One more time, Apologies to Todd Snider.
Posted on | March 8, 2009 |
If anyone has a problem that a significant chunk of my blog lately has been no more than cut and paste of Todd Snider lyrics, I have this to say: bite me.  Snider is a singer/songwriter I recently discovered through the wonders of Pandora.com (no, I’m not going to make it a hyperlink in my blog, you can type it yourself) and I think he’s phenomenal.  This one I’ve been grooving along to in the car for a while, but not listening to or knowing more than a smattering of thelyrics.  Tonight I listened.  Many times.  Brilliant.  My commentary after the text.  Download it on itunes  Dig the rhythm of the drums- remind you of anything?  Like, maybe a train?Â
Play a Train Song
A smokin’ long black cadillac, the engine’s winding down
he’d park it up on the sidewalk like he owned the whole damn town
i’d hear him talking to some chick through a thick ghost of smoke,
through a thicker haze of southern comfort and coke
he’d say, “girl, you’re hotter than the hinges hanging off the gates of hell
don’t be afraid to turn to me, babe, if he don’t treat you well”
and by “he” he meant me, so i laughed and i shook his handÂ
he laughed a little bit louder, as he yelled up at the band
play a train song
pour me one more round
make ‘em leave my boots on
when they lay me into the ground
i am a runaway locomotive
out of my one-track mind
and i’ve been looking for any kind of trouble that i can find
i got this old black leather jacket
i got this pack of Marlboro Reds
i got this stash here in my pocket
i got these thoughts in my own head
the right to run on till i gotta walk
until i’ve got to crawl
this moment that i’m in right now
and nothing else at all
play a train song
pour me one more round
make ‘em leave my boots on
when they lay me into the ground
i am a runaway locomotive
out of my one-track mind
[harmonica solo]
in the television blizzard lights
we looked around his place
we found him cold there on the sofa
a little smile across his face
and though i tried with all my sadness
somehow i just could not weep
for a man who looked to meÂ
like he died laughing in his sleep
singing a train song
drinking on one last round
we made ‘em leave his boots on
on the day they laid him down
he was a runaway locomotive
out of his one-track mind
play a train song
play a train song
play a train songÂ
Holy crap, I want to be this guy. Â The Caddy, the leather jacket, the smokes, sure that’s all fine and good. Â But what’s the real appeal? Â The attitude. Â Parking his wheels up on the sidewalk. Â And it doesn’t even matter that it’s a Caddy (although it doesn’t hurt) it coulda been a Hyundai. Â As long as you sell it with that attitude: “like he owned the whole damn town.” Â Why is that the only people who can pull that off, usually own nothing at all? Â (Freedom’s just another word for nothin left to lose?)
He’s got his smokes, his drink and his smack, and not a care in the world. Â I don’t smoke. Â I drink on occasion. Â Never done blow. Â Afraid of it. Â I don’t really want to do it, but there’s a part of me that admires the no fear way these rare creatures live their life. Â ”Live” being the key word. Â
I dig the back and forth between the songwriter and the Man. Â he hits on his girl right in front of him, but neither takes offense and they become buddies. Â It’s all good. Â And then the payoff: Â this dude loves him some Train Songs. It’s beautiful. Â It has a childlike innocence to it that is just so appealing. Â And yes, so damn cool. Â You can’t be sorta kinda cool and get all jacked up about train songs, you have to be the real McCoy. Â To be so comfortable in your skin and so utterly uninterested in anyone’s perception of you to be able say that train songs are your favorite thing. Beautiful.
the right to run until I gotta walk or until I got to crawl
this moment that I’m in right now and nothing else at all
Living in the moment. Â And really living in it. Â It’s tough to do these days. Â At least it is for me. Â So worried about next week or next month or next year, especially these days, there’s no time to enjoy the only thing that really matters: Right Now. Â Anyway, I’ve been digging me some Todd Snider lately. Â Really great stuff. Â And I dig this song. Â When I started this last night, I wanted to go somewhere else with this. Â Or maybe not somewhere else, maybe here, but just further. Â But that’s all I got for now. Â Maybe later.Â
Todd Snider.