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• songspeak

  So help me Jesus

  posted by jamie | 10.01.08 | permalink | 3 comments

  

  Toadies = Not Quitters (except for the bass player)

  Toadies was one of those grungy rock bands back in the 90’s that have been forgotten by many, but still had a hardcore loyal following. They are best known for their debut album Rubberneck, and their biggest single Possum Kingdom (which still gets steady airplay on many rock radio stations). I just discovered that Toadies have reformed and recently released a third CD, No Deliverance. I look forward to getting it post haste.

  Matt and I used to listen to Rubberneck quite a bit, with many tracks (Backslider, Quitter, Tyler) making it onto various volumes of the original Songspeak’s Greatest Hits. Possum Kingdom was the song that everyone knew, though, and therefore the song we heard the most. We always got a kick out of the “so help me Jesus” line, especially at the end how he repeats “Jesus…Jeeeeesus….Jeeeees-uuuh-uuusssss” as the song comes to an end.

  Toadies were (are) an interesting band. Many of their songs sound just plain angry, and many of them deal with violent themes, stalking, unhealthy obsessions, and rape. Possum Kingdom is no exception. There are many interpretations of the song, including:

  - a true story about murders that happened on or near a Texas lake
  - the (fictional) story of a man who seduces a woman only to rape and kill her
  - the singer being a vampire trying to get a woman to join him in eternal life (this is my personal favorite, because it’s creative and it really does seem like the lyrics could be pointing in that direction)

  Here is the video. Relive the song and draw your own conclusions. Or so help me Jesus…

  Toadies - Possum Kingdom
  

  Tags: 00s music, 90s music, backslider, burden brothers, hard rock, jesus, no deliverance, possum kingdom, possum kingdom lake, quitter, rape, rock, rock radio, rubberneck, so help me jesus, song interpretations, stalking, the toadies, toadies, toadies lyrics, todd lewis, tyler, unhealthy obsessions, vaden lewis, vaden todd lewis, vampires, violent themes