First Time Hearing The Drugs Don't Work by The Verve | Suicide Survivor Reacts 

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Richard Ashcroft is a lyrical genius.. and you are correct, he wrote this song about a family member who died from Cancer. Ashcroft was clinically depressed when he wrote the Album Urban Hymns and got everything out in the lyrics. The Album is an absolute masterpiece, although History in my opinion is one of the greatest songs ever written.

As a teenager in the 90s the whole album was a big part of my life but after losing my younger brother to suicide four years ago this song hits a lot harder. I pray that anyone reading this that is fighting demons and intrusive thoughts finds the strength to make out of the dark. Please don't be ashamed to ask for help in battling mental health. You are not alone and people care. ❤️

I’m glad you found this song. It means so much to so many here in the UK and your advice and understanding is spot on. Keep up the good work Amanda.

This song brings a tear to my eye whenever I hear it. Sometimes it’s years between listens but it always kicks me in the guts

My mother died of cancer a few years ago. Your description of how you lost your father to cancer summed up how I felt during the time from when I knew the end was coming.

This Verve Album saved my life growing up.

You are the first reactor that figured out what it was about. Most people think it's about someone who is addicted to drugs. And when all you have to do is listen to the lyrics to realise it's not. So well done. And like you it was about his father.

What a beautifully painful masterpiece. As I get older and lose more people, this song hits different than when I was younger. Very insightful reaction.

thanks for your reply to me about talking to a friend yesterday. appreciate it . and everyone else . honestly i was afraid to but now i have i feel so much better and started a road to getting better. xx thank you amanda

My Nan passed away a couple of months ago and The Verve have been my favourite for a long time but that love was only cemented after her death. The Verve and Richard Ashcroft's music means so much to me and has helped me through the last couple of months.

Wow, you nailed the meaning in the first verse... very impressive.

Sad and beautiful song. And lovely reaction from lovely lady. Thank you!

Richard Ashcroft (Verve singer) has done some amazing solo stuff. He’s got one called ‘Song For The Lovers’ I think you’ll love. His best work, in my humble opinion!

Ive battles depression and suicidal tenandancies from most of my life. This song takes you somewhere else. Richard Ashcroft has such a talent for writting songs. This and You On My Mind In My Sleep must be his best two songs.

I was 16 when this song came out. Right around the time my mother went through cancer and leukaemia battles. She lost her battle, and I have had a drug addiction I’ve been battling since. Some days I win, some days I don’t, but I’m still here. And I’m so grateful for being alive for songs like this.

i love this beautiful song

I'm reminded of the song "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie: As I stared at my shoes in the ICU That reeked of piss and 409 And I rationed my breaths as I said to myself That I'd already taken too much today As each descending peak on the LCD Took you a little farther away from me Away from me and this later lyric from the same song: 'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news Then the nurse comes round And everyone lifts their head But I'm thinking of what Sarah said "Love is watching someone die" It's a beautiful song, but BOY can it hit hard emotionally.

Variations on the song. It was written for a loved one who was going to through cancer treatment.. But was still suffering. But also the lead singer Richard Ashcroft was addicted to heroin.

Great reaction, immediately picking up that this was about the passing of Richard Ashcroft's father. Presumably he was trying to blot everything out turning to drugs and finding that it literally didn't work. The sense of loss was heightened at the time, as it happened to be a hit in the UK just at the time of the Death of Diana Princess of Wales. If you want another classic to check out that is related to loss and grief, try "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Just as an aside, not every British singer loses his/her accent. Many Britpop bands had singers using their own accents.

I remember when this song was released and it was embraced by the nation (UK) as it was released the day after Princess Diana died. Such a beautiful song, and I am glad you are still with us Amanda.

I lost my mom for about 4 years now and it's still hard but I'd listen to the music that she'd enjoyed , helped the memories of her. She was diagnosed with pancreas cancer. Feels like yesterday.

There were some great rock bands to come out of England in the ‘90s, but I always thought The Verve were on another level of their own. Songs like this reach deeper than the more typical rock tunes. As for the title, I guess I always took it literally, but as a kind of resignation. Where it’s someone who’s self-medicating with substance abuse, but deep down they know it’s not working. They know what they’re doing isn’t saving them. To relate to your personal revelations, I’ve been there, too. I didn’t lose someone to death, but I had someone I loved very much decide to exit my life and break my heart. After that, it was an emotional wound that knocked me down into hardcore depression, which eventually also took a toll on my physical health, too. I was simply broken for years after that experience. There were many times I believed my weakened state would last the rest of my life. Amazingly, it didn’t, and I got the chance to rebound and then even ascend. So yes, that is still possible.

The short version is: this song is about the passing of Richard's dad for a cancer.

beautiful words. touched many people. so under rated this song.

So true especially when its a younger person who's gone its so easy to slip into that sadness mode and keep on thinking, 'but what about their adult life which they missed'. But even in that short time in the world they gave so much joy and happiness to themselves and those nearby who loved them.

I haven't watched this in full yet, but I'm psyched! And I'll mark this off my list to recommend to you. 😂

The cat in the bag waiting to drown part I remember when I was a child 50 years ago people had their cats as pets they couldn't afford to have them neutered so when they had kittens the only way was to drown them .I remember neighbours had 5 cats one of them had nine kittens they didn't want them so they drown them.

Thank you for sharing.When my mum passes-she's 79-It will destroy me.But your words have given me hope for survival.I will share them with my sister,because she'll need me too.

The proper term is "lose an accent" the reason is that naturally humans have no accent, for some reason they develop an accent when speaking. This is why accents are regional.

They have so many good songs , you should listen to on your own and history beautiful songs

"Just like you say, if you leave my life, I'm better off dead" - the look on your face as he sings those very dark and negative lyrics. We all know that feeling when someone we loved dies or leaves us forever. The lyrics are so sad and they hit hard. I like that you shake your head, shrug and smile at their bleakness. Very strong reaction.

Good evening angelic Amanda... thanks to bring that good around you and in my life

My favorite songwriter, thank you for your reaction ❤

My dad had dementia and the tablets they gave him did nothing, this song will hit anyone in the the hardest way possible. Absolute masterpiece.

This made me cry, it’s so powerful

Watching this reaction I realised just how long it had been since I have heard this song, it definitely kicked me again like the first time I heard it so long ago now.

god bless you amanda one of the worst feelings about terminal illness is not only the powerlesses to save but also grieving the living.you are and have inspired me to try and be happy or happier again.day by day hey.love your take on songs as well.can i recommend a song for u to hopefully react too in the future the band care called manic street preachers the song is called 4st7lbs.im british and richard ashcroft lead singer is singing in his actual accent lol.take care

This song reminds me of my Nan we got the call she wouldn’t see the morning so we rushed to the hospital to say goodbye and this was playing on the radio cancer is evil

We're on the same wavelength @MentalAmanda well as far as the topics you touched upon we are. Now I have to big you up a little on how you picked up on exactly what the song was about. Spot on. It's about how his grief and also his observation of his moms grief in his dads suffering and death from cancer.

Most singers, with very few exceptions, sing *without* an accent. British people think most songs sound like British singers, regardless of the actual nationality, just like Americans think most singer sound American. It's only a very few distinctive singers who have a more spoken word style to their singing who carry their accent into their music in most genres. Rap an Country music are notable exceptions because in each case, the genre is heavily spoken word focused, but most music sounds like "singing" rather than like a specific accent, to most people. Incidentally, both genres which are most strongly associated with actually carrying the accent of th singer originate in USA, which helps reinforce the American view that only American accents tend to come through in song. There are artists who use rap (not so much Country) style with accents other than American though, as well as certain artists whose performances incorporate enough of a spoken element rather than a typical singing voice to still carry their accents into the music. Oasis are a great example, and The Verve are more subtle about it but still have a recognisable accent while singing. Linkin Park is a great example for an American accent - even when not fully in that rap sound, Chester in particular manages to still have an American accent while singing a lot of the time. His voic has a distinctive quality to it that sounds different from a typical singing voice from most other American singers.

Brings me to tears. It's obviously about a loved one at the end of their life and it's heartbreaking

You should try Weeping Willow off the same album. Haunting & slightly disturbing lyrics. It’s my fave off Urban Hymns

This and Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" are my top two sad songs. She cried in the video because the lyrics reminded her of her mum who had died when Sinéad was 18. Although now I just remembered "Monsters" by James Blunt, that gets me teary too.

First time im hearing this song in 2005,my favourite song...miss my friends,and now 2023...this song make me cry..

They are from Wigan next to St.helens where I live this is 1 of my favourite songs I never ever looked deaper into it you opened my eyes to the meaning the song EXCELLENT ❤

I’ve always loved this song, even though it is not in my “typical” taste. Not being a native English speaker, I’ve always taken the lyrics a bit more literary in that drugs don’t work being you don’t get the same high and/or a lot more side effects. And the “never coming down again” i hear at the very end is someone giving up the fight to get/stay clean and just aiming to live always being high. In similar genre of music, you might want to listen to Que and the song Burning.

Used to work in a school in Liverpool, I got 2 hours lunch everyday. I'd go get high, and walk around the woods listening to "catching the butterfly" by the verve. Good times (and no it didn't affect my job, I was admin and didn't go near the kids)

Makes me think of my aunt who raised me from when I was a baby so she was basically my mother, she suffered from COPD among other health issues and passed away in 2020 but it was 10 years coming and I knew any day could be her last, I became her full time care giver, it was just the two of us for 31 years so her loss really impacted me I fell to drink really hard to cope, miss her every day 🙏

Just discovered you. It's a joy to see your lovely face and reaction to a cat in a bag. Sorry to learn about your Dad.

I remember this song when it first came out, still cuts deep

Actually surprised this is the first time you are hearing this classic 😮 Would love a wee reaction to Ferocious Dog “The Hope” x

"There’s anew track I’ve just written," he says, nervously avoiding eye contact. "It goes ‘the drugs don’t work, they just make me worse, and I know I’ll see your face again’. That’s how I’m feeling at the moment. They make me worse, man. But I still take ’em. Out of boredom and frustration you turn to something else to escape." He stops to gulp down the remains of his pint. "Sometimes you’ve got to go through these things to taste the extremes... I’m attracted to it in a macabre sort of way... But whenever I pick up a guitar and write now, I’m automatically tapping into the darker side of my nature, I can’t help it, it just happens like that. I wonder that if I’m still stuck in this rut a while from now, I’ll be really messed up. I wonder if I’ll be able to sing these songs every night on tour. I have to feel the songs when we play. I don’t know if I can relive the last six months for another year." Richard Ashcroft - 1995

Brilliant song - simple as that . The album Urban Hymns is a triumph. Have suggested before but taking a listen to ‘Routine’ by Steven Wilson provides another angle on grief. The version with the animation is the one to listen to.

What a wonderful lady you are

I'm glad you saw right through this. This is not a traditional love song. He wrote this about his father, dying of cancer. So sad, but completely honest. An amazing song

Hi I'm subscribed to your channel and I have the notification bell turned on as well.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones Sued The Verve for stealing more than 5 Notes of the song which was the agreed amount, read below. Did the verve get sued over Bitter Sweet Symphony? According to Rolling Stone magazine, The Stones originally agreed to license a five-note segment of the recording in exchange for 50% of the royalties, but this was apparently voided when The Verve were accused of using more of the track than they had agreed.

The drugs do work. In the short term. In the long term no! They do make it worse. The problem is that it's so difficult to even believe that there's a long term when you feel down.

Always chokes me up😅

this song and whole album ruled!

Hi Amanda, You need to listen to Nightwish, Greatest show on earth. It will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and send shivers down your spine! I know you have already experienced Nightwish, but this song is on another level. Look forward to your experience with this some time in the future!

I lost my Mum when I was 11. The band eventually that got me through that was the WAterboys. I recommend listening to ‘This is the sea’ it’s so beautiful.

You should check out Liam Gallagher, you're too good for giving up, a beautiful song with a great message!!

Grief is the price you pay for love

British singers don't have an American accent.rather they sing without accent usually. As do most Americans which makes them seem similar. But it's more of a requirement for most British people as British local accents are notorious for being hard to understand so singing without accent is required to sell songs outside of your home town.

As far as British singers losing the English accents while singing, it's so that they have more commercial appeal both sides of the Atlantic. Additionally, some American folk find it difficult to understand the English. The English accent because there are so many regional varieties, dialects, and accents. The British can pretty much tell, which city, or locality an English person is from, Northern, Southern, Cockney, Essex, Estuary English, Wurzels, Brummie, Scouse, Yorkshire, Barnsley (Baaaahnsli), Manc, Geordie, Welsh, Scottish etc etc. So to sing with a semi-American accent allows the lyrics to be accessible to U.S. citizens, and others who are used to U.S. because of media, internet, movies. I saw a documentary on an English pop group called East 17 once, and they were talking about this stuff, production staff wanted them to pronounce 'heart (hart)' as 'hwart' in a track called 'I Remember'. I hope that answers your question. I like this song 'The Drugs Don't Work', these artists, The Verve, are from the Manchester (Manc) area I believe.

My mum died on her 50th. I love her so much and miss her!!!

Great bands in the mid 90s , britpop , oasis , blur , suede, ocean colour scene, pulp , great time to be young 👍

There seemed to be this culture of inwards exploration in 90s music which was a rebellion against the excess, the partying, the focus on wealth and sex and power of the 80s. Many bands from the US and UK turned their backs on this and explored deeper, more introspective issues through their music and lyrics. I know you have covered quite a few of the big hitters so far, but for me the band who continues to get overlooked, and who were (are?) the most articulate in talking about these issues, is Manic Street Preachers. A highly politically charged Welsh band, they were ahead of their time in talking about mental health, depression, self-harm, strength, feminism, and any number of topics which other acts seem to be opening up to now. If pushed for a recommendation of one of their songs which encapsulates all of this, I'd say listen to 4st 7lbs. While focused on Anorexia (the lyricist suffered from it before his disappearance), it is a jagged, heart-breaking centrepiece to one of the darkest, most profound albums ever written.

You check out skid row wasted times song is about a friend throwing his life away on drugs

Very nice reaction, do you have an reactions to Muse planned?

.....and yes you certainly live up to your name MentalAmanda.

The most beutifull song ever written!

If you like the story telling Kelly Jones did a solo album called. Only. The. Names. Have. Changed. Great album by a great artist entirely underrated

He’s singing about his own drug addiction. Richard Ashcroft is a former drug addict and this song is about his struggle with drugs

Not "getting old," but "getting on" (as in dying). I too am a survivor.

can you plz react to nf how could you leave us

being a survivor myself i really recommend listing to Jxdn-Pray

A brilliant song , Richard ashcroft nailed the lyrics and melody to this one!! Lucky enough to have seen verve and ashcroft perfom this live and even better!! A beautiful song!! Has highs and lows, brilliant!!!!

Wonderful song, emotive, powerful. I would like to ask a question as I think in an almost childlike way. What is a suicide survivor? Either you commit suicide and become a sad statistic or you fail and hopefully get help. Suicide is not something that abducts you from a street and you narrowly survive to tell your tale. Answers please. I know how many I'll get.

YOu don't have to live 'for' the people you lose. You have to remember them in moments. I've lost many people, loved ones and frinds and whenever I do something awesome I do it 'with them' and that makes me happy. Cause I can remember how they would laugh and smile if they were with me. My point is you never really lose them, you just can't share moments with them, but you know hoe they would feel about it. And to me that's how they 'live' on. When ever I burn a pancake, I can here my Grandma laugh at me and remember her smile^^

Yes you are right about losing the love one with cancer… but at same time Richard was said that the valium he took in 1 shot if an average people take in a day will die… so it has 2 meaning…

Try amity affliction all f up they talk and sing about mental health and emotions I think you will love it

In answer to your question "why do british people sing in an American accent?" well quite simply they dont they sing in a mid-atlantic accent like many US singers do also, Mid-Atlantic accent is a blend of British and American which is why you hear it in as American but Brits hear it as British it sounds "normal" to both sides

You gotta check out Adam gontier's cover of this it's amazing

Thank you two minutes ago that seems to me like yesterday, I can't believe it but yes it does seem like yesterday or did it just come in a dream from your response? I would like to think you were responding to but that would be😅 vain

The Verve were a bit more than Brit Pop! Great reaction.

Great reaction, check out 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' By 'Oasis' which has a more...optimistic reaction to loss

The problem is the drugs DO work but they remove all of the positives as well as all the negatives. They may stop you losing the peak depression that makes you want to die, but they take away all the reasons you would want to live too

"Blue Pacific Ocean" ... A very nice song / piece of music / atmospheric ... (oddly) unreleased from their last album "Forth" ... the music builds as the song progresses : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sUmTCHl4EGo.html

🌻

thumbs up

Great reactions. But just fyi the song is not about a family member dying. That is a myth that has caught on and those who have lost loved ones have adopted the song and twisted its meaning (which is totally fine of course). The lyrics were meant to say “the drugs don’t work they just make ME worse”. However, the label wanted to change it for obvious reasons. And the drugs he takes that don’t work is in relation to a lost romantic love whose face he knows he will see again. Hence, the words “Coz baby oooh” and “Never coming down, no more”.

I think "the drugs don't work, they make you worse, but I know I'll see your face again." Is the selfishness of the loved one who doesn't want to say goodbye, so even if the drugs make them worse, at least their loved ones get to see their faces again.

You definitely heard Bittersweet Symphony before whether you knew it was The Verve or not

React to the new song from Falling in reverse, Watch The World Burn, that song is perfect for your channel theme

And it's worth it

Oasis sing in their own accents. Check out a song of theirs called Stop Crying Your Heart Out. It’s relevant to your subject matter. Thanks✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Love u