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"Opiates"
(written by Kristin Hersh)
 
In spite of everything, like redoubled efforts to glide backward,
To go in both directions, this dumb boat still doesn't fly
And that's no way to let a body down
I believe in balancing after a month of midnights in hot water
Scalded under holy water, punctuated with the punch of opiates
And that's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down
Standing with a bulging fist of nickles for the parking meter
That's the art and science part of your eccentric sleight of hand
And that's no way to cool a body down
I believe in violencing after a feast of fasting on hot water
Scalded within by holy sin, punctuated with the punch of opiates
And that's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down
That's no way to bring a body down

CASH Music


TRIVIA:
- This song has not yet been officially released.

WORDS FROM KRISTIN:
- "In the studio, you build a song layer by layer: cement to mayonnaise, as it were. You start with the basic structure and develop the feel over a series of sonic events that eventually lead to, well, goo. Whether your goo is a room mic or a reverb, the sheen is not musical, but it holds the track together. When you’ve reached goo point, it’s time to go back to cement and start peeling away layers that serve no purpose.
"Opiates" reached goo point rather quickly, as it seemed determined not to shine, and began asking for less and less. I pared my guitars down to a couple of acoustics and a couple of electrics, the bass part was refined until it attracted no attention whatsoever and my already character-free drums became percussive wallflowers. Only the lyrics would stand out, and they go by too fast to attract too much attention.
Then "Opiates" suggested that it’s outro should be the star of the show by refusing to accept my background drumming and demanding that Rizzo sit in with his live, drunken, seventies, free-for-all technique (see "Trouble" - Sunny Border Blue). Rizzo gracefully accepted the challenge and the outro was laid to sweet waste.
As an anthem for feeling over numbing, "Opiates" does actually shine. It sets the stage for every body’s question, to feel or not to feel? and then helps you make the choice by example. It dances away.
Love, Kristin"

Fireworks for you in the ozone snow.