Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Bottle of Blues (4:51)
Available on Mutations.
CreditsJustin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass
Joey Waronker: Drums
John Sorensen: Engineer
Nigel Godrich: Engineer, Mix, Producer
Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Slide), Harmonica, Keyboard / Synthesizer, Producer, Vocals
Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Keyboard / Synthesizer, Vocals (Background) - Bottle of Blues (extended intro) (5:07)
Lyrics:
Bottle of Blues [Version (a)]:
Da da da da...
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
And I've been waiting for a year or a day
Some strange weather must be blowing my way
'Cause I got no mind to go or to stay
Or be left behind
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Eagles drone and pose alone
Like black balloons all banged and blown
On a backwards river
The infidels shiver in the stench of belief
And tell my momma I'm a hundred years late
I'm over the rails and out of the race
The crippled psalms of an age that won't thaw
Are ringing in my ears
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
There's nothing that I won't play
Uh huh, yea what?
Well I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired solder with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Bottle of blues
All my folks in the back row
Da da da da...
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
And I've been waiting for a year or a day
Some strange weather must be blowing my way
'Cause I got no mind to go or to stay
Or be left behind
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Eagles drone and pose alone
Like black balloons all banged and blown
On a backwards river
The infidels shiver in the stench of belief
And tell my momma I'm a hundred years late
I'm over the rails and out of the race
The crippled psalms of an age that won't thaw
Are ringing in my ears
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
There's nothing that I won't play
Uh huh, yea what?
Well I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired solder with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Bottle of blues
All my folks in the back row
Bottle of Blues (extended intro) [Version (b)]:
Fucking freeze with the pumpkin pie!
Roll the tape
Da da da...
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
And I've been waiting for a year or a day
Some strange weather must be blowing my way
'Cause I got no mind to go or to stay
Or be left behind
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Eagles drone and pose alone
Like black balloons all banged and blown
On a backwoods river
The infidels shiver in the stench of belief
And tell my mama I'm a hundred years late
I'm over the rails and out of the race
And the crippled psalms of an age that won't thaw
Are ringing in my ears
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
There's nothing that I won't play
Uh huh yea, what?
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Bottle of blues
And all my folks in the back row
Fucking freeze with the pumpkin pie!
Roll the tape
Da da da...
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
And I've been waiting for a year or a day
Some strange weather must be blowing my way
'Cause I got no mind to go or to stay
Or be left behind
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Eagles drone and pose alone
Like black balloons all banged and blown
On a backwoods river
The infidels shiver in the stench of belief
And tell my mama I'm a hundred years late
I'm over the rails and out of the race
And the crippled psalms of an age that won't thaw
Are ringing in my ears
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
There's nothing that I won't play
Uh huh yea, what?
I just found me a bottle of blues
Some strange comfort for a soul to soothe
Ain't it hard, ain't it hard to want somebody
Who doesn't want you?
Holding hands with an impotent dream
In a brothel of fake energy
Put a nickel in a graveyard machine
I get higher and lower
I get higher and lower
Like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot
And nowhere to lose this bottle of blues
Bottle of blues
And all my folks in the back row
The Song:
"Bottle of Blues," like most of Mutations, was a rusty old song that Beck dug out of the cupboard. However, it is one of the few songs on the album for which pre-album versions are not readily circulating. For the album, Beck and his band put together a fairly straightforward arrangement. The whole song is very rhythmic, from Beck's vocals and guitar to Justin's bass and Joey's drums. Towards the end, Beck and Roger add all sorts of nifty synthesizer sounds to the mix.
This song seems to be about impotence, be it sexual or otherwise. Like most blues lyrics, it's open to different interpretations and emotions. Many of the lines do have an undeniably sexual nature (ie., "I get higher and lower like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot"). One of the main lines of the song says it clearly: "Holding hands with an impotent dream." This line clarifies a lot of the other images, from "a tired soldier with nothing to shoot" and "a brothel of fake energy" to even the title, "bottle of blues." A line Beck borrowed from Woody Guthrie takes on a new meaning here ("hard, ain't it hard...")! Most of the other feelings described ("I've been waiting for a year, or a day" or "I'm over the rails and out of the race") are a result of this "impotent dream."
Beck, as usual, has a pretty twistedly entertaining take on the blues. In addition to the aforementioned interpretation, Beck uses lines like like "Tell my Mama I'm a hundred years late / I'm over the rails and out of the race" or "On a backwards river" to express how he his feeling. Who can't relate to these phrases sometimes? They are simple, unique expressions, but filled with a lot of meaning and emotion.
"Bottle of Blues," like most of Mutations, was a rusty old song that Beck dug out of the cupboard. However, it is one of the few songs on the album for which pre-album versions are not readily circulating. For the album, Beck and his band put together a fairly straightforward arrangement. The whole song is very rhythmic, from Beck's vocals and guitar to Justin's bass and Joey's drums. Towards the end, Beck and Roger add all sorts of nifty synthesizer sounds to the mix.
This song seems to be about impotence, be it sexual or otherwise. Like most blues lyrics, it's open to different interpretations and emotions. Many of the lines do have an undeniably sexual nature (ie., "I get higher and lower like a tired soldier with nothing to shoot"). One of the main lines of the song says it clearly: "Holding hands with an impotent dream." This line clarifies a lot of the other images, from "a tired soldier with nothing to shoot" and "a brothel of fake energy" to even the title, "bottle of blues." A line Beck borrowed from Woody Guthrie takes on a new meaning here ("hard, ain't it hard...")! Most of the other feelings described ("I've been waiting for a year, or a day" or "I'm over the rails and out of the race") are a result of this "impotent dream."
Beck, as usual, has a pretty twistedly entertaining take on the blues. In addition to the aforementioned interpretation, Beck uses lines like like "Tell my Mama I'm a hundred years late / I'm over the rails and out of the race" or "On a backwards river" to express how he his feeling. Who can't relate to these phrases sometimes? They are simple, unique expressions, but filled with a lot of meaning and emotion.
Live:
Played live 40 times:
Earliest known live version: November 8, 1998
Latest known live version: January 11, 2019
"Bottle of Blues" is probably better suited to the stage. The tight, but loose, feel of the song is even more charming on stage.
1998-1999 Mutations tour
One interesting live rendition was when Beck appeared on Modern Rock Live on November 8, 1998. It is highlighted by a contemplative trumpet solo. Afterwards, Beck announced that it was probably the first time it was ever played live. This was just a few days after Mutations was released.
Much of the Mutations touring was just on radio shows, and a bit later in November 1998, Beck was back on KCRW once again. The "Bottle of Blues" there was a joy. On Modern Rock Live, Beck did not have his normal band, but for KCRW he had Justin, Smokey, Roger, and Joey backing him up. Their chemistry is amazing. Notes are missed, lyrics are fumbled-"Cause I got no mind to go or to stay or be left on the payroll"-and band members laugh in the background. Roger plays an awesome synthesizer solo, and the song breaks down into wonderful chaos.
Then on the Mutations tours proper, "Bottle of Blues" was played on just five of the eight shows. The Brass Menagerie had a more integral part in the loose stomp, and it's clearly a song the band enjoyed playing.
2000 Vultures tour
On the Vultures tours, the band didn't play the song at all, except at some unique shows. The version of "Bottle of Blues" on July 2 2000 (an acoustic show) is noteworthy because of the bizarre jazz horn section in the middle. The Brass Menagerie goes completely wild in the middle of the song, which of course fits the unscripted chaos of the song. Brilliant! I believe there's just a few versions with the horns, however.
2000 post-Vultures tour
There were a handful of gigs AFTER the Vultures tours ended, which were more chill, and Beck played "Bottle Of Blues" at some of those.
It was played at one of the mellow shows he did opening for Neil Young (September 30 2000). These versions from the end of the year were usually highlighted by lead slide guitar licks, which is new and always a welcome addition.
Here is one of these slide guitar-led versions from October 2000 that was done for a show which was livestreamed online:
2002-2003 Sea Change tours
Beck's solo shows of 2002 saw a number of folksy, acoustic "Bottle Of Blues."
In August 2002, Beck did not play "Bottle of Blues" at the first 3 shows, but then played it most of the time ater that. The first night he and Smokey pulled it out, on August 8, he introduced it by saying, "[This song] was just rescued today. It was living in El Paso, Texas, working at the 99-cent store. We put some posters up around town and someone called us." This first version is definitely my favorite version of the song ever. Beck and Smokey used Roland, their drum machine, to provide some beats, and Smokey's slide guitar was sweet. About half of the performances in August were done by Beck alone, but there are a few with Smokey.
after 2003
Since then, the song has shown at one small charity show in 2004, and not since.
Played live 40 times:
November 8, 1998
November 24, 1998
January 10, 1999
March 12, 1999
April 11, 1999
April 14, 1999
April 18, 1999
April 19, 1999
April 21, 1999
May 8, 1999
...and 30 more.
November 24, 1998
January 10, 1999
March 12, 1999
April 11, 1999
April 14, 1999
April 18, 1999
April 19, 1999
April 21, 1999
May 8, 1999
...and 30 more.
Earliest known live version: November 8, 1998
Latest known live version: January 11, 2019
"Bottle of Blues" is probably better suited to the stage. The tight, but loose, feel of the song is even more charming on stage.
1998-1999 Mutations tour
One interesting live rendition was when Beck appeared on Modern Rock Live on November 8, 1998. It is highlighted by a contemplative trumpet solo. Afterwards, Beck announced that it was probably the first time it was ever played live. This was just a few days after Mutations was released.
Much of the Mutations touring was just on radio shows, and a bit later in November 1998, Beck was back on KCRW once again. The "Bottle of Blues" there was a joy. On Modern Rock Live, Beck did not have his normal band, but for KCRW he had Justin, Smokey, Roger, and Joey backing him up. Their chemistry is amazing. Notes are missed, lyrics are fumbled-"Cause I got no mind to go or to stay or be left on the payroll"-and band members laugh in the background. Roger plays an awesome synthesizer solo, and the song breaks down into wonderful chaos.
Then on the Mutations tours proper, "Bottle of Blues" was played on just five of the eight shows. The Brass Menagerie had a more integral part in the loose stomp, and it's clearly a song the band enjoyed playing.
2000 Vultures tour
On the Vultures tours, the band didn't play the song at all, except at some unique shows. The version of "Bottle of Blues" on July 2 2000 (an acoustic show) is noteworthy because of the bizarre jazz horn section in the middle. The Brass Menagerie goes completely wild in the middle of the song, which of course fits the unscripted chaos of the song. Brilliant! I believe there's just a few versions with the horns, however.
2000 post-Vultures tour
There were a handful of gigs AFTER the Vultures tours ended, which were more chill, and Beck played "Bottle Of Blues" at some of those.
It was played at one of the mellow shows he did opening for Neil Young (September 30 2000). These versions from the end of the year were usually highlighted by lead slide guitar licks, which is new and always a welcome addition.
Here is one of these slide guitar-led versions from October 2000 that was done for a show which was livestreamed online:
2002-2003 Sea Change tours
Beck's solo shows of 2002 saw a number of folksy, acoustic "Bottle Of Blues."
In August 2002, Beck did not play "Bottle of Blues" at the first 3 shows, but then played it most of the time ater that. The first night he and Smokey pulled it out, on August 8, he introduced it by saying, "[This song] was just rescued today. It was living in El Paso, Texas, working at the 99-cent store. We put some posters up around town and someone called us." This first version is definitely my favorite version of the song ever. Beck and Smokey used Roland, their drum machine, to provide some beats, and Smokey's slide guitar was sweet. About half of the performances in August were done by Beck alone, but there are a few with Smokey.
after 2003
Since then, the song has shown at one small charity show in 2004, and not since.
Notes:
- One of Woody Guthrie's songs is called "Hard Ain't It Hard." The chorus goes "It's hard and it's hard, ain't it hard / To love one that never did love you?"
- Beck's earliest reference to "Hard Ain't It Hard" came in a pseudo-advice column he penned for Sassy magazine in November 1994. I'm not sure how "real" it is, but it's amusing nonetheless.
One of the questions came from Amy, and asked: "I love a guy who's going to be 17 about two months after I turn 15. He's my brother's best friend. The problem is, I've loved him for a little over three and a half years. I know he doesn't like me, but he knows I like him. And he has a girlfriend. I can't seem to get over him. I haven't gone out with a guy in two years because I like him so much. Whenever I think about him, I feel like I'm going to cry. Sometimes I even do. I don't think he'll ever like me."
Beck expertly replies:
"Like the song says, 'Hard, ain't it hard, to love the one who doesn't love you.' Hard it is, but nothing's easier than dwelling on it. As difficult as it may seem I think you need to go out with other people; give yourself a chance to grow fond of someone else."