“For the words of the profits are written on the studio wall.” (Their's is profits not prophets)
- The Spirit of Radio/Rush
Friday: Lyrics that speak to us.
* I'll bet I've mentioned this before. Kendra and I were co-workers and friends a long time before we ever went on what might be called a "date." Back in 1995, I turned her on to Son Volt’s newly released first album, Trace. She became a fan. We both loved it. Jay Farrar was on the other side of his recent divorce with Uncle Tupelo and he and his new band had made a gem.
Son Volt was coming to Memphis in support of the album. They were playing the New Daisy, the scroungy but hallowed old theatre at the east end of Beale Street. Did she want to go? “Sure,” she said “What time?”
This is where our different backgrounds are clearly illustrated. Kendra had been raised proper-like, accustomed to the conventions of civilized society. Conversely, I had always lived a little closer to the flame out in the world - feral-adjacent, you might call it.
I answered her matter of factly, “Well, Son Volt probably won't come on until 10:30 or 11:00, so"…To this day I wish I had a picture of the expression on her face. It said, ”What kind of heathen, underworld situation is this thing we're going to?"
I assured her it was was just SOP and so we went. I hold it as a sacred memory. Son Volt, true to form, filed onstage about 10:45 and immediately kicked into the beautiful opening chords of Route. As best I recall, they played through most all of the songs from Trace, broken up only by a few mumbled words from Farrar. You know, someone told me there's a photograph in existence , sort of fuzzy Bigfoot like image, of Jay Farrar smiling. I've never seen it. Regardless, KILLER SHOW!
I think Kendra had a good time. If you asked her about it today she would probably say she remembered it being “LOUD.” She's a great sport. She didn't realize then that it was just the first of many LOUD shows I would drag her to over the years.
Thirty years on, Farrar's words in the song still speak truth:
Reality, it burns
The way we're livin' is worse
Pillars of inspiration are all fallin' down
*I could empty a room quick babbling on about my love for Deb Talan's voice and song writing, both in her solo work and with The Weepies. In this song she has Son Volt in title. How can I pass up including it here?
Son Volt came to town
I bet they played that song
“You're causing it to drown”
I would have sung along
*Released in 1994, I pretty well wore out Freedy Johnston's record, This Perfect World. The opening song, Bad Reputation, was one of the first I ever learned to play on the guitar. I Can Hear the Laughs is the album's closer. I've always loved the imagery.
You can take a lot
Put back not a thing
Still come home looking thinner
And when I get to Oz
Will the lovely witch come down
And kiss my pale, bleeding brow?
Whatcha got?