Heart Attack And Vine

Screamin' Jay Hawkins' song 'Heart Attack And Vine' paints a vivid picture of a seedy, chaotic urban landscape. The lyrics are filled with colorful characters and dark imagery, reflecting the underbelly of city life. The title itself, 'Heart Attack And Vine,' suggests a place where danger and vice are commonplace, a street where the pulse of the city beats with a frenetic and hazardous energy.

The song opens with the line 'Liar, liar with your pants on fire,' immediately setting a tone of deceit and treachery. The mention of 'white spades hangin' on the telephone wire' and 'gamblers reevaluate along the dotted line' evokes a sense of desperation and risk. The characters in the song, from doctors and lawyers to beggars and thieves, all seem to be caught in a web of madness and vice, waiting in line for their turn to experience the chaos of 'heartattack and vine.'

Throughout the song, Hawkins introduces us to various denizens of this world, such as 'Boney' who is 'high on china white' and 'Shorty' who 'found a punk.' These characters are emblematic of the drug culture and violence that pervades the scene. The repeated line 'Don't you know there ain't no devil, that's just screamin' jay when he's drunk' adds a layer of dark humor and self-awareness, suggesting that the true evil lies within human nature and the choices people make. The song's gritty realism and raw energy capture the essence of a world where survival is a daily struggle and madness is never far away.

The imagery of the 'little jersey girl in the see-through top' and the notion that 'ignorance is bliss' further highlight the themes of innocence lost and the harsh realities of life on 'heartattack and vine.' The song's repetitive structure and vivid descriptions create a sense of inevitability, as if the characters are trapped in a never-ending cycle of vice and despair. Hawkins' powerful delivery and the song's bluesy, gritty sound amplify the sense of urgency and danger, making 'Heart Attack And Vine' a compelling exploration of the darker side of urban life.