The minus 5 “st. catherine’s statue”
from: through a faraway window: a tribute to jimmy silva 2010
“I can take you to the corner where the old man stood
with the figure of a woman that he carved out of wood
figure of a woman that he painted by hand
not a trace of the face in the place that I am
one of these days you’re gonna understand
he still holding st. catherine’s statue in his hand
now the words don’t matter and words don’t reach
meanings are scattered like birds on a beach
the truth will be stretched like the head of a drum
come away come away if you wanna stay young
one of these days you’re gonna understand
you still hold the st. catherine statue in your hand
your not the only one hurting, not even hurting the most
i find it so disconcerting to see you’re already frozen
i counted my blessings and i twiddled my thumbs
said the pledge of allegiance till my body went numb
stood at your door like the goat that i am
while you rolled on the floor with another young man
one of these days I’m going to find out why
I still got a statue a st catherine statue on my mind
on my mind”
Not sure why, but this song hit me like a truck. Maybe it’s the remnants of Catholic grade school and exposure to the lives of the saints. The band responsible for the cover of a Jimmy Silva tune (a songwriter about whom I know nothing) is the Minus 5. To say that they are a crossroads for luminary musicians is a vast understatement. Peter Buck of R.E.M. fame is the main attraction. Their delivery of this is as good as it gets. Smooth, seamless jangle pop at a high level and lyrical mastery to boot. In a call and response way they substitute a guitar solo as though its the next verse. And how bout’ “i’m counting my blessings and I twiddle my thumbs Said the Pledge of Allegiance til my body went numb.” Mr. Silva passed this life in 1994
