Screen Door Analysis

[zkits]

So my prof. wants this essay to analyze a text and tie it to small town country life. It's for a very interesting class called Rurality in the American Imagination. Anyways, I thought Screen Door by Uncle Tupelo would be a great text to work with. So to get supplement my analysis, I wanted to hear some of your ideas and how you interpret specific parts of the song.

 

Thanks!

[euthe]

So my prof. wants this essay to analyze a text and tie it to small town country life. It's for a very interesting class called Rurality in the American Imagination. Anyways, I thought Screen Door by Uncle Tupelo would be a great text to work with. So to get supplement my analysis, I wanted to hear some of your ideas and how you interpret specific parts of the song.

 

Thanks!

 

I will sell ideas of this nature for 500$

[pmancini100]

you can comment about how its very plainspoken. the singer and narrator are one in the same.

 

oooooh shit. symbolism.

[Sir Stewart]

You could address whether the song is a tribute to or a parody of hick life.

[dondoboy]

Isn't there some analysis in the Kot book about Jeff writing from one side of the door and Jay writing from the other side? Not specifically this song, but in regards to, for lack of a better word, Americana.

[Doug C]

This has nothing really to do with what you want but hearing a local musician cover 'Screen Door' after 'No Depression' came out is what started me on my Tweedy/Farrar jones. I assumed that it was Will Quinlan's - the guy that covered it - song (By the way, Will is talented enough to have done so. Check him out). My buddy told me that it was an Uncle Tupelo song. I borrowed 'No Depression' from him and the rest is history.

[Sir Stewart]

Screen Door started me on Tweedy, too - my friend had it on a mixtape and it stuck out.

[MattZ]

My buddy told me

 

 

my friend had it on a mixtape

 

Friends rule.

[nodep5]

If you didn't go out and buy a shaker after hearing Screen Door then you are lying.

[Moss]

You could address whether the song is a tribute to or a parody of hick life.

 

Good question! Which is it?

[letsgodowntogether]

A little off topic but I am also writing an essay but mine is on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It can be about anything so I'm basically just doing an analysis of the album. Does anyone know of any good readings or articles that deal with YHF?

[mfwahl]

A little off topic but I am also writing an essay but mine is on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It can be about anything so I'm basically just doing an analysis of the album. Does anyone know of any good readings or articles that deal with YHF?

For what it's worth:

http://www.gloriousnoise.com/?pg=bennettyhf.php

 

The Kot book has some good stuff, also.

[creativetype]

Screen Door: Metaphors or Meteorology?

[zkits]

Screen Door: Metaphors or Meteorology?

 

 

HAHA Indeed weather is a very prominent theme. Though, I just realized, screen doors are often refered to as weather doors... Hmmm I wonder if there is something more to that.

[calvino]

(One of) Your primary source(s):

 

Down here, where's we're at

The weather changes, that's the way it goes

Sometimes it snows, when everything's wrong

Sometimes it snows, but when it does, it doesn't last long

 

Down here, where we're at

All we do is sit out on the porch

And play our songs, and nothing's wrong

Sometime friends come around, they all sing along

 

Down here, where we're at

Everyone is equally poor

Down here, we don't care

We don't care what happens outside the screen door

 

Down here, where we're at

Sweat drips from the tip of your nose

You wear loose clothes, and you try to stay cool

We all still have a lot of fun, never saw much school

 

Down here, where we're at

Everyone is equally poor

Down here, we don't care

We don't care what happens outside the screen door

[gueringray]

Can't think of when off the top of my head - but there is a solo show sometime when Jeff plays Screen Door, and he says he never cared much for the line "never saw much school" and he changes it to something else that I can't recall right now either. Man, I am a font of non-knowledge, eh? But - he may talk more about the song in that appearance...I will keep thinking/looking for it. (a 2003 show?)

[Moss]

Can't think of when off the top of my head - but there is a solo show sometime when Jeff plays Screen Door, and he says he never cared much for the line "never saw much school" and he changes it to something else that I can't recall right now either. Man, I am a font of non-knowledge, eh? But - he may talk more about the song in that appearance...I will keep thinking/looking for it. (a 2003 show?)

 

That would imply he meant the song more as tribute than parody.

[creativetype]

Can't think of when off the top of my head - but there is a solo show sometime when Jeff plays Screen Door, and he says he never cared much for the line "never saw much school" and he changes it to something else that I can't recall right now either. Man, I am a font of non-knowledge, eh? But - he may talk more about the song in that appearance...I will keep thinking/looking for it. (a 2003 show?)

 

I think he says "we're all fools" or something cheesy like that.

 

Where's Froggy when you need him. Bet he's got that version somewhere handy ...

[froggie]

i'm here. if you know the exact date of the show, i probably have it. cant remember that line

[Guest Gym Teacher Man]

Can't think of when off the top of my head - but there is a solo show sometime when Jeff plays Screen Door, and he says he never cared much for the line "never saw much school" and he changes it to something else that I can't recall right now either. Man, I am a font of non-knowledge, eh? But - he may talk more about the song in that appearance...I will keep thinking/looking for it. (a 2003 show?)

 

i have a collection that i found years ago called "jeff tweedy. outta print. outta site" the version of screen door on there is the version in which he states that he never cared for that line. i will look when over the weekend for the date or that show, if it helps.