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DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:52 am
by Clams
This week we have Smitty in the driver seat and he's chosen Why Henry Drinks as our next track. Smitty believes that the live version from AAW kicks butt on the studio version from Gangstabilly but I disagree. While I do love the live version ("12 years of me and you don't add up to a
god damn nothin"), the studio version wins out due to the pedal steel, which I really miss on the AAW version. I'm trying hard to think of words to describe the lyrics and sound of this track, and "bruising" and "crushing" are all I can come up with. Put it this way: I wouldn't want to drink with Henry. As an aside, I used to love on the old 9B board when it would say "knows why Henry drinks" under your screen name after you'd reached a certain number of posts.
Them stories that you tell me are so hard to swallow
You said "Go to hell" but I know you'd just follow
The future's closing in quicker than you think
and hanging with you I know why Henry drinks
Those obnoxious drunks downstairs are fighting and cussing
and twelve years of me and you don't add up to nothing
You say what's on your mind - tell it to your shrink
so he can know like me why Henry drinks
Just a few more hours till the sun comes back around
to tear each other down and drink another round
lost it on the way now I'm hating what we found
mendacity and grudge-fucks and pieces out of town
I drink half a case of beer on my way home from work
Daddy needs his medicine to keep his hands off Mama's throat
Baby, push a little harder cuz you got me on the brink
of spilling more than guts about why Henry drinks
Telling you so much about why Henry drinks
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:01 am
by dime in the gutter
plugged in, fuzzed out, fucked up.
plus pedal steel.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:34 am
by Smitty
I read somewhere the title of it came from the chorus of Hank Jr's Family Tradition (Hank, why do you drink..)
it's easy to see a parallel between this song and "Daddy needs a Drink".
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 11:39 am
by RevMatt
I like how side one of Gangstabilly opens with "Wife Beater" and side two with "Why Henry Drinks." Both songs talk about how for some people marriage can be destructive. The first song is about being married to a violent man. The second to a miserable woman. In either case, the marriage is toxic.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:12 pm
by Clams
Smitty wrote:it's easy to see a parallel between this song and "Daddy needs a Drink".
and about 25 others....
RevMatt wrote:I like how side one of Gangstabilly opens with "Wife Beater" and side two with "Why Henry Drinks." Both songs talk about how for some people marriage can be destructive. The first song is about being married to a violent man. The second to a miserable woman. In either case, the marriage is toxic.
They both seem pretty miserable in Why Henry Drinks, not just the woman.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:22 pm
by Penny Lane
Clams wrote:Smitty wrote:it's easy to see a parallel between this song and "Daddy needs a Drink".
and about 25 others....
RevMatt wrote:I like how side one of Gangstabilly opens with "Wife Beater" and side two with "Why Henry Drinks." Both songs talk about how for some people marriage can be destructive. The first song is about being married to a violent man. The second to a miserable woman. In either case, the marriage is toxic.
They both seem pretty miserable in Why Henry Drinks, not just the woman.
it's always more the man's fault, though
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:39 pm
by helmespc
This has been one of my favorite DBT tunes lately.... I'm going to have to go with Smitty... the AAW version of this is so great. Patterson's emphasis on some of the lyrics in the live versions make it that much better... I can't hear this song without hearing "12 years of me and you don't add up to a god damned nothin'". I know when we saw them in Lexington he said something about paying the shrink $100 dollars an hour to tell him why henry drinks...
Also, that intro riff is absolutely killer for being so simple....
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:46 pm
by OtisTheBulldog
I'll also side with Smitty on the AAW version. This isn't a song I typically make an effort to listen to, but I surely don't avoid it if it comes around when the Ipod is on random. Just a pretty straight forward song so not much need to analyze any lyric. It does sound like Patterson is going to rip a hole in his vocal chords on this one.
I sometimes say to Ms Bulldog while grabbing a beer out of the fridge, "daddy needs his medicine to keep his hands off mama's throat". It is a good thing she is a die hard DBT fan as well. Otherwise, I may have to leave the house for the evening because of threats of domestic violence.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:41 am
by RMD
Just a nasty sounding tune with great vocals from Patterson. Love it. One of the tunes I'm dying to hear live. I have to go with the studio version, love the pedal steel.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:04 pm
by littlemamma
gettin ready to spill some blood...
that's what.
mendacity and grudge fucks and .... 'll do that...
a murderously crunched and frazzled song.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:13 pm
by Smitty
Haven't caught this one live yet (that I remember) - I can imagine Pat throws a lot of spit on the first row during this one...
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:15 pm
by OtisTheBulldog
Smitty wrote: (that I remember)
I love these type of caveats.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:20 pm
by dime in the gutter
dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:30 pm
by beantownbubba
dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Hmmm, is there a reason you've phrased that the way you have, in which case it's far too subtle for me, or are you taking the long way around to saying it's DBT's best song?
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:36 pm
by John A Arkansawyer
beantownbubba wrote:dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Hmmm, is there a reason you've phrased that the way you have, in which case it's far too subtle for me, or are you taking the long way around to saying it's DBT's best song?
I keep telling y'all, it's been downhill ever since Southern Rock Opera.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:50 pm
by Markalanbishop
John A Arkansawyer wrote:beantownbubba wrote:dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Hmmm, is there a reason you've phrased that the way you have, in which case it's far too subtle for me, or are you taking the long way around to saying it's DBT's best song?
I keep telling y'all, it's been downhill ever since Southern Rock Opera.
I haven't really liked anything Hood/Cooley have done since Horsepussy.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:55 pm
by Kudzu Guillotine
dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
I have to admit I wasn't really all that fond of it at first but I've really come around to it over the years, especially the newer versions of it. Then again, that may just be the nostalgia for
Gangstabilly and
Alabama Ass Whuppin' talking.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:04 am
by dime in the gutter
beantownbubba wrote:dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Hmmm, is there a reason you've phrased that the way you have, in which case it's far too subtle for me, or are you taking the long way around to saying it's DBT's best song?
i'm just saying dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:28 am
by Howlinwolf
I'm with ya Dime - hearing this tune and Buttholeville had me in love with this band from day one.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:41 am
by Zip City
dime in the gutter wrote:beantownbubba wrote:dime in the gutter wrote:dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
Hmmm, is there a reason you've phrased that the way you have, in which case it's far too subtle for me, or are you taking the long way around to saying it's DBT's best song?
i'm just saying dbt will never record a song better than why henry drinks.
So you aren't saying it's their best song, only that future output will only be equal to or lesser than this song?
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 12:13 pm
by maxjkugel
Great song, and probably my favorite on the album. From the recent videos I have seen it looks awesome live too. I haven't had a chance to see it in person, but hopefully in Denver or Portland.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 12:24 pm
by John A Arkansawyer
I get where he's coming from. I didn't think Cooley would ever top Zip City. Primer Coat doesn't. But it doesn't fall short, either. Heads and tails of one coin.
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 5:30 pm
by Zip City
John A Arkansawyer wrote:I get where he's coming from. I didn't think Cooley would ever top Zip City. Primer Coat doesn't. But it doesn't fall short, either. Heads and tails of one coin.
Primer Coat isn't even in the same wallet as Zip City
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 3:54 am
by Smitty
Smitty wrote:I read somewhere the title of it came from the chorus of Hank Jr's Family Tradition (Hank, why do you drink..)
Ha, it was in the track notes for the unfortunately titled CP* tapes Vol. 1)
I wrote "Why Henry Drinks" right before we recorded our first album. I was still employed at The High Hat Music Club in Athens GA. I was actually at work, running sound for a "blues" band (and not a particularly good one) when the song hit me. I already had the title, a play on the old Hank Williams Jr. - "Family Tradition" line where he says: "Hank, Why do you drink?" It just seemed like there was room for another answer. The song was basically fictional. I've sometimes said it was a hypothetical pondering concerning my first marriage, and the state I would have been in if we had stayed together. Not a happy proposition, for sure.
It all seems like a long time ago, now. A lot of water has passed under the bridge, but I do still like the song. We don't play it all that often anymore, but I always enjoy it when we do.
Seven years is better than never, don'tcha thank?
*CP = Chris Pennington
Re: DBT Tracks - Week #5 - Why Henry Drinks
Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:07 am
by disgruntledgoat
I got in the car to go to work this morning knowing that I have to think hard about some major stuff and make some decisions in the next few weeks. I put my Truckers records on shuffle because all human life is there and the universe is sometimes helpful in these situations. First track? Why Henry Drinks.
On the nose.