“House of Pain”
by The White Buffalo (originally by Faster Pussycat)
from the album Happy Endings: Music from the Showtime Series Californication)
2014
Buy the album on Amazon
I got here in a roundabout way. I was watching an episode of Californication this morning and it ended with a different song which I was going to post, but looking into it opened a Pandora’s Box, so I’ll save that for another time. Looking into that got me to this EP, and this song stuck out for me as well.
I can’t claim to know the original. I can’t even claim to know Faster Pussycat (I wasn’t exactly a fan of glam metal), but listening to it rang some distant bell in my memory, so maybe I do subconsciously remember it. Or maybe it’s just the subtle emotions this triggers in me. This is a perfect song to match the tone that a good number of Californication episodes end on, and also perfect for the grey autumn day outside. And man, underneath the original’s glam is more proof that sometimes in the crappiest of songs lie some pretty great lyrics and sentiments. This version could be the slower bookend to Father of Mine.
It’s a little past supper time
I’m still out on the porch steps
Sittin on my behind, waiting for you
Wondering if everything is all right
Momma said come in boy don’t waste your time
I said I’ve got time will he be here soon
Five years old and talkin to myself
Where were you? Where’d ya go?
Daddy can’t you tell?
I’m not tryin to fake it
And I ain’t the one to blame
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
And I didn’t write these pages and
My scripts been rearranged
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
No There’s no one home
In my house of pain.Wasn’t I worth the time
A boy needs a daddy like a dance to mime
And all the time, I looked up to you
I paced my room a million times
And all I ever got was one big lie
The same old lie
How could you?Well I was eighteen and still talking to myself
Where were you? Where’d you go?
Daddy can’t ya tell?
I’m not tryin to fake it
And I ain’t the one to blame
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
I didn’t write these pages
And my script’s been rearranged
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
No there’s no one home
In my house of painI’m not tryin to fake it
And I ain’t the one to blame
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
I didn’t write these pages
And my script’s been rearranged
No there’s no one home
In my house of pain
no there’s no one home
In my house of pain
(I’m alone again)
No there’s no one home in my house of pain (x2)
(I’m alone again)
If I learned anything from this
It’s how to live on my own!
Also, interesting story about the album this cover first appeared on:
Original:
I totally remember the Faster Pussycat version. The cover is almost unrecognizable but it’s definitely a more timeless version. The Pussycat one is so dated, just the tone and production value.