Wilco Lyrics

[deluxe]

collapsing galaxies

feathered with falling stars

[unposed_question]

I fell in love with Jeff Tweedy when I listened to IATTBYH for the fifteenth time and it finally dawned on me what 'I assassin down the avenue' meant.

 

What does it mean? Cuz I've been listening to that song for 6 years and it hasn't dawned on me yet.

[wade]

I think we all know that Tweedy does not feel entirely comfortable performing solos by himself (a reason why a guitar player like Nels is in the band), so, as a result, Tweedy spends a good amount of time writing lyrics. I have always felt that Wilco has had fantastic lyrics; words that aren't so straight-forward:

 

"All I can see is black and white

And white and pink with blades of blue

That lay between the words I think on a page

I was meaning to send to

You I couldn't tell if it'd bring my heart

The way I wanted when I started

Writing this letter to you"

I don't understand where you're going with Jeff not soloing, because you picked your favorite lyrics from a song thet Jeff is known for soloing in. I agree that they're great lyrics though.

 

ok all right ok all right

 

best. line. evar.

Sonic Youth used that line in their song "Washing Machine" a year before Being There came out. I think you should give Kim Gordon (or whoever she stole it from) credit, instead of Jeff.

[markosis]

Winona mentioned playing song #2 off of Summerteeth to woo a girl. Later in the movie as Winona and Fiennes were gettin it on, She's a Jar played in the background.

 

I stole that from the 'Friday Night Light's" thread, but it sort of mirrors an experience of my own.

 

I sent a text message to a girl that I liked and I randomly chose these lyrics:

 

Are there really ones like these?

The ones I dream

Float like leaves

And freeze to spread skeleton wings

I passed through before I knew you

 

and she was quite into it. Thanks Jeff.

[sweetheart-mine]

What does it mean? Cuz I've been listening to that song for 6 years and it hasn't dawned on me yet.

 

about the line "i assassin down the avenue": there are some interesting discussions/interpretations of this at http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=63363

[Gobias Industries]

Sonic Youth used that line in their song "Washing Machine" a year before Being There came out. I think you should give Kim Gordon (or whoever she stole it from) credit, instead of Jeff.

 

Wow. I was totally kidding.

 

But to disprove your claim, Outtasite (Outta Mind) was first performed in 1994, which would be a year before "Washing Machine," sooooo...

[froggie]

Wow. I was totally kidding.

 

But to disprove your claim, Outtasite (Outta Mind) was first performed in 1994, which would be a year before "Washing Machine," sooooo...

 

it was done at the first show, so it could be an unlce tupelo left-over from way back

[boredintheusa]

They are what they are and they are Amazing.

[loldoctor]

"I am an American Aquarium Drinker" = I am an alcoholic

So

"I assassin down the avenue" = I drink and drive...

 

It seems to me to be pretty solid as an interpretation, although it is of course debatable... But this seems (to me) to be the best explanation.

 

edit - Also, I thought that in I'm The Man Who Loves You the solo is played by Jay Bennett? Isn't AGIB creditted as "Tweedy's first guitar solo album"? This has always confused me actually so it would be nice for clarity.

[wade]

edit - Also, I thought that in I'm The Man Who Loves You the solo is played by Jay Bennett? Isn't AGIB creditted as "Tweedy's first guitar solo album"? This has always confused me actually so it would be nice for clarity.

I'm pretty sure Jeff does the solo. He always solos on it live. It also sounds much more like his guitar style than Jay Bennett's. Also, on "The Jay Bennett track-by-track listing of instruments played on YHF" http://www.gloriousnoise.com/?pg=bennettyhf.php, he doesn't mention electric guitar.

[unposed_question]

about the line "i assassin down the avenue": there are some interesting discussions/interpretations of this at http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=63363

 

 

Thanks for the info there. I think the most intelligent post was something along the lines of "he's doesn't just walk down the avenue, he assassins."

 

I think it is interesting that people generally interpret the first line "I am an american

aquarium drinker" to be about drinking. I read that as more of a metaphor for someone who enjoys watching people

and the world around him. The "assassin" part I always looked at as someone who walks down the street in a menacing way.

[Guest Left Arm Tan]

Thanks for the info there. I think the most intelligent post was something along the lines of "he's doesn't just walk down the avenue, he assassins."

 

I think it is interesting that people generally interpret the first line "I am an american

aquarium drinker" to be about drinking. I read that as more of a metaphor for someone who enjoys watching people

and the world around him. The "assassin" part I always looked at as someone who walks down the street in a menacing way.

 

i think it could sort of be all of the above. i originally took it as a drinking reference, for sure. but i know in the greg kot book, jeff talks about YHF being at times about the concept of a country, specificall america, and the imagined space of it, or something i'm too dumb to fully understand, so your idea of him watching the world around him could very well make sense.

 

probably the song that sealed the deal and made me a wilco fan forever... this and misunderstood.

[loldoctor]

I don't know, the whole song's lyrics sound a little like... drunken to me. Like how he's got problems and he doesnt even know why he does stuff--"what was I thinking when I said hello/goodnight?" A lyric like "I am watching the world" wouldn't really fit in the context, plus it does actually say drinker.... Drinks like a fish. I don't know. I love the song either way--"Take off your bandaid cuz I don't believe in touchdowns" is one of my favorite lyrics too. "You're quite a quiet domino" might be my favorite Tweedy-ism of all time though.

[unposed_question]

I don't know, the whole song's lyrics sound a little like... drunken to me. Like how he's got problems and he doesnt even know why he does stuff--"what was I thinking when I said hello/goodnight?" A lyric like "I am watching the world" wouldn't really fit in the context, plus it does actually say drinker.... Drinks like a fish. I don't know. I love the song either way--"Take off your bandaid cuz I don't believe in touchdowns" is one of my favorite lyrics too. "You're quite a quiet domino" might be my favorite Tweedy-ism of all time though.

 

I still don't see how American aquarium drinker becomes drinking like a fish, but hey that's the fun with abstract lyrics. I guess in my mind I see a guy with a menacing look walking down the street pondering the state of his relationship. If someone wanted to "hide out in the big city" one way to do that would be to immerse onself in the foot traffic of a major street.

 

The bandaid/touchdowns line doesn't work for me - though I did appreciate someone's analysis of the words.

 

"Quite a quiet domino" - man, I love stuff like that. Even though I haven't clue what he means, it sounds awesome.

Similar (to me anyway) like "Impossible Germany, Unlikely Japan".

[sizzle]

After reading through this thread, and having just seen Wilco again last week, I still can't think of just one line or set of lyrics that I can call my favorite. They all just hit me like a ton of bricks every single time I hear them. Old songs, new songs, it doesn't matter. I think the reason why the band has such a huge folowing/ turn out at their live shows is because to see Jeff and the boys' faces, movements, etc sing these lyrics puts even more meaning behind it. I know that I always love to stand up towards the front at concerts just so I can really see Jeff sing those lyrics.

[bobbob1313]

I really do love Jeff's lyrics, and it's hard to pick just a few that I love. But recently, these have been hitting me lately:

 

"Please don

[loldoctor]

I still don't see how American aquarium drinker becomes drinking like a fish, but hey that's the fun with abstract lyrics. I guess in my mind I see a guy with a menacing look walking down the street pondering the state of his relationship. If someone wanted to "hide out in the big city" one way to do that would be to immerse onself in the foot traffic of a major street.

 

The bandaid/touchdowns line doesn't work for me - though I did appreciate someone's analysis of the words.

 

"Quite a quiet domino" - man, I love stuff like that. Even though I haven't clue what he means, it sounds awesome.

Similar (to me anyway) like "Impossible Germany, Unlikely Japan".

I think the 'take off your bandaid 'cause I don't believe in touchdowns' is 'let down your guard, i'm not just trying to score'

 

And 'you're quite a quiet domino' is a clever way of saying 'you're a pushover'.

 

Of course it's all opinion. It's possible Jeff doesn't even know what he meant when he wrote them. Still, it's obvious that ambiguity is the ticket to depth when writing.

[sticky2000]

personally, I think that Tweedy's lyrics are some of the most potent and meaningful you can find.

 

Take the whole lyric set of On and On and On, many would say they are simple and straightforward, yet it is the way in which the lyrics have been written, the performance and transition of the lyrics by Tweedy and with the vast experience he draws on.

 

Misunderstood is also another clasic example:

 

When you're back in your old neighborhood

The cigarettes taste so good

But you're so misunderstood

You're so misunderstood

There's something there that you can't find

Honest when you're tellin' a lie

You hurt her but you don't know why

You love her but you don't know why

Short on long term goals

There's a party there that we oughtta go to

Do you still love rock and roll?

Do you still love rock and roll?

It's only a quarter to three

Reflecting off your C.D.

You're looking at a picture of me

You're staring at a picture of me

Take the guitar player for a ride

He ain't never been satisfied

He thinks he owes some kind of debt

Be years before he gets over it

There's a fortune inside your head

All you touch turns to lead

You think you might just crawl back in bed

The fortune inside your head

You know you're just a mama's boy

Positively unemployed

So misunderstood

So misunderstood

I know you're gotta God shaped hole

Leanin' out your__

So misunderstood [x4]

I'd like to thank you all for nothin'

I'd like to thank you all for nothin' at all

I'd like to thank you all for nothin'

Nothin' [x4]

Nothin' at all

Nothin' [x3]

Nothin' at all

 

His imagery and eaningful description of otherwise simple ideas is brilliant, his awareness of the world in which he lives must be so heightened compared to everyone, we can all relate to those lyrics nd find self meaning in each an every song, and this is what so captivates me about his lyrics.

[loldoctor]

If you read Kot's book, Misunderstood suddenly makes even more sense. Still, one of my favorite songs. Being There is a fantastic album, especially for being Wilco's sophomore attempt.

[Guest Left Arm Tan]

If you read Kot's book, Misunderstood suddenly makes even more sense. Still, one of my favorite songs. Being There is a fantastic album, especially for being Wilco's sophomore attempt.

 

Misunderstood is my favorite Wilco song.

Being There is my favorite Wilco album.