Background and Writing
Josh Homme claimed the song was conceived after his three-day Millennium party. The song's lyrics are merely a list of drugs repeated throughout. The drugs listed in the verses are nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol, with cocaine mentioned throughout the chorus. Homme has hinted that the song is a direct reference to the band's stoner rock label:
might be like a knife in the neck of stoner rock. It's hard to tell, and I think that's the good part about it. Look, you're always going to get labeled with something. Stoner rock is kind of a dumbing-down label, and that's why I don't gravitate toward it.
On multiple occasions, Homme has also referred to the song as a "social experiment" in regards to how the public would approach it. He has also stated that despite the heavy drugs content in the track, the band's stance was left ambiguous, stating that "there's no endorsement" and that " doesn't say yes or no". Chris Goss, who co-produced Rated R with Homme under the pseudonym The 5:15ers, later stated that the track was intended to be a "joke" and a "funny song". He also commented that it was originally recorded as a chant at the end of the album, but its effectiveness resulted in its expansion into a full song and usage as the opener.
Though it was Josh Homme who provided lead vocals, there are several other vocalists present on the track. Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford was in a neighbouring studio when this song was first recorded and ended up singing backing vocals at the band's request, calling the lyrics a "rock and roll cocktail". Halford's performance was only used in the final chorus of the track, though this was enough to have him credited alongside Nick Oliveri, Wendy Ray Moan and Nick Eldorado as providing backing vocals. The song features again on Rated R as a reprise after the eighth track "In the Fade".
Read more about this topic: Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
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