The accompanying music video shows a very grizzled Rateliff looking like a man who’s been through a lot, and the point of desperation is further driven home by the settling in a prison. The song goes on describe the desperation of both addiction and the awareness that life needs radical change, with lines such as “For seventeen years I’ve been throwing them back, Seventeen more will bury me,” and speaking of shaking hands and the feeling of bugs crawling over his skin. “S.O.B.” opens with a rowdy hand-clap and gospel-derived hum, swelling to a powerhouse of southern soul, sounding like an exciting “party song.” However, a close look at the lyrics, which Nathaniel shouts to the point of hoarseness, eloquently expresses the inner, urgent dialogue of someone deep in the throws of alcohol addiction: One song that came out in 2015, spending several weeks on Billboard’s Adult Alternative chart that deals explicitly with addiction is “S.O.B.” by alt-folk singer Nathaniel Rateliff and his new band, the Night Sweats. Songs can serve as both cautionary tales and reason for hope, helping people avoid and move past active addiction. Music has often both been subject to, but also transcended these conflicts, allowing for an avenue of expression for people to tell their stories. Our society has a very complex relationship with addiction, sometimes glorifying drug and alcohol use as harmless fun, while at other times judging and stigmatizing those who struggle with addiction.
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