Bottle Ache

Lyrics

[Intro]
Yeah, let's keep the trumpets to a murmur today.

[Verse 1]
Well, pull the shades, let the brass begin.
The daylight is knocking at my edge.
I earned the ringing in this heavy head,
Floating a little bit above the bed.
Every muscle's humming with a deep, low hum,
Remembering the glory of the midnight run.
I took the whole city out for a spin,
And the city decided it was going to win.

[Chorus]
I've got the bottle ache, plain and true,
The finest heavy weather making me anew.
Just a straight transaction, glass to mind,
The loudest silence that you'll ever find.
Oh, the glorious, undeniable bottle ache.

[Verse 2]
They knew this bargain back in 1898,
Down a London alley, staying out too late.
The English working men with their collar dust,
Swapping out tomorrow for a grand, wild rush.
No fancy Latin for the pounding in the brain,
No doctor's careful phrasing for the lovely strain.
Just name it for the weapon that delivered the blow,
A green glass hammer with a liquid glow.

[Chorus]
I've got the bottle ache, plain and true,
The finest heavy weather making me anew.
Just a straight transaction, glass to mind,
The loudest silence that you'll ever find.
Oh, the glorious, undeniable bottle ache.

[Bridge]
I could swear the floorboards are tilting south,
With yesterday's glory tasting like ash.
But I'm grinning like a thief in the morning sun,
Because the price just proves the gold we've won.
You don't get the ache without the grand parade,
You don't get the light without the shade.

[Outro]
So pour the water, keep the voices low.
I wear the damage like a badge, you know?
Just the bottle ache.
A beautiful, blunt instrument...
And I think I'll keep my boots on, just in case.