Three Sheets to Kishkiyya · Track 60 · middle
Feed the Fishes
VOLUME III — being SICK, the small-hours reckoning at the porcelain. The idiom and the song's title hook: "Feed the Fishes". Its true history: Nautical, 19-20th c. — heaving over the side into the sea while seasick. Render this beat of the night as the band's affectionate, funny, celebratory tribute — the idiom itself is the chorus hook.
Lyrics
[Intro] Just the rhythm of the tide... [Verse 1] The bathroom floor is pitching like a deck You got the cold white porcelain pressed to your neck It’s a long drop down to the bottom of the bowl And the ocean is demanding a toll You were dancing till two, you were queen of the room Now the water is calling you home [Chorus] Time to feed the fishes, my friend Like the sailors in the 19th century did Leaning right over the schooner rail in the wind Opening up where the damage was hid It ain't a defeat, it’s a generous wish When you finally bow down to feed the fish [Verse 2] There’s a grace in the rhythm of the heave It’s the oldest kind of mercy, I believe You close your eyes and the linoleum sways Like a merchantman caught in the haze I’ll hold your hair back while you settle the tab For that last heavy drink that you had to grab [Chorus] Time to feed the fishes, my friend Like the sailors in the 19th century did Leaning right over the schooner rail in the wind Opening up where the damage was hid It ain't a defeat, it’s a generous wish When you finally bow down to feed the fish [Bridge] Every deckhand knew that ancient tax When the water gets rough and the stomach contracts You just give your good dinner to the deep blue maw It’s the beautiful, terrible nautical law [Outro] The storm’s passing over now Wipe your mouth on your sleeve You're back on dry land, I do believe Just a sailor paying dues to the deep Go on and wash up... I think you left your shoes by the fridge.