Clutch - Bottoms Up, Socrates Lyrics






They came marching down the street in robes
In the spirit of the Spanish inquisition
Guitars and trombones
Mechanical monkeys make good musicians
Street urchins, the smugglers and dingos
Dead languages and living man's lingos
Put the relics of a saint in a glass box
And march him around the block

Hangin' on the words of a mad man
Islands in the abyss
No use for the poet
When the hopeless seek no bliss

Mason jars of petroleum
You know those kids don't play
And should you ever get a hold of them
I'll tell you exactly what they'll say:
"Time we told you son about the family curse"
And when they open up the diary to gain an explanation
They find only terminal verse

Hangin' on the words of a mad man
Islands in the abyss
No use for the poet
When the hopeless seek no bliss

X-ray visions, eye in the sky
And the naked being led by the blind
So bottoms up now, socrates
Hemloc straight up goes down easy

Hangin' on the words of a mad man
Islands in the abyss
No use for the poet
When the hopeless seek no bliss

X-ray visions, eye in the sky
The naked being led by the blind
So bottoms up now, socrates
Hemlock tastes like ripple wine

X-ray visions, eye in the sky
The naked being led by the blind
So bottoms up now, socrates
Hemloc straight up goes down easy





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

Clutch Bottoms Up, Socrates Comments
  1. S.... ....

    I know this is old but thanks for posting man

  2. C.... M....

    bunch of clowns bantering clogging up the airwaves shyadddup an watch the fold unfold before your eyes!
    XD

  3. J.... D....

    Bring back the organ!

  4. C.... P....

    Been listening to this song for years but for some reason it's been in my ear all day. I'm not complaining.

  5. S.... G....

    Never heard this one before, huh

  6. H.... P....

    Is it a coincidence, that this song and "when vegans attack" sound so simmilar?

  7. M.... S....

    i like a dis

  8. S.... D....

    I was turned on to Clutch a few years ago. They seem to be a never ending well of riffage. Every time I think I've heard it all (or most of it), I discover more. Love it! Great stuff!

    S.... D....

    Tim Sult is god and Neil Fallon is his insane preacher.

    S.... D....

    blasphemy

    S.... D....

    See them live if you havent already!

  9. L.... K....

    This is my favorite song from 1991

  10. T.... T....

    Shit I was 15

    T.... T....

    I was 28. I managed a small independent record store in Ohio. We had to mail order their vinyl singles to the shop. Yea' Longtime fan!

  11. T.... T....

    listening to these guys since 93

    T.... T....

    first heard spacegrass in the late 90's. been hooked ever since. this band has something for everyone!

  12. S.... K....

    No eye in the sky on the new album

  13. T.... ....

    X-ray visions,
    Eye in the sky


    Something about this is oddly familiar to me. I think it might have something to do with their new album, maybe?

    T.... ....

    ThatFremenGuy the x ray visions video has a photo of philip k dick, and eye in the sky is one of his novels

    T.... ....

    "Pink rays from the ancient satellite" from "Burning Beard" is a Philip K. Dick reference too.

  14. P.... K....

    Kick ass.

  15. M.... S....

    One person doesn't like Socrates.

    M.... S....

    @Marc Salmon he should have acted like he drank the poison, feigned death because thats a magic spell and then came back and crushed his enemies before him just to hear the lamentations of their women etc etc... :D

    M.... S....

    Truly, that would be the Socratic way ala Conan the Barbarian.

    M.... S....

    Socrates Strikes Back: Starring Steven Segal

  16. i.... ....

    theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/24/hemlock-cup-bettany-hughes-review

  17. M.... U....

    first time hearing this one. i love every clutch song. mt favorite.

    M.... U....

    +METLEDSABBATHICA UDO  nice.

  18. K.... B....

    Personally, I think Pitchfork & Lost Needles is a great album. Especially this tune. Clutch have been one of my favourite bands for about as long as I've been listening to music.

  19. P.... o....

    But...  Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!

    P.... o....

    Damn strait!

    P.... o....

    @The Spanish Inquisition Holy shit I did not expect that!

    P.... o....

    Their chief weapon is surprise...………...and fear......
    Their two weapons are Fear, and Surprise...…….and ruthless efficiency, THREE weapons......

  20. C.... S....

    I think it's funny that your z key is fucked up but you could still tell us that your z key is fucked up. (you still typed "Z".)

  21. A.... B....

    Clutch has some powerful fucking lyrics.

  22. B.... C....

    I Like.

  23. T.... ....

    Naked being led by the blind is about leaders and followers. People who can't protect themselves are led by those who have no clue. Bottoms up Socrates is about suicide. A way to escape from the problems described in the song. Not sure about words of a madman. Can't give a clear answer on that. I think it's about how the philosopher or subject of the song hangs on to words written by someone condemned as mad by society. It also probably relates to the diary. Hope this helped someone.

    T.... ....

    the madman should be the church fanatic priest i guess...but i do believe that it talks about socrates himself and agrees with him drinking the hemloc since humanity with all these shits that you mentioned in the other comments is helpless and there is no point in prolonging life in this world... ;)

  24. T.... ....

    The mason jars of petroleum are moltovs. The kids are revolutionaries or rioters. The family curse being how ignorant humans are. Islands in the abyss is a way to view reality. No use for the poet is the line about the helplessness. The feeling behind it is how people don't care enough about overcoming ignorance for philosophers to have a place in the world. X-ray visions and eye in the sky are references to Big Brother.

  25. T.... ....

    2 years later if you haven't figured it out this is what it is. Gonna take a few comments. It's not literally about Socrates. It's about a feeling of helplessness at the state of the human race. The part about the relics of the saint says how religion is only for show. Spanish inquisition is saying that the religious condemn anyone they don't like. In other words how it's just a method to control the ignorant "The naked being led by the blind" Which includes the government too.

  26. J.... C....

    @hisdudeness07--just go read up about socrates. you'll pretty much figure it out from there. i know the hemlock reference comes from socrates being executed by having to drink hemlock. i think. i haven't thought about this song in a while, but it's a damn good song...........

  27. J.... C....

    @gwhype22 you got me on the Ship of Gold. i was caught up in the heat of the moment at the time. and dont start with the worst album shit again. because youll just make yourself look dumber'n'hell...................

  28. D.... ....

    American Sleep's not bad actually.

  29. D.... ....

    Nothing on Pure Rock Fury stands out to be except the titular track and Careful With That Mic. Immortal and Smoke Banshee are passable but honestly that's about it. The rest just sort of drones on with a few cringe-worthy bits thrown in. All other Clutch albums have me listening through from start to end but I'm afraid Pure Rock Fury just doesn't. And that, brah, is why I think tts not a good album.

  30. D.... ....

    Woah, calm down there brah. You're the one that blew it waaaaay out of proportion. Its their worst album by far. I wouldn't call pitchfork and lost needles an album really, but if we're talking EPs and albums then sure, pitchfork sans needles is pretty bad. Jam Room's great for its whole offbeat thing, Release The Kraken and Big Fat Pig got me into Clutch and the whole album is pretty funny to boot.

  31. J.... C....

    and understanding what is said and understanding what he is saying are two different things. just so you know.

  32. J.... C....

    dude, just give it up all ready. you haven't even made a valid point through all of your mindless banter. there is no foundation to the things you are trying to say. and it really doesn't mater to me what your inbred opinion is, in case i failed to mention that before now. take your shit else where. because you can't convince me that CLUTCH has a bad album. because it doesn't exist.

  33. D.... ....

    Hell I understand them fine. They're the main reason I started listening to Clutch actually. But unfortunately understanding them doesn't make them automatically good.

  34. J.... C....

    you still spewin'? just because you dont understand Neil Fallon's lyrics doesn't make the song bad. makes you a one dimensional dumb fuck.

  35. D.... ....

    Well, they didn't until Pure Rock Fury.... HURRDINEONAFRANKENSTEINDURR

  36. J.... C....

    @POSMaggott at least you gave an answer. but i dont think you can compare album to album because the song range is so vast, yet all distinctly CLUTCH. if you had never heard pure rock fury, listened to it not knowing who you were listening to, after hearing it you would undoubtedly know it is CLUTCH album. plus, its called pure ROCK fury. not funk. not blues. not jazz. but it still incoporates some of those elements. as far as im concerned, CLUTCH cant, has, and will never do any wrong.

    J.... C....

    rock comes from blues and jazz so

  37. J.... C....

    ive got to be honest with you, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY THE FUCK DO I CARE? maybe, just maybe if you or that other dumb fuck had said Jamroom or Pitchfork and lost needles, i might not have got my feathers ruffled so much. and no, an opinion has to make sense to have substance. both your opinions dont make ANY sense. because Pure Rock Fury is a great album. all the other dick could say was "its not a great album". never could say WHY it wasnt. neither did you. get some sense. until then.....

  38. J.... C....

    you have absolutely no idea what the fuck you are talking about. and you have proven that in every statement you have made, plus in every statement you have yet to make. and ive all ready stated that that is your opinion, however thoughtless and brain dead it may be. as ive stated before, youre opinion is neither respected, nor wanted. i suggest you indulge in a many a more minutes of musical listening, get un-brain dead, and THEN come back when you can formulate a respectable opinion.

  39. D.... ....

    Sure brah, sure. Then why draw attention to it? Did you like the rhyme? My musical tastes are refined by years of Clutch and other great bands. Pity they put out a stinker like Pure Rock Fury...

  40. J.... C....

    youre right. its not a good album, its a GREAT album. and no im not racist, cause ive got some mick in me somewhere down the line too. plus my best friend is a mick. and no, if you dont like pure rock fury, there is no hope for your lack of musical taste.

  41. D.... ....

    I do indeed. A void that I thought Pure Rock Fury could fill. But alas it wasn't to be... Cos its not a good album. And wow, you're also a racist, wouldn't have guessed that. Nice job typing out the track listing there....

  42. J.... C....

    it means you have a vast void in you taste in music.

  43. J.... C....

    its an AWESOME album filled with great songs. Pure Rock Fury, Ship of Gold, Sinkemlow, American Sleep, Open Up the Border, Frankenstein,Smoke Banshee, Brazenhead, Careful with that Mic, Red Horse Rainbow, The Great Outdoors, Drink to the Dead, and Spacegrass (live). You cant go wrong with any song on that cd. im sorry miss, your opinion has no substance. all these songs are great. just because some prick mick with a pine cone up his ass doesnt like them, doesnt make them bad.

  44. D.... ....

    What's that? Its not a good album deal with it.

  45. J.... C....

    now youre just fishing for some attention. youre opinion is not respected nor wanted. so fuck off. and if its so goddamn average, let me see you make any kind of music that comes close to ANY CLUTCH song. and judging from the music that i see you listen too, your musical taste is average. as i previously stated, go troll somewhere else.

  46. D.... ....

    Ummm... nope... pretty sure its an average album.

  47. J.... C....

    youre trolling. you keep coming back and stating these blatantly dumbass comments. so fuck off al ready. and it IS a great album.

  48. D.... ....

    Heh, who's trolling? Its not a great album.

  49. D.... ....

    Lmao I sincerely doubt Clutch would be a pack of dicks if I said I didn't think one of their albums was great.

  50. J.... C....

    well you definitely answered my question. you are completely asinine AND inbred. and YOURE the fucking chump for talking shit about the best band on the planet. a little word of advice. KEEP YOUR FUCKING SORRY ASS OPINION TO YOUR WEAK MINDED ASS SELF!! at least until you learn how to formulate a respectable opinion anyway.

  51. D.... ....

    Haha, you chump. Of course they have a worst album. Sure its got some great tracks but if I HAD to chose a weakest link that's gotta be it.

  52. J.... C....

    considering my z key is fucked up. their worst album?? are you just completely asinine or just inbred to the max?? CLUTCH does not have a bad album. or a worst album for that matter. so just shut the hell up about things you know nothing about, boy.

  53. D.... ....

    Ditto man, its spelled amazing. And its definitely their worst album. Probably followed by Transnational Speedway League.

  54. J.... C....

    you obviously need to rethink the lack of thought you put into that comment. because Pure Rock Fury is FUCKING AMAING!!!

  55. D.... ....

    I dunno... Pure Rock Fury isn't amazing....