Hey FOLKers! Back again this week with an old song from our first album: I’m Still Drunk. As always, first we will discuss the background, then go over the lyrics with an explanation, then the writing process. If there is a song you want to have dissected shoot me an email at moses@folkhogan.com
Background
If you don’t already have one, go snag an “I’m Still Drunk” coffee mug and fill it up with whiskey for this one. You can find it here:
At the time when I’m still drunk came around in 2011, FOLK HOGAN had maybe only played one show as a full band. Jeremy Adams was our drummer, and Tanner Bray was our banjo player. We used to practice in the basement of a hair salon, where Jeremy had built a recording studio. We called it “The Folk Hogan Saloon”. Up to this point we only had Zombie Prince, Bootleggers Dance, Skeleton Scramble, Hell Hath No Fury, Band of Mighty Souls, and maybe Mayor Jones. It is important to remember that this song was written when we were only 25, so drinking heavily was something we only did Friday through Thursday. We have always tried to strike a good balance between our inebriation and our work. With 1-3 drinks we are really great, 4-7 we are insane and we never stopped at 7. What many people may not know, is that this song has an alternative title. If you know it, I will buy you a drink.
Lyrics
If I wake up in the morning,
Then it means that I survived,
Groggy faced and damn this place,
Cause I’m still drunk.
We have all had that morning where before you even open your eyes you are certain there is an icepick stuck in your head due to last nights adventures. You wake surrounded by trash in an unfamiliar place; aching, stiff necked, painful eyesight. In complete awe that you’re still breathing.
I am surely not afraid,
Of any dog that bites,
I’ll puke in the sink and have a drink
Cause I’m still drunk.
The line about puking in the sink is one of Canyons most favorite lines of lyrics he ever wrote. It is also a true story. He invited his mom to his house to party. When she woke up in the morning she felt so hungover that she felt like vomiting. Unfortunately, the bathroom was occupied, so she had to do it in the kitchen sink. She felt so terrible about it that she cleaned the whole kitchen to make up for it.
It seems the dawn has come,
Before the hangover has kicked in,
Well never fear, just have a beer,
Cause I’m still drunk.
Drinking through the night sometimes, you reach a point where you have to decide to go to bed and wake up hungover, or just keep the party going.
If I wake up in the morning,
With a lady my side,
She’s still pretty to me ’cause I can’t see,
Cause I’m still drunk.
Who hasn’t ended up with a regretful night due to the ol’ beer goggles?
And I’m still drunk,
there’s nothing left to fear,
I’m still drunk,
Hey have another beer.
Alcohol might not be the solution to our problems, but we are still testing that theory just in case.
I’m still drunk,
There’s a party in my gut,
I’m still drunk,
Unless it comes back up.
One time after a show I went home and drunkenly decided to eat spaghetti and watch a movie. What movie? Requiem For a Dream. Yes. I puked.
If I wake up in the morning,
And I find myself in jail,
I’ll pay the bail, and drink some ale,
Cause I’m still drunk
You have to sometimes offset the bad times with a little drinkey-poo
I’m the first one at the bar,
I’m everyone’s best friend,
When it last call, I hate you all,
Cause I’m still drunk.
One time Canyon and I showed up at Jackalope Lounge in late November. It was a brutally frigid day. When we arrived at the door, and we found it locked. It was only then that we realized it was 10:00 in the morning and the bar was a long way from being open. Obviously we returned home and got some sleep so we could rest………Just kidding, we huddled at the door and kept warm for two hours until they opened.
If you have a party,
It doesn’t start till I arrive,
It’s ten past one, let’s have some fun,
Cause I’m still drunk.
If you have ever had a party that dwindled in the wee hours, only for Canyon to show up and turn it into a rager; then you know how true this is.
I find a luck lady,
Who wants to lay with me,
She’s a perky D-cup, I can’t get it up
Cause I’m too drunk.
Shit happens.
I’m still drunk
There’s nothing left to fear
I’m still drunk
Hey have another beer
I’m still drunk
There’s a party in my gut
I’m still drunk
Unless it comes back up
When I go to make my way on home,
I’m drinking, driving, talking on the telephone
You say you’d like a ride home too,
I would hate to drink and drive without you.
Drinking and driving is dangerous, terrible, irresponsible, and shouldn’t be joked about. But if you do joke about it, do it in a song
If I wake up in the morning,
Then it means that survived,
Groggy faced and damn this place,
Cause I’m still drunk.
I’m still drunk
There’s nothing left to fear
I’m still drunk
Hey have another beer
I’m still drunk
There’s a party in my gut
I’m still drunk
Unless it comes back up
Writing process
Canyon approached the band with this song. He had the music for all of it except the bridge and the key change. He also had written some of the first verse and the chorus. Here is a rare video of us actually writing this song at the FOLK HOGAN Saloon that Nick made way back when: