Heroin Addiction: Lover Dearest By Josh Ramsey
Love Addict Music and literature have been a mode of expression for all of recorded history. Song lyrics are poetic expression. Poetry is defined as: “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm” (Merriam Webster). The lyrics of “Lover Dearest”, by Josh Ramsey, fit this definition perfectly. “Lover Dearest” is a love letter written about heroin addiction; the speaker uses metaphor, pessimistic tone, and revealing diction to convey his desperation. “Lover Dearest” uses a metaphor to compare drug addiction to romance. The speaker professes his distorted love for heroin as if the drug were his lover.
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When he says, “I could slip into you/ it’s so easy to come back into you” (Ramsay “Lover Dearest” 7, 8), he’s saying he wants to rid his life of the cause of his struggle, but is not able to escape the temptation. He knows that this relationship is not healthy for him, but he is unable to find a substitute that is as satisfying. The speaker feels isolated in his struggle with addiction and is desperate to find happiness. He reflects on his feelings toward the drug when he says, “the bitter in you is the quitter in me” (Ramsay 28). The speaker finds that quitting brings out undesirable emotions; it is a bitter experience. It also describes the negative qualities of the drug, comparing it to the negative qualities of his personality when he attempts to quit. He implies that he becomes bitter when he abstains from using heroin. The metaphor is multidirectional in its comparison between his emotional state and the addicting aspects of the drug. “Lover Dearest” conveys a pessimistic tone from the beginning. He describes his environment, “This place is a hole, but I don 't want to go” (Ramsay 1). His emotional state is desolate, yet he does not want to change it. In a study on drug use, users reported that they continued to use “because they felt like failures and because they felt trapped and heroin took them away from their problems” (Addiction and Discouragement 8). This line sets a mood, showing that he is not satisfied with his situation, but he is not confident in his ability to escape this lifestyle. The speaker’s desire for heroin is evident in his plea, “I wish we could stay here forever alone” (Ramsay 2).
He feels connected and fulfilled when he is using drugs. When the rest of the world is not there to criticize his choices, he is content. “Rather than a quest for significance, the drug subculture is portrayed as a retreat from society” (Addiction and Discouragement 3). He feels security in the addictive lifestyle that he knows, and is afraid of what his life would become without the use of drugs. “Lover Dearest” contains a desire for a change that seems unlikely to the speaker. His lover is portrayed in a pessimistic way: “You 're still the best more or less, I guess” (Ramsay 12). This partner is the most important thing he has experienced, but he feels like there is something better he could have. He is hesitant to leave something comfortable, fearing that he may never replace it with anything that feels as good. The speaker displays an uncertainty; he is not confident that he deserves more than he …show more content…
has. The word choice is selective not only in what is said, but also what is not said.
In the lyrics of “Lover Dearest” there is never a clear reference made to the gender of the audience. He speaks directly to his lover, but does not use a name or gender to approach it. He only addresses his love as “you”. This lack of clarity is relevant; it confirms that his love is for an inanimate thing, not a person. He is captivated by his desire for the drug and is searching for the strength to leave it behind him. The speaker reveals his drug of choice with selective diction. He claims, “I still love your taste” (Ramsay 3), which could be interpreted ambiguously. The statement could be understood as a sexual reference, but later in the lyrics it is clarified. When he says “the bitter in you” (Ramsay 27), he is indicating that he uses heroin: “Pure heroin is a fine, white, bitter-tasting crystalline powder” (Health Concerns: Heroin). “Bitter” is one of the slang terms used to refer to heroin. The drug-related vocabulary is one mechanism that reveals this set of lyrics to be more than a love
song.
He confirms his heroin use with his choice of words again in the lyrics. He complains, “my tongue’s turning black, but I’ll take you back” (Ramsay 11), referring to an overdose. Tongue discoloration is a common sign of a heroin overdose (Heroin Abuse). Even during the events of life-threatening consequences he is forgiving of the addiction. Heroin addicts tend to become reckless with their lives: “Someone using heroin often does not care about the natural consequences of his or her actions... Natural consequences of their choices are no longer important to heroin users” (Heroin Abuse). With all of the damage this drug has caused in his life, he is still unwilling to give it up. The use of metaphor, pessimistic tone, and selectively revealing diction conveys desperation in this love letter about addiction. This song appeals to a wide audience because most people can relate to it. Many people can find meaning in the words, whether the lyrics apply to a romantic relationship or an addiction. These lyrics appeal in a personal and deep emotional way. The lyrics of the song are poetic in nature, as they include many literary devices to convey the speaker’s message.
Lover Dearest – Marianas Trench
1 This place is a hole, but I don 't want to go.
2 I wish we could stay here forever alone.
3 This time that we waste, but I still love your taste.
4 Don 't let him take my place, don 't just sit there.
5 Sometimes I wish you would leave me.
6 Well I 'm not sick of you yet, is that as good as it gets?
7 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
8 Its so easy to come back into you.
9 I stared for awhile, and waited for words.
10 Seen but not heard and struggled to try.
11 My tongue 's turning black, but I 'll take you back.
12 You 're still the best more or less, I guess.
13 I guess.
14 Don 't you leave me,
15 Well I 'm not sick of you yet,
16 Is that as good as it gets?
17 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
18 Its so easy to come back into you.
19 It hurts me to say that it hurts me to stay.
20 And it might be alright if you go.
21 It hurts me to say that I want you to stay,
22 But it might be alright if you go.
23 So leave me, well I 'm not sick of you yet,
24 Is that as good as it gets?
25 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
26 It 's so easy to come back into you.
27 Sometimes I think that the bitter in you and the quitter in me,
28 Is the bitter in you is the quitter in me.
29 The bitter in you, and the quitter in me,
30 Is the better in you and the quitter in me.
31 The bitter in you, and the quitter in me,
32 Is bigger than the both of us.
Works Cited
Glick, Ronald. Addiction and Discouragement: The Continuing Heroin Epidemic in Chicago Puerto Rican Community. American Sociological Association. 25 May 2009. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Health Canada. Health Concerns: Heroin. Cat. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants. 24 Feb 2009. Health Canada. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Heroin Abuse: Heroin Use Warning Signs. Drug Rehab 101. n.d. Web. 11 Dec 2010. “Poetry.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. An Encyclopedia Britannica Company. n.d. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Ramsay, Josh. “Lover Dearest.” Masterpiece Theatre. CD. 604 Records Inc. 2009. Sing 365. n.d. Web. 11 Dec 2010.
When he says, “I could slip into you/ it’s so easy to come back into you” (Ramsay “Lover Dearest” 7, 8), he’s saying he wants to rid his life of the cause of his struggle, but is not able to escape the temptation. He knows that this relationship is not healthy for him, but he is unable to find a substitute that is as satisfying. The speaker feels isolated in his struggle with addiction and is desperate to find happiness. He reflects on his feelings toward the drug when he says, “the bitter in you is the quitter in me” (Ramsay 28). The speaker finds that quitting brings out undesirable emotions; it is a bitter experience. It also describes the negative qualities of the drug, comparing it to the negative qualities of his personality when he attempts to quit. He implies that he becomes bitter when he abstains from using heroin. The metaphor is multidirectional in its comparison between his emotional state and the addicting aspects of the drug. “Lover Dearest” conveys a pessimistic tone from the beginning. He describes his environment, “This place is a hole, but I don 't want to go” (Ramsay 1). His emotional state is desolate, yet he does not want to change it. In a study on drug use, users reported that they continued to use “because they felt like failures and because they felt trapped and heroin took them away from their problems” (Addiction and Discouragement 8). This line sets a mood, showing that he is not satisfied with his situation, but he is not confident in his ability to escape this lifestyle. The speaker’s desire for heroin is evident in his plea, “I wish we could stay here forever alone” (Ramsay 2).
He feels connected and fulfilled when he is using drugs. When the rest of the world is not there to criticize his choices, he is content. “Rather than a quest for significance, the drug subculture is portrayed as a retreat from society” (Addiction and Discouragement 3). He feels security in the addictive lifestyle that he knows, and is afraid of what his life would become without the use of drugs. “Lover Dearest” contains a desire for a change that seems unlikely to the speaker. His lover is portrayed in a pessimistic way: “You 're still the best more or less, I guess” (Ramsay 12). This partner is the most important thing he has experienced, but he feels like there is something better he could have. He is hesitant to leave something comfortable, fearing that he may never replace it with anything that feels as good. The speaker displays an uncertainty; he is not confident that he deserves more than he …show more content…
has. The word choice is selective not only in what is said, but also what is not said.
In the lyrics of “Lover Dearest” there is never a clear reference made to the gender of the audience. He speaks directly to his lover, but does not use a name or gender to approach it. He only addresses his love as “you”. This lack of clarity is relevant; it confirms that his love is for an inanimate thing, not a person. He is captivated by his desire for the drug and is searching for the strength to leave it behind him. The speaker reveals his drug of choice with selective diction. He claims, “I still love your taste” (Ramsay 3), which could be interpreted ambiguously. The statement could be understood as a sexual reference, but later in the lyrics it is clarified. When he says “the bitter in you” (Ramsay 27), he is indicating that he uses heroin: “Pure heroin is a fine, white, bitter-tasting crystalline powder” (Health Concerns: Heroin). “Bitter” is one of the slang terms used to refer to heroin. The drug-related vocabulary is one mechanism that reveals this set of lyrics to be more than a love
song.
He confirms his heroin use with his choice of words again in the lyrics. He complains, “my tongue’s turning black, but I’ll take you back” (Ramsay 11), referring to an overdose. Tongue discoloration is a common sign of a heroin overdose (Heroin Abuse). Even during the events of life-threatening consequences he is forgiving of the addiction. Heroin addicts tend to become reckless with their lives: “Someone using heroin often does not care about the natural consequences of his or her actions... Natural consequences of their choices are no longer important to heroin users” (Heroin Abuse). With all of the damage this drug has caused in his life, he is still unwilling to give it up. The use of metaphor, pessimistic tone, and selectively revealing diction conveys desperation in this love letter about addiction. This song appeals to a wide audience because most people can relate to it. Many people can find meaning in the words, whether the lyrics apply to a romantic relationship or an addiction. These lyrics appeal in a personal and deep emotional way. The lyrics of the song are poetic in nature, as they include many literary devices to convey the speaker’s message.
Lover Dearest – Marianas Trench
1 This place is a hole, but I don 't want to go.
2 I wish we could stay here forever alone.
3 This time that we waste, but I still love your taste.
4 Don 't let him take my place, don 't just sit there.
5 Sometimes I wish you would leave me.
6 Well I 'm not sick of you yet, is that as good as it gets?
7 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
8 Its so easy to come back into you.
9 I stared for awhile, and waited for words.
10 Seen but not heard and struggled to try.
11 My tongue 's turning black, but I 'll take you back.
12 You 're still the best more or less, I guess.
13 I guess.
14 Don 't you leave me,
15 Well I 'm not sick of you yet,
16 Is that as good as it gets?
17 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
18 Its so easy to come back into you.
19 It hurts me to say that it hurts me to stay.
20 And it might be alright if you go.
21 It hurts me to say that I want you to stay,
22 But it might be alright if you go.
23 So leave me, well I 'm not sick of you yet,
24 Is that as good as it gets?
25 I 'll just hide it, or I could slip into you,
26 It 's so easy to come back into you.
27 Sometimes I think that the bitter in you and the quitter in me,
28 Is the bitter in you is the quitter in me.
29 The bitter in you, and the quitter in me,
30 Is the better in you and the quitter in me.
31 The bitter in you, and the quitter in me,
32 Is bigger than the both of us.
Works Cited
Glick, Ronald. Addiction and Discouragement: The Continuing Heroin Epidemic in Chicago Puerto Rican Community. American Sociological Association. 25 May 2009. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Health Canada. Health Concerns: Heroin. Cat. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants. 24 Feb 2009. Health Canada. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Heroin Abuse: Heroin Use Warning Signs. Drug Rehab 101. n.d. Web. 11 Dec 2010. “Poetry.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. An Encyclopedia Britannica Company. n.d. Web. 12 Dec 2010.
Ramsay, Josh. “Lover Dearest.” Masterpiece Theatre. CD. 604 Records Inc. 2009. Sing 365. n.d. Web. 11 Dec 2010.