
Surf, surf

Surfin′

Surfin′ with your mom
In the motherfuckin' dirt
I don′t give a shit
If I get mud on my shirt

I'm that guy, surfin′ by
On a fuckin' shrimp sandwich
I got mud on my shirt
But I don′t care, bitch
Drums

Nice job

Overall Meaning

Viagra Boys's song "Shrimp Shack" is a highly provocative and explicit track, whose lyrics are filled with vivid and sometimes graphic imagery. The lyrics suggest that the singer is a rebellious and reckless character who doesn't care about societal norms or rules. In the first verse, he describes putting a towel soaked in formaldehyde up to his mouth, which is a highly dangerous and potentially deadly act. He also mentions that people are following him down the street, wanting a part of his life, hinting that he may be engaging in illegal or morally dubious activities. However, despite the potential consequences of his actions, he seems to relish in the thrill of danger.

The second verse is even more scandalous, as the singer boasts about giving someone's dog a little snack and having sex with their mother in the dirt. The lyrics are highly crude and provocative, and suggest a complete disregard for societal norms and common decency. The chorus of the song is Sung in a playful and carefree manner, with the singer enjoying the thrill of living life on his own terms and not caring about consequences.

Writer(s): Martin Ehrencrona, Benjamin Valle, Tor Sol Magnus Sjoeden, Henrik Mats Hoeckert, Oscar Carls, Sebastian Declan Murphy

Contributed by Mackenzie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS