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Ashes of American Flags


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I remember hearing this not long after 9/11 in L.A. and the long cheer from the crowd at the "salute the ashes of american flags." pretty chilling

 

one of my favorite tweedy quotes is something along the lines of everyone always think every song ever written is about them.

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Did you see the new Rolling Stone listing Nels guitar work on "Ashes..." from Kicking Television as a defining moment. Nels is now considered one of the top "new" guitar players. Bout time!

 

That solo is easily one of my favorite moments in all of the rock music I have listened to in my life.

Bravo Mr. Cline. Bravo.

 

As far as Ashes is concerned, I always thought it was about war veterans and THEIR disconnect, that they were the fallen leaves filling up shopping bags.....but I am probably wrong.

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yea but even a lot of hardcore wilco fans still think this album has lines about 9/11.. specifically war on war and jesus etc's "tall buildings shake voices escape singing sad sad songs"... its eerie, but not true... rolling stone even had to tackle the issue.

 

edit...

sorry for the late random entry.

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Sorry for the thesis that will follow but since this thread started I've been doing a bit of thinking and listening.

 

The beauty of this piece, I think, is how perfectly the sound and the music feel against the lyrics. The sound is discordant but hopeful and sweet. I hear the lyrics speak of two ideas of America that are discordant. There is an idea of America that is so beautiful and hopeful that it breaks your heart. Then there is an America that presents itself that you could spend a lifetime trying to understand exactly how it got so far away from the idea that you had.

 

There is a rule of convenience and commerce where the cash machine dispenses cash for a small service fee to satisfy our often misplaced needs for diet coca cola and cigarettes, those things that almost define America and are so linked to anxiety. Then there's an America that speaks for change and the new way and how much better it can be through its poets and its freedom of expression. But seemingly "nobody gives a fuck."

 

"A hole without a key if I break my tongue" is the centerpiece of the song. Where would we be without our voice? How do you get any closer to the idea of America that you believe in with out speaking of it, or writing about it, or painting it, or singing it?

 

And how does this effect you personally? When all you want is "to have a good life with a nose for things" how do you survive in this world that isn't what you think it should be? Maybe sometimes you're not too successful. You feel alone and so anxious that you can't bear the ring of the doorbell and even your voice, the thing that you know is the ultimate gift, makes you anxious.

 

The thing that keeps you hoping for that beautiful America are the ashes of American flags - the symbol of the successful voice and freedom in action. The ashes of American flags are what preserve that feeling that you feel about America when you drive down the roads of small towns, past homes and families, and see "all the fallen leaves, filling up shopping bags."

 

Is this dumb?

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velocity253, no, I don't think it's dumb....

 

Watching Forrest Gump the other day and at the very end where the little boy gets on the bus and Forrest Sr. is sitting there until the bus comes home, one lonely leaf floats down... made me think of the line... "all the fallen leaves"... just kinda a sweet thought...

 

Listening to the kids discuss the song... as Americans we still have the freewill to think differently...

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