One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)

[ih8music]

What I learned without knowing

How much more (that) I owe, that I can give

I don't hear the first "that" but I think you're correct w/ the 2nd.

[Atticus]

oh, right. I don't have it with me at work. but my point is the "that I can give" rather than "than I can give"

[-seven]

Hmmm. Well that changes the meaning for me. I was thinking of it as an adult child realizing that he owes so much to the father for all that the father has sacrificed and given to the child yet the child feels unable to give back, in this case because of the strained relationship.

[Autumnteeth]

Some people can make an issue out of anything. I was appalled at "Sunloathe." I mean, doesn't Tweedy know that without the sun, there would be no life on this planet. Or that there wouldn't be a planet at all. Geez.

 

I remember a hilarious rant at a show I was at about Jay Farrar and Jeff running into each other in Mexico ending with Jeff saying he found out he was allergic to the sun. I am sure it is not a plot, there is a subset of the population is unhappy with the sun. What a great song.

[Magnetized]

 

I remember a hilarious rant at a show I was at about Jay Farrar and Jeff running into each other in Mexico ending with Jeff saying he found out he was allergic to the sun. I am sure it is not a plot, there is a subset of the population is unhappy with the sun. What a great song.

That is a really funny story! I bet that was a good show, 'cause Jeff was certainly in fine storytelling form.

 

It's probably against the rules to post the video here, but you can easily find it on youtube by putting in the search terms tweedy farrar mexico. As soon as I heard the title Sunloathe I thought about this Tweedy story.

[RainDogToo]

Why Did Wilco Write a Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend?

 

By Jason Boog on September 12, 2011 12:23 AM

 

 

On September 27, the indie rock band Wilco will release their complex and inspiring new album, The Whole Love. The album concludes with a song, “One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend).” We caught up with novelist Jane Smiley, confirming that the haunting song is indeed about her partner.

Smiley (pictured, via Mike Bennington) explained: “Apparently my partner was chatting to Jeff Tweedy about some religious thoughts. I don’t quite understand the song, but those who’ve heard it seem to really like it, especially the music. I do think that it is really funny that someone as square (and old) as myself would end up in the title of a song in an alt-rock group’s album.”

The 12-minute song won’t be available until September 27th, but here’s a sample of lyrics from the song: “One Sunday Morning / Oh, one son is gone. / I can see where it’s dawning / Over the sea / My father said what I had become / No one should be.”

[sonicshoulder]

She doesn't seem to be offended at all that Jeff Tweedy...member of an "alt-rock" group stole her boyfriends soul over brunch. If I was Jane Smiley, and whats to say I'm not, I would be pissed.

[Every Little Thing]

This is what I believe the lyrics are, I'm pretty sure they are like 98% right:

 

One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend):

This is how I tell it

Oh but it's long

One Sunday morning,

Oh one son is gone

 

I can see where it's dawning [This is the only line I'm unsure of]

Over the sea

My father said what I had become,

No one should be

 

Outside I look lived in

Like the bones in a shrine

How am I forgiven?

Oh I'll give it time

 

This I learned without warning

Holding my brow

In time you thought I would kill him

Oh but I didn't know how

 

I said it's your god I don't believe in

No your bible can't be true

knocked down by the long lie

He cried I fear what waits for you

 

I can hear those bells

Spoken and gone

I feel relief, I feel well

Now he knows he was wrong

 

Ring 'em cold for my father

Frozen underground

Jesus I wouldn't bother

He belongs to me now

 

Something sad keeps moving

So I wander around

I fell in love with the burden

Holding me down

 

Bless my mind I miss

Being told how to live

What I've learned without knowing

How much more I owe that I can give

 

This is how I tell it

Oh but it's long

One Sunday morning

One son is gone

[Every Little Thing]

She doesn't seem to be offended at all that Jeff Tweedy...member of an "alt-rock" group stole her boyfriends soul over brunch. If I was Jane Smiley, and whats to say I'm not, I would be pissed.

Hell If I was him I would honored to have Tweedy write such a brilliant song about my life, and if I was her I would be pretty jazzed to talk with Tweedy in person let alone have him write a 12 minute song about my boyfriend.

[Ghost of Electricity]

O.k., does anyone hear an awful squeak at 1:57? It sounds like Nels accidentally hit a string when he wasn't supposed to and they forgot to edit it out. Now, I know that they wouldn't have missed something like this, but I'm still hearing the squeaky squawk. it's just before the "outside i look lived in" verse. what gives?

[Guest Speed Racer]

How can one tell the difference between an intentional squawk from Nels and a mistaken squawk?

[Ghost of Electricity]

the intentional squawk keeps squawking.

[hazel]

O.k., does anyone hear an awful squeak at 1:57? It sounds like Nels accidentally hit a string when he wasn't supposed to and they forgot to edit it out. Now, I know that they wouldn't have missed something like this, but I'm still hearing the squeaky squawk. it's just before the "outside i look lived in" verse. what gives?

 

i love with the squeaky squawk mistake or not. and i love the piano

[ih8music]

O.k., does anyone hear an awful squeak at 1:57? It sounds like Nels accidentally hit a string when he wasn't supposed to and they forgot to edit it out. Now, I know that they wouldn't have missed something like this, but I'm still hearing the squeaky squawk. it's just before the "outside i look lived in" verse. what gives?

I hear plenty of various noises in that section, but nothing I'd consider "awful" or characterize as a "squeaky squawk." I think we can all be reasonably sure that every sound on that track is there on purpose.

[ih8music]

I said it's your god I don't believe in

No your bible can't be true

knocked down by the long lie

He cried I fear what waits for you

Hmm.. could be. But calling religion "the long lie" sounds pretty rough coming from Jeff (I don't think he's an atheist, is he?).

 

And if it's coming from the perspective of the singer (J.S.'s boyfriend, I assume), I don't get it either. If he's an atheist and doesn't believe in an afterlife, then why would he later say "I feel relief, I feel well / Now he knows he was wrong" -- wouldn't he simply think that his father is worm food?

 

I guess "the long lie" could just be in reference to the version of Christianity that his father worshiped -- but again it seems like an awfully damning dismissal of all religion in general when put that way.

[Ghost of Electricity]

I think we can all be reasonably sure that every sound on that track is there on purpose.

exactly why it confounds me.

[-seven]

"Knocked down by the long lie" is how I heard it too.

I think it's possible to make that statement about religion and not necessarily be an atheist. It could be a statement about certain kinds of organized religion being a lie. People can believe in a God but not in religion. So the "now he knows he was wrong" line would still make sense.

[Magnetized]

Except actually, he doesn't know anything anymore. He's dead.

[ih8music]

"Knocked down by the long lie" is how I heard it too.

I think it's possible to make that statement about religion and not be an atheist. It could be a statement about certain kinds of organized religion being a lie. Not about God. So the "now he knows he was wrong" line would still make sense.

Yeah, you guys may very well be correct. Looking forward to the 'official' lyrics either way.

[Ghost of Electricity]

yeah but if he were after-alive, he woulda been right. But he's not, so he was wrong. "knowing" is just wordplay.

[Beltmann]

O.k., does anyone hear an awful squeak at 1:57? It sounds like Nels accidentally hit a string when he wasn't supposed to and they forgot to edit it out. Now, I know that they wouldn't have missed something like this, but I'm still hearing the squeaky squawk. it's just before the "outside i look lived in" verse. what gives?

I don't hear it. Perhaps that awesome squeak at 1:57 drowns it out?

 

(Seriously, I've loved that sonic burp since the first time I heard the song.)

[Beltmann]

This discussion about the squeak reminds me of a discussion we had on here years ago about the little boing sound in "Far, Far Away" at the 2:39 mark. Ever since, I've never been able to hear that song without listening for it.

[Albert Tatlock]

This discussion about the squeak reminds me of a discussion we had on here years ago about the little boing sound in "Far, Far Away" at the 2:39 mark. Ever since, I've never been able to hear that song without listening for it.

Ha - my work is done!

[Ghost of Electricity]

I'll have to go listen for that.

[chriscolbert]

I'm sure I will be crucified for this, but after reading this thread I finally broke down and listened to the song. I listened to it pretty much on repeat for a day or so on the way to work and back before trying to form a conclusion. In short, I'm not sure why this is getting quite as much praise as it is. I mean I think it's a "good" song overall, but the way some of you were talking I guess I set my expectations way too high.

 

Two of my favorite Wilco songs are Misunderstood and IATTBYH, so I totally dig the long, repetitive type. I don't know if it's because of the way Jeff is singing (which has obviously caused confusion as to what he's even saying), that the music doesn't lend itself well to go on for as long as it does, or most likely a combination of both that hold it back for me.

 

I know it doesn't make sense that I love Misunderstood as much as I do (which is nothing but alternating D and G chords for the entire song) yet think the repetition doesn't work well for this. I mean it's a catchy little turnaround that I dig the first few times and I love the piano, so maybe after I hear the vinyl it'll go from "good" to "great".