The Bop Shop 4.26.24 -Dave Matthews Band-

dave matthews band, “out of my hands”

from: stand up, 2005

“Out on my window ledge
I don’t feel safe
But I stay looking down on you

It’s out of my hands for now
It’s out of my hands for now

I can’t just walk away
Be nice to walk away
But I don’t feel safe
Get away
All the way up here

It’s out of my hands for now
It’s out of my hands for now

Oh, it is
Down from here
Down from here
Start to feel insane, betrayed
Out on my window ledge

Now our finest hour arrives
See the pig dressed in his finest vine
And all the believers stand behind him and smile
As the day lights up with fire

Let me in
Let me in
I stop to feel like crazy, betrayed
Out on my window ledge

Now our finest hour arrives
See the pig dressed in his finest vine
And all the believers stand behind him and smile
As the day lights up with fire

Looking down from here
It’s out of my hands for now
Out on my window ledge
It’s out of my hands for now

So let me in
Let me in
”
— D.M.

I have been trying to understand this haunting tune since it came out in 2005.

Do I jump? Not jump? Should I vote? Not vote?

You tell me.

For those who do not know, Mr. Mathews is from South Africa.

-Gary West-

 

““You’ve learned that every good lie is threaded with truth and every accepted truth leaks lies.””
— Dennis Lehane

The Bop Shop 4.25.24 -Nuggets Anthology 1&2-

“Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American psychedelic and garage rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s. It was created by Lenny Kaye, who was a writer and clerk at the Village Oldies record shop in New York. He would later become the lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group. Kaye produced Nuggets under the supervision of Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman. Kaye conceived the project as a series of roughly eight LP installments focusing on different US regions, but Elektra convinced him that one double album would be more commercially viable.[4] It was released on LP by Elektra in 1972 with liner notes by Kaye that contained one of the first uses of the term "punk rock".[5] It was reissued with a new cover design by Sire Records in 1976. In the 1980s, Rhino Records issued Nuggets in a series of fifteen installments, and in 1998 as a 4-cd box set.” -wiki-

The flavor of the music in this collection carries the textures of its times flawlessly. Pop garage psychedelia. Stereotypically loaded terms to be sure. But if you listen carefully to these two collections you can remember the way that raw and other earthly rock experimentations wove their way onto commercial radio. All these singles got a run. You got to drive around in your car and get to know them intimately. Unfair to pull just one but here’s a moody classic from the Seeds.

“We are asleep with compasses in our hands.”
— W.S. Merwin

Mr. Merwin

The Bop Shop 4.24.24 -Tuli Kupferberg-

tuli kupferberg, “nothing”

from: the fugs first album, 1965

“Monday, nothing
Tuesday, nothing
Wednesday and thursday nothing
Friday, for a change
A little more nothing
Saturday once more nothing

Sunday nothing
Monday nothing
Tuesday and wednesday nothing
Thursday, for a change
A little more nothing
Friday once more nothing

Montik gornisht,
Dinstik gornisht
Midwoch an donnerstik gornisht
Fritik, far a noveneh gornisht pikveleh
Shabas nach a mool gornisht

Lunes nada
Martes nada
Miercoles y jueves nada
Viernes, por cambia
Un poco mas nada
Sabado otra vez nada

January nothing
February nothing
March and april nothing
May and june
A lot more nothing
July nothing

’29 nothing
’32 nothing
’39, ‘45 nothing
1965 a whole lot of nothing
1966 nothing

Reading nothing
Writing nothing
Even arithmetic nothing
Geography, philosophy, history, nothing
Social anthropology a lot of nothing

Oh, village voice nothing
New yorker nothing
Sing out and folkways nothing
Harry smith and allen ginsberg
Nothing, nothing, nothing

Poetry nothing
Music nothing
Painting and dancing nothing
The world’s great books
A great set of nothing
Audy and foudy nothing

Fucking nothing
Sucking nothing
Flesh and sex nothing
Church and times square
All a lot of nothing
Nothing, nothing, nothing

Stevenson nothing
Humphrey nothing
Averell harriman nothing
John stuart mill nil, nil
Franklin delano nothing

Karlos marx nothing
Engels nothing
Bakunin and kropotkin nothing
Leon trotsky lots of nothing
Stalin less than nothing

Nothing nothing nothing nothing
Lots and lots of nothing
Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing
Lots of it
Nothing!
Not a god damn thing”
— T.K.

Tuli Kupferberg of The Fugs discovered lessons that had been buried under rocks. And his band raised a decent ruckus with their findings. They possessed no fear of confronting the dirt and grime of their times. Comedy was their ally when they dove into the political eddies and undressed the Pentagon. “Nothing” is a special coda reminder prayer that is not to be experienced as a complaint but rather as a disheveled call to awakening. A chant to unclothe fakery. Yep, their apparent musical disorganization set their records straight.

““These are the days that must happen to you.”
”
— Walt Whitman

The Bop Shop 4.23.24 -Nickel Creek-

nickel creek, “the lighthouse’s tale”

from: nickel creek, 2000

“I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.

I’ll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts.

I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, ‘till his joy meant everything to me.

And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night.

[Chorus:]
And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.

She’d had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return.
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned.

He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wave.
In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end.

[Chorus]

Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the SHORE.
He kissed her cold face, that they’d be together soon he’d swore.

I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran.

[Chorus]

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their
”
— Chris Thile & Adam McKenzie

These three first got together when Chris and Sara were but 8 years old and Sean was 12 They produced a few self-released recordings, but hit the big time with the Alison Kraus produced, Nickel Creek in 2000. The members have pursued numerous other projects – Chris, Goat Rodeo, Bach recordings, Punch Brothers, radio host – Sara, Decemberists, solo albums, Jackson Browne tour– Sean, Mutual Admiration Society, solo recordings, Watkins Family Hour. They have recently reunited for a lengthy impressive tour, which features them as the lead act, but they will be opening for Kacey Musgraves at TD Garden in September.

The featured song is a sad tale from a lighthouse’s perspective about star-crossed lovers.

-Alan West-

“The giving of love is an education in itself.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt

The Bop Shop 4.22.24 -Tom Tall-

Tom tall, “stack-a-records”

from: rockin bones:1950’s punk & rockabilly, rhino, 2006

Just when you think the country has gone to shit, you find out you just haint been looking and listening hard enough. Only to spread the plenty around. Tom Tall, not Tom T. Hall, from Amarillo, Texas. It only takes 2:20!

“Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.”
— Winston Churchill

The Bop Shop 4.21.24 -Tord Gustavsen Trio & Jakob Bro Trio-

Mr. Gustavsen

Mr. Bro

tord gustavsen trio, “right there” from: extended circle, 2014

Jakob bro trio, Live @ big Ears 2024

Charlie and I made our annual trek to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Big Ears Festival - the most diverse music festival, in my opinion, in the US.   A small sampling of the musicians: Beth Orton, Sam Amidon, Rhiannon Giddens, Joe Henry, Marc Ribot, Herbie Hancock, Henry Threadgill, Mary Halvorson, Laurie Anderson (personal highlight),Jon Batiste, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Fred Frith (personal highlight), Roger Eno, Chocolate Genius, Adrianne Lenker, Andre 3000, Thurston Moore/John Paul Jones, and much more - really, much more. But this post is about two highlights for both of us.  The Tord Gustavsen Trio from Norway (Tord on piano, Steinar Raknes on bass and Jarle Vespestad on drums) opened our festival experience - and guitarist Jakob Bro from Denmark (with Brian Blade on drums and Anders Christensen on cello) closed 2024 Big Ears for us. Is it the long, cold, snowy Scandinavian winters that produce jazz musicians who create sounds ranging from wide open musical spaces to a frenzy of intricate interactions?  Two pieces to share with you — TGT’s intense sparseness and the intricate soundscape created by Jakob, Brian and Anders. Blade’s drumming is exquisite.

-Val Sampson-

“Big Ears is the one time a year we artists live the community that people think we live, and that we hold in our heads.” ”
— Marc Ribot

Mr. Ribot

The Bop Shop 4.20.24 -Pete Seeger-

Pete seeger, “goofing off suite”

from: goofing off suite, 1955

Critical, indispensible, instrumental where we find Pete Seeger with everytning playin. Caught in the prolific present moment armed with this potent reminder. Goofin off yodeling and whistlin while at it!

““The American Indians were Communists. They were. Every anthropologist will tell you they were Communists. No rich, no poor. If somebody needed something the community chipped in.””
— Pete Seeger

The Bop Shop 4.19.24 -Elaine Stritch-

Elaine stritch, “are you having any fun”

from: stritch, 1956

“Hey!
Fellows with a million smackers and nervous indigestion
Rich fellows
Eating milk and crackers, I’ll ask you one question
Are you having any fun?
What you getting out of living?
Who cares for what you’ve got if you’re not having any fun?
Are you having any laughs?
Are you getting any loving?
If other people do, why can’t you? Have a little fun
After the honey’s in the cone
All the bees go out and play
Even the old gray mare down home
Has got to have hay, hey, hey!
Better have a little fun
You ain’t gonna live forever
So while you’re young and gay, still okay
Have a little fun
Why should you work and save and save?
Life is full of ifs and buts
Even the squirrels save and save
And what have they got? Nuts!
Better have a little fun
You ain’t gonna live forever
So while you’re young and gay, still okay
Have a little fun, son
Take it on the run, son
Get yourself some mone’, son
Do it all for one, son
Timmy, take your mom, son
And have
Have a little fun
”
— Sammy Fain & Jack Yellen

This lady was everywhere across the American arts landscape. Acting principally, Broadway, tons of 1950’s-2000 tv. In film as an often “know it all no-nonsense female bomb shell,” and late in life as the 80 year old feminist lawyer on “Law and Order”. Her delivery of this novelty morality message from the 1939 musical “Scandals” speaks for itself. Go down the rabbit hole, This lady had a scary deep career.

Kinky Friedman

“Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder”
— Kinky Friedman

The Bop Shop 4.18.24 -Yo La Tengo-

yo la tengo, “no water”

from: new wave hot dog, 1987

“A dirty street outside my room, papers swirl around
Not a soul on a night of gloom tries to stop a howl

Another day on a dismal beach, a seagull turns and flies by
The waves seem so high and fierce, break and crash back down

If the worst should happen or if it takes all day
Or if the sun turns grey and cold

Violent wind, come blow me down
Ring chimes with a haunting air
The curtains whoop and the dogs, they growl
Otherwise a silent town”
— Ira Kaplan

Like many records this is a lost one. Forgotten from a catalogue that isn’t well known anyway. Ira Kaplan is one of the planet’s great guitarists, capable of wildly fluctuating sonic colorations that make stunning songs. My favorites display his transcendent moodiness. The notes fly up and often look back down at earth with a sad elation.

Ira Kaplan

“Hesitation increases in relation to risk in equal proportion to age.”
— Ernest Hemingway

The Bop Shop 4.17.24 -Bobby Darin-

bobby darin, “The girl who stood beside me,

from: if i were a carpenter, 1966

“Whose face did I see beside me
When I looked into the mirror, yesterday
Who has tried to keep my spirits
Oh, so high through yesterday

Who now shares my life and tears whenever I cry
Who becomes my wife and fears the day I die
Who knows all my thoughts and every word I say
She’s the girl who stood beside me as I looked into the mirror yesterday

Who then gave a hand to me
When I was trembling in the dark just yesterday
Who then showed me all the nights and all the sights
And all the lights just yesterday

Who now shares my time and who now makes my bed
Who now lies beside me, who now holds my head
Who knows all my thoughts and every word I say
She’s the girl who stood beside me as I looked into the mirror yesterday

Whose voice did I hear when bells were ringing
Silent bird that started singing yesterday
Who then said, “Come sit beside me
Oh, my darling, don’t deny me”, yesterday

Who now shares my time and who now makes my bed
Who now lies beside me, who now holds my head
Who knows all my thoughts and every word I say
She’s the girl who stood beside me as I looked into the mirror yesterday
Yes, the girl who stood beside me as I looked into the mirror yesterday”
— Jeffrey Stevens

Per our friends at Wikipedia:

“Bobby Darin was an American musician, songwriter and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. Darin started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. Darin co-wrote and recorded his first million-selling single, "Splish Splash", in 1958.”

As they say above, he pretty much performed it all. But this is by far my favorite. One of my best friends from high school turned me on to this tune. I have always loved it. I have the album (below) in mono, but for the longest time could not find the song online. Might have just been me. He does a good job on If I Were a Carpenter, too, and with Amy, which he wrote. Buffy St. Marie’s Until It's Time For You To Go in on the album, as well.

-Gary West-

The Bop Shop 4.16.24 -Bonny Light Horseman-

Bonny light horseman, “summer dream”

from: rolling golden holy, 2022

“I saw your face last night
In a heat light storm
Come to me so sad
Sand on your castle
Wanted to touch your hand
Instead I watched you drift away again, mmm
Sometimes I dream
You were in my summer dream again
Some of my dream
You were in my summer dream back then
Tupelo honey sweet
Laughing in the back seat
Summer dream, mmm
On a four-lane
On another ride
On another day
In another lifetime
Held you like a little child
Fell under my spell a while, mmm
Sometimes I dream
You were in my summer dream again
Some of my dream
You were in my summer dream back then
Tupelo honey sweet
Laughing in the back seat
Summer dream, mmm
What we left behind
When the tide went out
It’s a fading line
Don’t know why I trace it still sometime
Smell of rolled cigarette
And your hair when it was wet
Drippin’ on the kitchen floor
Slippin’ through the screen door, screen
’Times I dream
You were in my summer dream again
Some of my dream
You were in my summer dream back then
Tupelo honey sweet
Laughing in the back seat
Summer dream
Sometimes I dream (sometimes I dream)
You were in my summer dream again
(That you were in my summer dream again)
Some of my dream (the summer dream)
You were in my summer dream back then
(You were in my summer dream back then)
Tupelo honey sweet (tupelo honey sweet)
Laughing in the back seat (laughing in the back seat)
Summer dream (a summer dream)
”
— Anais Mitchell

In the scheme of the music biz, they were the next big thing: an alternative supergroup, folkish, indi-rock super trio. And now ep issues and special projects leak out. There are other ways in which to pour out ones creative juices further unfurling their careers, and this group is on to something. Stay tuned

““It may be that when we no longer know which way to go that we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.””
— Wendell Berry

The Bop Shop 4.15.24 -Katie Melua-

katie melua, “perfect World” w/ Gori womens choir

from: In winter, 2016

“You’re precious
I can’t stand seeing you cry
It hurts
Watching you get what you don’t deserve
I tell myself
You don’t belong in this rough life
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
You’re too gentle
And much too quick to forgive
Every slight
And though you never been doubt
Who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
Who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world”
— katie melua & molly mcqueen

The intimate world of unmasked vulnerabilities that Ms. Melua makes appear here, displays a crisp wonder.

“Singing is like a celebration of oxygen.

”
— Bjork

The Bop Shop 4.14.24 -Chris Whitley-

chris whitley, “dust radio”

from: living with the law, 1991

“Walk it with the father
Talk it with the son
Baby got vision child
Like a loaded gun
She use my body
Like carrion crow
Doing our transmission thing
On dust radio

Baby call the number
Nobody left in town
Baby paint skulls and constellations on the ground
Where she lay me gently, she lay me slow
Somebody receiving up there
On dust radio

Walk it with the spirit
Talk it with the spine
Mama sing “Open up yourself when worlds align”
My secret Jesus,
The good red road
On blood antenna
And dust radio”
— C.W.

In late 2005 I was living in DC and first-dating again. We were eating tapas and talking music. The Venn diagram of our musical interests had a large overlapping section. The conversation was animated with discovery. She mentioned Chris Whitley. I mentioned he had died recently of lung cancer. She started to cry.

Dust Radio is from Whitley’s first album, selected for the Bop Shop, where every song triggers a “what will play next” reflex as does the radio show of our collective unconscious. 

I suggest you travel further along in Whitley’s catalog as he gets grungy, then eclectically experimental, and later very dark. Some of his work in challenging. Some if it may lead you to tears

-Neil Glassman-

“you wouldn’t heve won if we’d beaten you”
— Yogi Berra

The Bop Shop 4.13.24 -Daniel Norgren-

daniel norgren, “black vultures”

from: buck, 2013

“I got no place to go, but I dont wanna go anyway
Til the day I die I guess this is just how it will stay
Black vultures in the air
Black vultures in the air
I like to ride old-pick-up trucks
For a while it takes away the feeling of beeing stung
Black vultures in the air
Black vultures in the air
At night I get drunk and think of a girl that I know
I sleep in my clothes and I wake up alone
Black vultures in the air
Black vultures in the air
Ahh, black vultures in the air
Black vultures in the air”
— D.N.

He sounds like he could be from Memphis but he’s from Sweden. What does places you could be from really mean anyway? Everything and nothing. Either way what a great record cover on this one “Woo Dang,”from 2019. Colorful, playfull, enormously human. If they got soul brewing like this in Scandanavia, let me at em. Dan is loose as a goose and his originality does not take its foot off whatever it is that it’s on. “Black Vultures” comes from some familiar U.S. places. Soul accordion, that beat, a high pitched falsetto almost like a guitar string being plucked and the noise of a thunder storm bringing it on home. Suggest 30 listens!

“in nonsense is strength”
— Kurt Vonnegut

The Bop Shop 4.12.24 -Carla Bley-

carla bley, “Doctor why”

From: escaLAtor over the hill, 1971

“JACK:
Clear
Vacancy
Clear
Everything’s all right
Clear
Everything’s just fine
The doctor is here
And they’re getting
The head back in

Ginger:
Nurses dyeing their hair
Don’t care
If the horse is locked
The house still there
It doesn’t seem
To matter to them
The traces
Of horses

Ginger and jack:
And pineapple
And cheese
So many ingredients
In the soup

(On the hardwood floor)

No room for a spoon”
— Paul Haines & Carla Bley

Linda Rondstadt and Cream’s Jack Bruce in a short spiffy spot from one of the great music projects of any time. The high minded concept lp “Escalator Over the Hill”.

““No protest, no social commentary. No expression of love, of grief, of hope, of despair. It is literally whatever you want to make of it. It is devoid of every quality which you might assume would qualify it to be the greatest of all records. And yet it is that tabula rasa in its heart, the blank space which may well exist at the very heart of all music, revealing the hard truth that we have to fill in the blanks, we have to interpret what is being played and sung, and our interpretation is the only one which can possibly be valid, as we cannot discern any perspective other than our own.””
— Marcello Carlin comment about " Escalator Over the Hill

The Bop Shop 4.11.24 -John Prine-

john Prine, “lake Marie’

from: lost dogs and mixes blessings, 1995

John Prine passed away at 73 years old in April 2020 as an early victim of complications from the coronavirus. He wrote so many great songs that it is near impossible to pick one’s favorites. For me, Lake Marie was one of them.

One of the key themes of “Lake Marie” is the power of love to transcend time and history. The song tells the story of two lovers who are connected to the land and each other in a deep and profound way. They are linked to the past and the present, and their love endures even in the face of tragedy and loss. The lyrics of the song evoke a sense of mystery and wonder, as the lovers contemplate the beauty and majesty of the lake and the world they inhabit.

Another theme of the song is the tension between nature and civilization. The lake is a symbol of the natural beauty and majesty that exists in the world, but it is also a place of conflict and struggle. The Battle of Lake Marie is a reminder of the violent history that has taken place on this land, and the song alludes to other conflicts and tensions that have shaped the world and the people who inhabit it. Yet despite these challenges, the lovers in the song find solace and comfort in each other, and they are able to see the beauty and wonder in the world despite its flaws and imperfections.

-Alan West-

““Writing is about a blank piece of paper and leaving out what’s not supposed to be there.”

”
— John Prine

The Bop Shop 4.10.24 -Jimi Hendrix

jimi hendrix, “driftin”

from:, cry of love, 1970

Little needs to be said about the greatest rock guitarist of all time whose life was cut short in 1970 at 27. One can only hypothesize about what musical adventures he would have gone on. Drifting has a minimum of lyrics and some mesmerizing guitar.

 -Alan West-

“Drifting on a sea
Of forgotten teardrops
On a lifeboat sailing for your love
Sailing home

Drifting on a sea
Of old heartbreaks
On a lifeboat sailing for your love
Sailing home

”
— Jimi Hendrix

Anais Nin

“Poetry is the alchemy which teaches us to convert ordinary materials into gold.”
— Anais Nin

The Bop Shop 4.9.24 -Kate & Ana McGarrigle

kate & Ana mcgarrigle,”jacques et Gilles”

from: Matapedia, 1996

“Jacques et Gilles work at the mill
That stands beside the water
Could be Lowell, could be Lawrence
Or Nashua, New Hampshire

Jacques et Gilles, they hate the mill
But they’ve too many sons and daughters
The pay’s no good and they miss the woods
So they go and cut the lumber in Maine

Jacques et Gilles they’ve left the mill
To cut down trees in winter
Little Hélène who’s only ten
She knits and spins and sits and folds

In darkness and in hunger
In the cold mill by the frozen water
And St-Jean-Baptiste says, “That’s O.K
Come pray to me on Sunday

We’ll cash your notes
We’ll cast your votes
Just give me some of that money”
”Tell me mother, sister, brother
You who work beside me
When will we be goin’ home
To the chickens and cows, the horses and sows
The cousins and friends and loved-ones
Of our native country?”

”Ah, shut your mouth my daughter dear
Go fetch the boss some water
And just pretend ma belle Hélène
That at the borne-fontaine
You can’t comprehend
That Irish agitator”

And we’re goin’ down to La Marique
To work in the mills of New Hampshire
Two weeks we’ll march like savages
Down the banks of the Connecticut and the Merrimac rivers

”Why is Paddy such a bad guy?
Why is he so evil?
He wants more pay for his working day
And he says that kids like me
Should be in school”

”Ah, ferme ta gueule ma p’tite soeur
We’ll start for home tomorrow
But Paddy Boyle and Katy Doyle
They’ve left their soil
They’ve sailed away
They can’t go home and therein
Lies their anger and their sorrow”
And the old man smells of whisky-blanc
Of tobacco and fine leather
And all the boys Ti-Pit, Ti-Jean, Ti-Guy, Ti-Gus
Have brand new suits
And all the girls new coats and hats

And Madame Aubry a gorgeous hat of melton
With three fine feathers
And we’re goin’ home to Canada
To La Beauce, our beautiful country
We’ll take the new train from Nashua
Our pockets filled with American money
”
— The McGarrigles

Genius, intimate social history piece dripping with the bobbing and weaving hidden truths of history, this time chronicling the immigration patterns between Quebec and New England’s factories. The accordion work glows like a warm fire against the backdrop of a regretfully written letter, sure to remember in vivid details the family wins and losses she can’t forget.

“
”When we get more houses than we can live in, more cars than we can ride in, more food than we can eat ourselves, the only way of getting richer is by cutting off those who don’t have enough.””
— -Nelson Algren-

Mr. Algren

The Bop Shop 4.8.24 -The Jayhawks-

the jayhawks, “clouds”

from: hollywood town hall, 1992

“God of the rich man ain’t the God for the poor.
God, men and the state hospital is closed, and wouldn’t you know
Winos and office girls in the park.
Wanted you alone to walk beside her
Wanted you alone to live beside her, it was morning
Better roads with light on them.
Can your diamonds talk to you?
Can you see them shine?
Keep them hiding in your room
Can they guide you in your time?
Can they guide you in your time?
Windows were broken by your dear one’s hands
Gates left swinging by your dear one’s hands
An old book salesman asked if he could step in.
The sidewalks you slept on held no rest.
Gave away the money you saved
In your trust, you’re sorry now.
Light hits you funny at the time.
Can your diamonds talk to you?
Can you see them shine?
Keep them hiding in your room
Can they guide you in your time?
Can they guide you in your time?
The sidewalks, you slept on
They’re so broken. They’re so broken down
I’ll meet you there. I’ll meet you there.
Years before and the trees would start to bloom
You walked outside, wanted back in your room, what did you hope for.
Turn the corner while you slept?
God of the rich man ain’t the God for the poor.
God, men and the state hospital is closed, and won’t you know
Winos and office girls in the park.
Can your diamonds talk to you?
Can you see them shine?
Keep them hiding in your room
Can they guide you in your time?
Can they guide you in your time?
Can your diamonds talk to you?
Can you see them shine?
Keep them hiding in your room
Can they guide you in your time?
Can they guide you in your time?”
— Gary Louris & Marc Olson

Even though it surely exists in obscurity, this is a quite monumental song. As with so many pieces I get intrigued by, I often don’t know what to make of the lyrics. But I love em. Does a family member have a mental health breakdown, blow their financial inheritance, and wind up on the street leaving their human connections in shambles? Did they forget to turn to their inner treasures to help them face their personal insurgencies? There is some complex, specific energy charge this story carries. And there is a definitive Jayhawks sound with which this little beauty oozes. The instrumental guitar driven intensity builds, augmented by the legendary harmonies that Mr. Olson and Mr Louris are the kingpins of. Maybe the one gem you can walk away with from listening is: “God of the rich man ain’t the god for the poor.”

Mr. Louris & Mr. Olson who didn’t always get along too well, reunited in 2008 to create this competent song collection.

Peter Case

“There’s two kinds of justice everybody knows
One’s for folks up on the hill
The other down below”
— Peter Case

The Bop Shop 4.7.24 -Loudon Wainwright III-

Loudon wainwright III, “missing you”

from, last man on earth, 2001

“He don’t stay out anymore
No more coming in past four
Most nights he turns in ‘round ten
He’s way too tired to pretend
Sure, you might find him up at three
But if he is it’s just to pee
Sometimes he’s awake ‘till two
But that’s just cause he’s missing you
He’s lying there and missing you

He don’t sleep late anymore
Up like a farmer half past four
And when that sleepy sun pops up
He’s halfway through his second cup
When his day’s work is done ‘round two
That’s when he starts in missing you
Quarter to three, it’s time to nap
He always says, No nap, I’m crap
His motto is, No nap, I’m crap


Guess he’s just set in his ways
He does the same damn thing most days
And there’s seven twenty-fours a week
With lots of down time so to speak
But he hardly glances at a clock
Since his routine is carved in rock
Man’s a machine, what can he do
Keep going on just missing you
Keep right on going missing you


And his teeth falls out, so does his hair
But in his dreams you’re always there
A jewel in his unconscious mind
A miracle, a precious find
But in the end he’s all alone
He wakes up and his jewel is gone
There’s a heaven and he knows it’s true
But he’s back on earth just missing you
And it’s hell on earth
Missing you
Back where he started
Missing you
”
— L.W.

Music moves our moods. Loudon Wainwright III can, in one song, take you from sittin’ on top of the world to being down in the lowest of dumps. 

Want to understand LWIII? Good luck with that. This is an excerpt from a 2005 Guardian article on his daughter, Martha:

“Martha Wainwright came up with an effective way of dealing with having a singer-songwriter father who substituted looking after his family by writing about them in songs… ‘Especially as he always makes himself come across as funny and charming while the rest of us seem like whining victims, and we can't tell our side of the story. As a result he has a daughter who smokes and drinks too much and writes songs with titles like “Bloody M F A. * (swears edited!)

From Last Man on Earth 2001

-Neil Glassman-

If you are a fan of Mr. Wainwright I would highly recommend this book/cd retrospective of his bespeckled career called “Years in the Making,” 2018

Mr. Wainwright

“When a parent dies, the whole house of cards comes down”
— Loudon Wainwright III