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The Dandy Warhols — You Were The Last High
Album: Welcome To The Monkey House
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3623









Released: 2003
Length: 4:39
Plays (last 30 days): 4
I am alone but adored
By a hundred thousand more
Than I said when you were the last (high)
And I have known love
Like a whore
From at least ten thousand more
Than I swore when you were the last

When you were the last high
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh-igh

You were awake
And I should've stayed
But I wandered
I was only out for a day
Out for a day
It was Chicago for a moment and then
It was Paris and London for a few days
But I am alone but adored
By a hundred thousand more
Than I swore when you were the last

When you were the last high
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh

When you were the last high
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh

I was the first to have spoken
And I said just about
All of the things you shouldn't say
So maybe you loved me but now
Maybe you don't
And maybe you'll call me
Maybe you won't (oh)

So I am alone but adored
By a hundred thousand more
Than I said when you were the last (high)
And I have known love
Like a whore
From at least ten thousand more
Than I swore when you were the last -

When you were the last high
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh

And you were the last high
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh-igh
Igh-igh
Comments (260)add comment
2000. A cold feb tuesday evening. Portland Oregon. 21st Ave Bar and Grill on NW 23rd, I think (?).  Quite early, before the usual crowd turned up. Was having an after work drink in a city and country I'd only fairly recently moved to. My (new) friend and neighbour Courtney walks in, plays me Bohemian Like You. I was the first to hear it after him and his engineer. It was a msterpiece (even its raw mixed state) and I told him so. Just three of us at the bar, including the bartender. Courtney sang each line sitting right next to me. True story. Lots of Pina Coladas drunk that night (and other vices that I chose not to partake in!).

I returned to the UK, having begged them to release the single in the UK (they weren't), and it was ALL over the radio, and is still played, regularly. 

Sadly their following albums weren't anywhere near as good, IMO.
Good guys, the Dandies. 
 timmus wrote:
Me realizing this song is 20 years old next year...
 



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...!

Great doc!
WHEN WILL YOUR GLOBAL MIX BE UP AGAIN?
 eileenomurphy wrote:

Good, but strange!


I like strange, eileenomurphy.  I assume you do, too -- at least a little -- or you wouldn't be hanging around RP.  (And I really like the Dandies.)
~You'll never see me again / So no one's gonna cry for you / You'll never see me again / No matter what you do!~
utterly superb ....  God bless them 
Good grief - you are the worst kind of RP listener...

 misterbearbaby wrote:

Listening to this particular tune I couldn't help but notice the total absence of a genuine musical experience.

It takes us to the larger issue. Remember a 2012 "study conducted by the Spanish National Research Council compared more than 450,000 songs from all genres of music over the past 50 years. The study found that music has increasingly become more homogenized —  lyrics are less creative and instruments are sounding more electronic and similar across most genres." Nothing I can see by the Dandy Warhols proves otherwise.

Case in point. One synthesizer track, 8 bars I think, endlessly repeated. Garbage lyrics that could have been written by a third-grader. In fact they left room for pop music to become even worse! Boston Globe:  A researcher more recently selected all songs that stayed on the  Billboard charts for at least three weeks, "feeding their lyrics into an online mechanism that rates sentences on readability scales like Flesch-Kincaid. His conclusion is that the reading level of pop lyrics is on a steep downward curve — from an average grade level of 3.25 in 2005 to 2.75 in 2014." I wasn't just making my earlier claim up...

The Dandy Warhols clearly were leaders of the charge that washed popular music down the sewer.



 misterbearbaby wrote:

Listening to this particular tune I couldn't help but notice the total absence of a genuine musical experience.
<blah blah blah>

The Dandy Warhols clearly were leaders of the charge that washed popular music down the sewer.

Rather than write an exposition, the PSD button's right there.
In contrast, I like it: solid "8" from me.
Listening to this particular tune I couldn't help but notice the total absence of a genuine musical experience.

It takes us to the larger issue. Remember a 2012 "study conducted by the Spanish National Research Council compared more than 450,000 songs from all genres of music over the past 50 years. The study found that music has increasingly become more homogenized —  lyrics are less creative and instruments are sounding more electronic and similar across most genres." Nothing I can see by the Dandy Warhols proves otherwise.

Case in point. One synthesizer track, 8 bars I think, endlessly repeated. Garbage lyrics that could have been written by a third-grader. In fact they left room for pop music to become even worse! Boston Globe:  A researcher more recently selected all songs that stayed on the  Billboard charts for at least three weeks, "feeding their lyrics into an online mechanism that rates sentences on readability scales like Flesch-Kincaid. His conclusion is that the reading level of pop lyrics is on a steep downward curve — from an average grade level of 3.25 in 2005 to 2.75 in 2014." I wasn't just making my earlier claim up...

The Dandy Warhols clearly were leaders of the charge that washed popular music down the sewer.
Me realizing this song is 20 years old next year...
 
 misterbearbaby wrote:

Vapor, all vapor. No actual musical content.

Indeed. Remotely David Bowie, only stopping a third way through. *Yawn* 

you have to admit...this song has a funked up groove
 AhhtheMusic wrote:


Forgive me if I have misunderstood your statement, but I am thinking "strange" means you may not "get it".  So please forgive me if you don't need me sharing my interpretation of this.  He is lonely, tired of ten thousand or maybe more people adoring him.  "You were the last high", he wants that person back.  He told them "More than I should have" that he believes pushed them away from him and wished he hadn't done that. He doesn't want to have any more "highs".  They were his last (high) and he wants that person to come back into his life.   

The life of a rock star.  Not all that it is cut out to be, and that is fer sure.  Very touching song by an amazing band.




So maybe you loved me but now
Maybe you don't
And maybe you'll call me
Maybe you won't (oh)




 eileenomurphy wrote:

Good, but strange!



Forgive me if I have misunderstood your statement, but I am thinking "strange" means you may not "get it".  So please forgive me if you don't need me sharing my interpretation of this.  He is lonely, tired of ten thousand or maybe more people adoring him.  "You were the last high", he wants that person back.  He told them "More than I should have" that he believes pushed them away from him and wished he hadn't done that. He doesn't want to have any more "highs".  They were his last (high) and he wants that person to come back into his life.   

The life of a rock star.  Not all that it is cut out to be, and that is fer sure.  Very touching song by an amazing band.
Good, but strange!
kinda haunting
 coy wrote:

we recycle the best and the rest is lost
An American working on Cannery Row tells his English friend about
the fish..."We can what we can and what we can't can we eat."
The Englishman goes home and tells his friends, "They eat what
they can and what they can't eat they put up in tins..."
Tony in NJ
W.A.S.T.E.

 


Great tune!
Love this band.. fun and vibey
Memo for some of yas: pastiche is not plagiarism.

At least, not when it's done right.

And this is done right!
 Relayer wrote:
This band is far more clever and talented than what they get credit for.  New album coming out in January!
 
I don't know on which basis you make this statement Relayer.
The Dandies themselves love "downplaying" their skills, their importance and their genius. I disagree with them on all three. 
My catalogue of things to love (musically) is pretty huge, but the friggin' Dandy Warhols are somewhere at the top on some sort of weird parallel scaling.
They are SO smart, funny, truly talented (knowing what isn't a talent is a talent as well, my dad always used to say) and just formidable music makers. 
They hardly ever go below an 8 for me for sure!
And on the plus-side: the day just got a little brighter thanks to hearing them.
Thanks again BillG!
Saw them in a private show 11 months ago w only 200 people - so fun! Love the local bands!!
Haven't heard this song in years, what a delightful revisit!
N O .
Vapor, all vapor. No actual musical content.
Fun song. But just greeting Courtney Taylor-Taylor in the street must take twenty minutes.

"Hey, Taylor-Taylor!"
"Hi...i...i...i
"Yeah how--"
"i....i....i...i"
"I get it, b--
"i....i...i...i..........
 talexb wrote:
Cool .. I get a David Bowie vibe from this track. Nice.
 
Same. The outro has an Ashes to Ashes groove. Great song and band.
 Relayer wrote:
This band is far more clever and talented than what they get credit for.  New album coming out in January!
 

Got to see them in a small hall in Akron, Ohio. It was A M A Z I N G !!!!
"Welcome to the Monkey House" is one of my favorite road-trip albums dating to the 2000's. I am a geophysicist, and "I am a Scientist" cracks me up every time I listen to it.

Another deliciously tongue-in-cheek song I love by the Dandys --- "Enjoy Yourself" on "This Machine." Follow that with the crazy synth effects of "Alternative Power to the People"  ... makes this near-60 dude want to get up and shake it all around!!  
Cool .. I get a David Bowie vibe from this track. Nice.
 Grayson wrote:

Neither here nor there really, but I was browsing The Pierre hotel's website. And low & behold, Andy Warhol is in their photo gallery! Scroll downward: https://www.thepierreny.com/ga...
 
Well, isn't that Dandy?  

Saw them in Akron, OH, 2016 at Musica. Hope they come back soon.
Just got my tickets for the Dec. 4th Vancouver show, looking forward to it! 

Got a personal tour of their Odditorium studio/hangout in Portland this past spring and was very grateful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...Hearing Bowie "Live at the Beeb" Ashes to Ashes with the incredible Mark Plati on bass
 Grayson wrote:

Totally. Hearing The Dandy Warhols always brings on a craving for more The Dandy Warhols. 
 
I'll echo many posts with the comment that this band is witty and talented.  And the wiki page sheds two key points to me:
1) Portland area band...cool...
2) Courtney's last name is 'Taylor-Taylor' - well then!  

Long Live RP!!   
 Grayson wrote:

Totally. Hearing The Dandy Warhols always brings on a craving for more The Dandy Warhols. 
 
Neither here nor there really, but when doing a bit of that "when my ship comes in" stuff, I was browsing The Pierre hotel's website. And low & behold, but of course, Andy Warhol at The Pierre once is in their photo gallery. Scroll downward: https://www.thepierreny.com/ga...
 Relayer wrote:
This band is far more clever and talented than what they get credit for.  New album coming out in January!
 
Totally. Hearing The Dandy Warhols always brings on a craving for more The Dandy Warhols. 
Soooo many things to like about Portland, and the Dandy's are one more.  See them live if you can!
This band is far more clever and talented than what they get credit for.  New album coming out in January!
This is crafty & well devised. I really like the fun, groove & simplicity of this group.
Do the VIP package if you can at their next concert. I had an amazing time  and got to hang with the whole band. Such a blast!!! They even did a song just for my wife and me since it was not in the setlist that night. They are great people! 
Not bad!
{#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananajumprope}{#Dancingbanana}{#Bananasplit}
 Steely_D wrote:
Glad to see others have recognized the obvious Bowie homage.

 
Yes, no way he would sue them, as someone suggested below. Bowie liked  the Dandy Warhols and asked them to tour with him.
 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
https://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/d52ca9845114305321e8b440aca72a22/2514901.jpg

 
...combined with this:
sticky fingers
Both album covers conceived by this band's namesake. 
Very good song!
Nice! {#Dancingbanana_2}
 RadioDoc wrote:
Bill's been mixin' some new sets...Duran Duran's "Rio" into this... {#Ask}

 
like WTFF..?
Bill's been mixin' some new sets...Duran Duran's "Rio" into this... {#Ask}
Glad to see others have recognized the obvious Bowie homage.
 Peter_Bradshaw wrote:
..... tis Godlike
 {#Bananapiano}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananapiano}   So true :-)))
 

The Dandys are wicked..... Please play 'Good morning' sometime....the guitar is 'geil' meaning galacticly wicked 
Not getting the Bowie thing either. 
 msymmes wrote:
Did Bowie sue them over this?   Anybody? Anybody?

 
Bueller? Bueller?

What would Bowie sue them for? The use of similar sound effects?  I think of "Ashes to Ashes" too when I hear this song, but I I don't think there's enough overlap to merit a lawsuit.
https://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/d52ca9845114305321e8b440aca72a22/2514901.jpg
..... tis Godlike
 {#Bananapiano}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananapiano}
{#Dancingbanana_2}
Love them Dandies
I love Ashes to Ashes
{#Think} I certainly don't get the Bowie connection.  Proclivities wrote:
 
If anything, it's an apparent homage - do you think they expected no one to remember that Bowie tune?  It shares one or two of the same chords and the tempo is very different.  It's obviously influenced by the Bowie song, as well as earlier Roxy Music stuff (which Bowie's tune was probably influenced by), but no attorney on Earth could bring a plagiarism suit over this. 
 

I thought this song was named "The Last High."
 Stingray wrote:
12!
 
YUP
Liking this band more and more.
 msymmes wrote:
Did Bowie sue them over this?   Anybody? Anybody?
 
I guess I'll have to look it up on Wikipedia.
12!

10

Makes me want to do two things...



Nice to see some local folk make good.
Did Bowie sue them over this?   Anybody? Anybody?
One the the best albums
something from a list of famous artists and nothing by themselves...
 coy wrote:
hello david bowie in the house ?
 
we recycle the best and the rest is lost
 
One of the best albums ever!
From Mick Jagger to this... pretty harsh contrast. Serves only to make Courtney Taylor-Taylor's voice that much more soothing and delicious.
hello david bowie in the house ?

 drews wrote:

Lucky for them they're friendly with Bowie, otherwise he might have whacked em with "lawyers to lawyers" over this blatant take on "ashes to ashes"

  
If anything, it's an apparent homage - do you think they expected no one to remember that Bowie tune?  It shares one or two of the same chords and the tempo is very different.  It's obviously influenced by the Bowie song, as well as earlier Roxy Music stuff (which Bowie's tune was probably influenced by), but no attorney on Earth could bring a plagiarism suit over this. 
 fuh2 wrote:

The DW's opened for Bowie on his European tour last year. They're one of his favorite bands. 
 
Lucky for them they're friendly with Bowie, otherwise he might have whacked em with "lawyers to lawyers" over this blatant take on "ashes to ashes"

 Businessgypsy wrote:
This was my "pity party" song during the aftermath of a big breakup. Don't worry, that was years ago. I'm messed up over a completely different thing now!

 
Been there, done that. A great choice!

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:
I still don't think the accusation of plagiarism sticks very well as all of these guys' songs stand so well on their own, and, anyway, couldn't a band with the name "Warhol" in it be expected to draw on a pastiche of pop culture to make something new? I mean, isn't that the point?

 
Exactly.  This album cover in particular, references two album covers designed by Andy Warhol.
This was my "pity party" song during the aftermath of a big breakup. Don't worry, that was years ago. I'm messed up over a completely different thing now!

Not that great a song, compared to some of the poppy hits. The rhythm sounds a bit like Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes." 
What?!? I can't believe I hadn't rated this song yet. One of my faves...10!
Album titled after a great Kurt Vonnegut story.
Read on your way to the ethical suicide parlor......

7.4? Really?

This is the "I love my dentist song "
 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:
I still don't think the accusation of plagiarism sticks very well as all of these guys' songs stand so well on their own, and, anyway, couldn't a band with the name "Warhol" in it be expected to draw on a pastiche of pop culture to make something new? I mean, isn't that the point?

 

This has always been their thing...so few people get it...even with the obvious name of the band.  Dust off your soup can...another "hit" by the Dandys.
I still don't think the accusation of plagiarism sticks very well as all of these guys' songs stand so well on their own, and, anyway, couldn't a band with the name "Warhol" in it be expected to draw on a pastiche of pop culture to make something new? I mean, isn't that the point?

lingchih wrote:
Makes me miss being a Portlander. Stuck in Texas now.
Wait'll you see the big Odditorium building they have in the Alphabet District. Fun creative indulgence. I'm headed back for Waterfront Blues and the microbrew fest in July, hope you can make it, too!

A few years ago, a really neat acoustic version of this was included on a free cd that came packaged with one of those thick but pricey british music mags.

Not sure if it was ever available anywhere else but it is worth searching for. 
A favorite song from a favorite album from a favorite group!

{#Dancingbanana}
BTW: the songs name is simply "The Last High", as far as I know.
 
 sly311 wrote:
Too bad the song can't be downloaded.  It's great!  The video is awful.  I'm getting old I guess. 
 
Download it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SXBOW2

Nice!
 fuh2 wrote:
The DW's opened for Bowie on his European tour last year. They're one of his favorite bands.
 
Further proof that imitation is that greatest form of flattery. Go Dandies!

 peter_james_bond wrote:

Yup!

Ashes to ashes
Funk to funky,
I don't mean to be rash,
But the Dandies have nicked another one.  Whoops, doesn't rhyme.

Is Mr. Bowie aware of this?

 
The DW's opened for Bowie on his European tour last year. They're one of his favorite bands. 


 HonduranRed wrote:
Ashes to ashes anyone?
 
Yup!

Ashes to ashes
Funk to funky,
I don't mean to be rash,
But the Dandies have nicked another one.  Whoops, doesn't rhyme.

Is Mr. Bowie aware of this?

Nice place to here this
Great segue from Jagger's "Memo from Turner"!
 sly311 wrote:
Too bad the song can't be downloaded.  It's great!  The video is awful.  I'm getting old I guess. 
  
It's available in the Amazon MP3 store (although it's worth it to get the whole CD for both the quality and the music).
most excellent
Too bad the song can't be downloaded.  It's great!  The video is awful.  I'm getting old I guess. 
{#Guitarist}This song makes me happy.

Anyone else here that thinks this song sounds like "The Beloved - Sweet Harmony"?
Yo! This is very nice!{#Dancingbanana_2}
This is one of the best surfing songs... We always crank this up on the way to the beach. {#Biggrin}

 hippiechick wrote:
Do we love the Dandies? Yes we do!!!

{#Bananajumprope}
 

Yes, we do!   {#Bounce}

 hippiechick wrote:
Do we love the Dandies? Yes we do!!!

{#Bananajumprope}
 
Yes we do!{#Dancingbanana}
Do we love the Dandies? Yes we do!!!

{#Bananajumprope}
 HonduranRed wrote:
Ashes to ashes anyone?
 

i thought it was a cover for the first 30 seconds...

Love the Dandy Warhols tho - nice chilled song.
Nice
Hi-iiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!

{#Bounce}
Does that banana have two "tops"? I just ate a banana and it had a top (connect to rest of plant) and bottom.
Can't wait to see these guys in Philadelphia September 20. I would love to hear this song live. Anyone know if it's in a typical set?
Makes me miss being a Portlander. Stuck in Texas now.
Makes me want to be a Portlander. DW reprezent.
Ashes to ashes anyone?
Whenever this plays, I have to check if RP is down since - for some damn reason - iTunes always plays this song next if that's the case.
Just bought this album. Very fun. I'd long heard about these guys but not until RP have I gotten a big enough dose to really appreciate them. Anyone think I should get their other one? "Urban Bohemia" I think it is?
Ahh, the DWs. Make me happy to be a Portlander.