Used to Get High
"Used to Get High" is a radio promotional single by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National. It was released by Jarrah Records in November 2007. It deals with the issue of addiction, and the many forms it takes.
The song was voted in at #22 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2007.
"Used to Get High" featured on the 2009 Australian comedy film, Stone Bros., directed by Richard J. Frankland.
Music Video
The music video for the song was directed by Dori Oskowitz (Highway 144) and was released to MTV and YouTube on 28 February, 2008. The video received little airplay, but has over 2,000,000 views on YouTube. The video opens with John Butler walking down a dark alleyway, he picks up his guitar and the band begins playing the song in the same alleyway. Despite several puddles, a dark look and a generally unpleasant looking location, the band plays, and is obviously enjoying themselves. During the second verse, a man can be seen taking pills. As the band performs, a crowd begins to formulate. But each of them is distracted by something. Some are distracted by mobile phones, some are eating, and some are using portable games consoles. In the final verse, leading the final chorus in the song, a young boy sees the band playing, and begins to move to the rhythm. The rest of the crowd notices the band, and does the same. When the song finishes, the crowd dissipates, and the video fades to black.
Podcasts:
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by John Butler Trio
Used To Get High
by: John Butler TrioI used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bullshit food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living
There's lots of different reasons and i'll tell you so
Super size, large fries, big mac, coca cola
Go on man, pick your poison
Speed, weed, ecstacy, LSD
Man, it don't bother me cos we're all on something
Caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol
You know i'm clawing at the walls trying to get my fix
Prozac, ADD tablets, coke, smack
Now you know i am turning tricks cos
I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bullshit food that they sold me
Yeah, that they sold me
Escape, can't wait all trying to get away
From this place man that we're feeling
Can't deal, can't feel what's real
Lyrics
All trying to conceal all this time we're stealing
No doubt, the route you're on
Can't find the clout that you've been needing
'Til then my friend you must contend
With the monster that you're feeding
I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bullshit food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living
There's lots of different reasons and i'll tell you so
Got links of the cheney
Getting crazy, getting lazy with their foreign relations
Starting wars, closing doors
Trying to bring about one quicker, man, revelations
Economic rational calling fouls with the workers
Just trying to make it pay
Cost cutting, head butting
Big business do what they like and you do what they say
What's wrong get along, just prolong all the thoughts
You got going on, on the inside
Appease, stand at ease, just try to please
All the apathy that you're trying to hide
How now brown cow
Did we get from this standing place......
And now we're kneeling
'Til then my friend you must contend with the monster that you're feeding
I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bullshit food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living