(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River
Encyclopedia
Ol' Man River was the first single to be released off Machiavelli and the Four Seasons
(1995) by Australia
n alternative rock
band TISM
.
The title never appears in the song, and due to this, it is commonly (though incorrectly) referred to as I'm On The Drug That Killed River Phoenix. The title references the play Show Boat
and the famous song Ol' Man River
, indicating that River Phoenix
will never be an "ol' man" because he died at age 23 of a drug overdose
.
It is arguably TISM's most popular track, or at least, most well known, as it reached #9 in Triple J
's 1995 Hottest 100
, one number ahead of Greg! The Stop Sign!!
. In 2002, the band performed the song on John Safran's Music Jamboree
with traditional Greek instruments and slightly different lyrics.
and, as the song continues, talking about a wide variety of celebrities who died due to some sort of excess. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the addiction is not about actually doing these things himself; rather, his addiction is vicariously following celebrities and their excesses and premature deaths. As with a number of TISM songs, it is a comment on the fairly vapid state of popular culture.
Example verse:
I drank the slab that Bon Scott
drunk;
Injected some of Hendrix
' junk;
I booked a seat on Lynyrd Skynyrd
's plane;
Mama Cass's sandwich? I ate the same!
and ending in ...
Now I'm bored and there's no stoppin
I need another celeb to fill a coffin
Where will I get my next drug action?
Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
the final lyrics here now ascertain an uncanny foresight as the song was penned in the 1990s.
, leaving the band's Australian-born bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary (a close friend of Phoenix) "wanting to kill" TISM. TISM addressed this controversy in 2004:
The single was issued with a second "pills" cover after a version depicting Phoenix's tombstone was withdrawn.
Machiavelli and the Four Seasons
-GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! For Australia! - A Bonus Disc:To celebrate Machiavelli going "gold", it was re-released with a bonus disc. It featured previously unreleased tracks as well as the b-sides from all the singles released off Machiavelli and the Four Seasons....
(1995) by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band TISM
TISM
TISM was a seven piece anonymous alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The group was formed in 1982 and enjoyed a large underground/independent following. Their third album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons reached the Australian national top 10 in 1995...
.
The title never appears in the song, and due to this, it is commonly (though incorrectly) referred to as I'm On The Drug That Killed River Phoenix. The title references the play Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
and the famous song Ol' Man River
Ol' Man River
"Ol' Man River" is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat that expresses the African American hardship and struggles of the time with the endless, uncaring flow of the Mississippi River; it is sung from the point-of-view of a dock worker on a showboat, and is the most famous song from the show...
, indicating that River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
will never be an "ol' man" because he died at age 23 of a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
.
It is arguably TISM's most popular track, or at least, most well known, as it reached #9 in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's 1995 Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100, 1995
The 1995 Triple J Hottest 100, counted down in January 1996, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. A CD featuring 32 of the songs was released...
, one number ahead of Greg! The Stop Sign!!
Greg! The Stop Sign!!
"Greg! The Stop Sign!!" is a single by Australian alternative rock band TISM. It was the second single from the album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons ....
. In 2002, the band performed the song on John Safran's Music Jamboree
John Safran's Music Jamboree
John Safran's Music Jamboree was a light-hearted Australian music documentary television series, hosted by John Safran for SBS television...
with traditional Greek instruments and slightly different lyrics.
Song
The song opens with the refrain I'm on the drug that killed River PhoenixRiver Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
and, as the song continues, talking about a wide variety of celebrities who died due to some sort of excess. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the addiction is not about actually doing these things himself; rather, his addiction is vicariously following celebrities and their excesses and premature deaths. As with a number of TISM songs, it is a comment on the fairly vapid state of popular culture.
Example verse:
I drank the slab that Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
drunk;
Injected some of Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
' junk;
I booked a seat on Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
's plane;
Mama Cass's sandwich? I ate the same!
and ending in ...
Now I'm bored and there's no stoppin
I need another celeb to fill a coffin
Where will I get my next drug action?
Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
the final lyrics here now ascertain an uncanny foresight as the song was penned in the 1990s.
Controversy
Not unique for TISM, controversy surrounded the release of this track. The main lyric I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix enraged a number of people, even reportedly reaching friends of the late actor, the Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, leaving the band's Australian-born bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary (a close friend of Phoenix) "wanting to kill" TISM. TISM addressed this controversy in 2004:
The single was issued with a second "pills" cover after a version depicting Phoenix's tombstone was withdrawn.
Track list
- "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River"
- "Abscess Makes The Heart Grow Fonder"
- "Dicktatorship"