Being hungover is one of my least favorite feelings. The Pretenders are one of my favorite bands. Their song “Porcelain” is something that always gets me through being hungover.
The song appeared on the B-side of “Message of Love” released in 1981. It has a great instrumental intro that I will simply describe as swinging. When Chrissie Hynde’s sexy yet soothing voice comes in, you can be assured that your hangover will subside and you will start feeling better, or at least you’ll feel some sympathy. She talks of her knees on the tile floor and busting her head on the porcelain, a place I’ve been before laying on the bathroom floor hoping the world will end soon.
The thing to watch out for during this song is the change in dynamics. While Chrissie Hynde is singing, the song is at a pretty manageable level for your throbbing headache but at the end, when the instrumental outro kicks in, be ready to turn down the volume knob so you’re not caught unaware and cursing at the increase of volume as the Pretenders rock out the end of the song.