Drugs Or Me Lyrics
You're the one that I need
You make the hardest things
Seem easy
Somewhere drugs don't go
Were the sun shines low
Always keep me close
The stranger next to me
You promised you promised that you're done
But i can't tell you from the drugs
Dig a great big hole
Down an endless hole
Will both go
You can't see me this time
Hope comes from inside
And I feel so low tonight
The stranger next to me
You promised you promised that you're done
But I can't tell you from the drugs
This face in front of me
You'r sorry swear it you're done
But I can't tell you from the drugs
(Ohhhh)
(so far away) To pull me up take the pain
(take me) Out from me
(so far away) Out from me
(So far away) The stranger next to me (To pull me up take the pain)
(Take me) You promised you promised that your done (Out from me)
(So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
(So far away) This face in front of me (To pull me up take the pain)
(Take me) You'r sorry you swear it your done (Out from me)
(So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
somewhere drugs don't go
Where the sun shines low
always keep me close
Like blessthebeloved said, it really is about someone's significant other or friend or somebody close... and their addiction to drugs.
"If only you could see the stranger next to me"
He's talking about how his friend or whomever is not the same person whilst they are on drugs.
"You promised you promised that you're done But I can't tell you from the drugs"
His friend says that they're done with the drugs... but his friend can't stop.
"Keep my heart somewhere drugs don't go"
I think that line has so much significance to this song... He doesn't want his friend to fall so much into the addiction that they forget all about him. He wants his friend to keep him close to his heart no matter what.
I adore this song... too powerful. Too close to home.
XoXo
I completely agree with dpmoss. Whenever I listen to this song, I can't help but think of how powerful addiction is... any kind of addiction. It really alters people and makes them completely unaware of how they're affecting those around them. It's pretty sad actually. A fantastic song though that really succeeds in depicting how addiction affects people.
I don't think this song is about anti-depressants at all...being one who takes them, I don't think it changes you as a person or "fabricates" at all, I just think it helps overcome inexplicable chemical deficiences that cause the person taking them to feel depressed/hate his/herself. But anyway, back to the song. It's extremely powerful, and it means a lot to me...I had this friend who wouldn't stay off drugs, and I tried so hard to help out, and he said he hated them so many times, and he promised he was done. But drugs mess with your friendships, your relationships, and your loyalties, so that in the end, the people who loved you can't tell you from the drugs.
It is a story. This, Pain and Polaris are a story of a relationship dealing with one partner's drug addiction. In this song, he's still explaining he needs the drugs and how much he believes they help the pain. But his partner is taking a stand and making him choose
it is ironic how in the beginning the person he "needs" ends up being a stranger because that person "needs" the drugs
I love this song It makes me cry every time I hear it To me it's about a loved one/significant other dealing with drugs. My boyfriend got really really into heroin and cocaine and I kept thinking about this song and eventually told him drugs or me. My story has a better ending because he's clean now but this is what I get from the song.
Stay with me You're the one that I need You make the hardest things Seem easy
It's about still loving that person and how much they mean to you. You want them there for you and they make your life seem so much better and easier.
Keep my heart Somewhere drugs don't go Were the sun shines low Always keep me close
You love them so much but you don't want to be second to the drugs. You want to have a special place in their heart that hasn't been taken over by the drugs.
If only you could see The stranger next to me You promised you promised that you're done But i can't tell you from the drugs
They're not the same person that they were before drugs. They've promised that they were done. That they've quit. You believed them, but they lied. The drugs took over and you can't tell the person that you love from the drugs.
Don't let go Dig a great big hole Down an endless hole We'll both go
This part is about staying with said person through everything. You know that it will be hard on your relationship, but you can't give up on this person, you love and care for them too much.
You're so blind You can't save me this time Hope comes from inside And I feel so low tonight
They don't know what they're doing while they are on the drugs and have blinded them. They can't tell what they're doing to the person that they love. Everything inside of them is hoping that it will turn out okay.
If only you could see The stranger next to me You promised you promised that you're done But i can't tell you from the drugs
Same as above
I wish you could see This face in front of me You're sorry swear it you're done But I can't tell you from the drugs
Relapse. It's terrible. They lied and said that they were done. That it would never happen again. It's about him looking at the person that he loves and saying "You're not the same person that you were before, and I want you back the way you were." Then the person saying that they're done but he doesn't know whether to believe them or if it's just the drugs talking.
Ohhhh) (Ohhhh)
(take me) I need your help (so far away) To pull me up take the pain (take me) Out from me (so far away) Out from me
This person wants help. They want to quit. To make everything better. They both know it will be hard, but it sound that they really care about each other.
(Take me) If only you could see (I need your help) (So far away) The stranger next to me (To pull me up take the pain) (Take me) You promised you promised that your done (Out from me) (So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
This person is pleading for help. They want everything to be okay but keep going back to the drugs.
(Take me) I wish that you could see (I need your help) (So far away) This face in front of me (To pull me up take the pain) (Take me) You'r sorry you swear it your done (Out from me) (So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
They can't stop the drugs. They keep going back and keep going back after they are promising that it's over. That they're done with the drugs. He really wants to make things work because he still loves her. She needs his help and he keep's thinking that there's no more that he can do.
Keep my heart somewhere drugs don't go Where the sun shines low always keep me close
He's done. He can't keep saying to himself that everything will be fine and they'll live happy ever after. He still loves her though and wants her to know that she'll always be in his heart and that he wants to stay in hers. To always keep him close to her, but put his heart where drugs can't get to it. That if she ever gets better she can always remember him. He'll always be there for her.
Ok, here are the CORRECT lyrics and the meaning to me. I labeled each section with a number to make it easier to locate each specific meaning.
1. Stay with me You're the one that I need You make the hardest things Seem easy
2. Keep my heart Somewhere drugs don't go Where the sun shine slows Always keep me close
3. If only you could see The stranger next to me You promise you promise that you're done But i can't tell you from the drugs
4. Don't let go We'll dig a great big hole Down an endless hole Will both go
5. You're so blind You can't save me this time Hope comes from inside And I feel so low tonight
6. If only you could see The stranger next to me You promise you promise that you're done But I can't tell you from the drugs
7. I wish you could see This face in front of me You'r sorry swear it you're done But I can't tell you from the drugs
8. (take me) I need your hand (so far away) To pull me up take the wheel (take me) Out from me (so far) Out from me
9. (Take me) If only you could see (I need your hand) (So far away) The stranger next to me (To pull me up take the wheel) (Take me) You promise you promise that your done (Out from me) (So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
10. (Take me) I wish that you could see (I need your hand) (So far away) This face in front of me (To pull me up take the wheel) (Take me) You'r sorry you swear it your done (Out from me) (So far away) But I can't tell you from the drugs (Out from me)
11. Keep my heart somewhere drugs don't go Where the sun shine slows always keep me close
MEANING:
section 1: He doesn't want this person to be on drugs because he loves them.
section 2: He doesn't want to be in a place where drugs are, he wants to be in a beautiful place instead.
section 3: He wishes the person could see how they are while on drugs so they could see how bad they become. The person is two different people (on drugs, and off drugs) and he can't tell who is who even when the person is not doing drugs.
section 4: He wants to be with this person forever, so he doesn't want them to start doing drugs again. If the person continues to do drugs they'll both go down.
section 5: The person is so out-of-it from doing drugs that they can't help him feel better.
section 6: (same as section 3)
section 7: The person becomes a totally different person from the drugs and they don't see it. They apologize all the time but they don't realize the bad things they've done.
section 8: He needs the person to be clean again, to help him as a friend again.
sections 9,10,11: (same as above)
These lyrics are so powerful! The following couplet sums up my understanding of how drug addiction can affect your life: "If only you could see The stranger next to me..."
Wow, those lyrics, as simple as they are, really hit home. They're pretty self-explanatory, I think, about someone who is hurt by their significant other's involvement with drugs.
This song really reminds me of The Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work"