“Got to give it Up” by Thin Lizzy

this one really captures the desperation of a person very near the bottom

This may have been mentioned but I love Joe Walsh One day at a time
YouTube – One Day At A Time

There are a few I know that I don’t think I saw yet: Perfect Circle – Gravity; Korn -Coming Undone; Godsmack – Shinedown; Styx – Snowblind; Shinedown – Save Me. These are all addiction ones. I know a few recovery ones: I Can See Clearly Now – Jimmy Cliff; Incubus – Dig; Live – Pain Lies on the Riverside; Syntax – Bliss (Long Version); Incubus – Drive. Will post more when I remember them. I hope these are of use to someone! Please e-mail me if you’d like the lyrics to any of them.

On this one, and then as I was scrolling through, I see I already did a couple of years ago (AARGHH! Hope it’s not Alzheimer’s!).

So I’m back, a little older and a little fartier (but still clean and sober, 29 big ones in a few days), so I’ll add a couple . . . For those who survived the 60’s even though they inhaled . . .

The first is that ol’ ho’gut lament, House of the Rising Sun, done by various artists including Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie, but Eric Burdon retired the trophy on that one (saw him on PBS the other night, and the #1 Animal appears to be surviving):

And the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk,
And the only time he’s satisfied is when he’s on a drunk.

Speaking of Dylan, there’s Subterranean Homesick Blues and Mr. Tambourine Man, rendered platinum by Roger McGuinn and David Crosby with the Byrds (who also did Eight Miles High; can’t forget that one). Dylan put those two on the flip sides of the Bringing It All Back Home album, and I’m pretty sure there’s a message there . . .

And there’s another John Prine piece that’s missing so far, “Sam Stone”:

Sam Stone came home to his wife and family,
After serving in a conflict overseas.
And the time that he served had shattered all his nerves,
And left a little shrapnel is his knee.
But the morphine eased the pain,
And the grass grew round his brain,
And gave him all the confidence he lacked,
With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back.

(chorus)

There’s a hole in Daddy’s arm where all the money goes,
And Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears; can’t stop to count the tears,
And sweet songs never last too long on broken radios

Hmm. I see somebody is trying to claim Puff the Magic Dragon is about some early Stone Age pot smokers, but I heard it from Peter Yarrow’s lips himself (along with hearing him sing it on three different occasions) that it’s just a nice little kids’ ballad . . . I think I believe him . . .

Not every song is about dope, there folks, and the longer you’re in recovery, the more you realize a lot of the world gets along without it just fine…

wonder if anyone posted… Dr Feelgood – Motley Crue, 6 months(?) and Beautiful Disaster (makes me cry) by Kelly Clarkson, and Sober by Pink. I didnt see them on the pages i go to.

Van Morrison’s latest album Keep It Simple

Amazing songs with experience, strength, and hope!

This song has always made me cry since I was a little kid because it reminded me of my older sister who is an addict. It’s a great song though.

“Lullaby” Shawn Mullins

she grew up with
the children of the stars
in the hollywood hills and the boulevard
her parents threw big parties
everyone was there
they hung out with folks like
dennis hopper, bob seeger, sonny and cher

now, she feels safe
in this bar on fairfax
and from the stage I can tell that
she can’t let go and she can’t relax
and just before
she hangs her head to cry
I sing to her a lullaby, I sing

everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

she still lives with her mom
outside the city
down that street about a half a mile
and all her friends tell her
she’s so pretty
but she’d be a whole lot prettier
if she smiled once in a while
`cause even her smile
looks like a frown
she’s seen her share of devils
in this angel town

But, everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

I told her I ain’t so sure
about this place
it’s hard to play a gig in this town
and keep a straight face
seems like everyone here’s got a plan
it’s kind of like nashville with a tan, but,

everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye

everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything’s gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye,rockabye, bye, bye
bye, bye

Weak and Powerless by A Perfect Circle

Tilling my own grave to keep me level
Jam another dragon down the hole
Digging to the rhythm and the echo of a solitary siren
One that pushes me along and leaves me so

Desperate and ravenous,
So weak and powerless over you

Someone feed the monkey while I dig in search of China
White as Dracula as I approach the bottom

Desperate and ravenous,
So weak and powerless over you

Little angel go away
Come again some other day
The devil has my ear today
I’ll never hear a word you say
Promised I would find a little solace
And some peace of mind
Whatever just as long as I don’t feel so

Desperate and ravenous,
So weak and powerless

Desperate and ravenous,
So weak and powerless
Over you

The name of the album is “Thirteenth Step” for crying out loud. I swear half the songs Maynard Keenan (The vocalist for APC and Tool) writes are about addiction.