At the Flophouse

Info

At the Flophouse (also known as Flophouse and I Mean You No Harm) is an acoustic track written and performed by Dot Allison and Peter Doherty. The track was released as a B Side to the single version of Babyshambles in 2004. At the Flophouse is usually performed by Doherty acoustically, sometimes joined by Dot Allison on vocals and glockenspiel. Another version of this track exists as part of the HQ sessions, also recorded around 2004.

Lines from quintessential 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson's poem 'I took one Draught of Life' ("I took one Draught of Life / I'll tell you what I paid / Precisely an existence / The market price, they said") are borrowed for the final verse of this song ("I took one draught of life / Paid only the market price").

Appearing on

Jazz After Dark	Peter Doherty	Session	2006
Babyshambles	Peter Doherty	Single	2004-05-10
Only Peons Make Excuses (with Dot Allison)	Peter Doherty	Fan mixtape	2004-04
HQ Bethnal Green Demo Sessions	Babyshambles	Session	2004-02
Conversations in Eden (& Looking Glass)	Peter Doherty	Session	Unknown
SHAMBLES1	Babyshambles	Session	Unknown

Concerts

Caprices Festival	Peter Doherty	Crans-Montana, Switzerland	2013-03-08
La Maroquinerie	Peter Doherty	Paris, France	2013-02-05
La Maroquinerie	Peter Doherty	Paris, France	2013-02-04
02 Academy, Brixton	Peter Doherty	Brixton, London	2011-09-23
Reading Festival	Peter Doherty	Reading, UK	2011-08-28
Le Cabaret Vert	Peter Doherty	Charleville-Mézières, France	2011-08-27
Glasgow Barrowlands (1)	Peter Doherty	Glasgow, Scotland	2008-05-18
Rhythm Factory	Peter Doherty	Whitechapel, London	2007-12-16
The Scala 1st Night	Babyshambles	Pentonville Rd, London	2004-10-06
Norwich, 2004 (1)	Babyshambles	Norwich	2004-09-26
Up The Shambles (DVD)	Babyshambles	The Ritz Manchester, UK	2004-09-23
Live in Leeds	Babyshambles	Leeds, UK	2004-09-22
Preston Mill	Babyshambles	Preston, UK	2004-07-06

Lyrics

Everything's got to be
Just how it has to be
Or he won't play
And I know that boy wants to
Approach me and say
All he's got to say
Maybe he'll say it today, maybe no

There was a slight altercation, oh
Down at the station, oh, today
There's blood on hands and steps
I'm holding my head
She's got some front, oh
Did you hear what she said?

I'm so sos if I neglected you
I mean you no harm, mean you no harm
And I'm so sos if I disrespected you
Mean you no harm
Oh look around, it's true
Tonight, I'll be chasing you

I took one draft of life
Paid only the market price
Now I'm estranged
And I'm so lonely now
Though I'm not alone
Licking her boot
Maybe I'll work from home

(lighter ingnites
takes a hit of crack)