She's the one I think I love
Rivers burn and then run backwards
For her, that's enough
They all come from New York City
And they woke me up at dawn
She walked with me to the fountain
And she held onto my arm
Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back
There's a man of conviction
And although he's getting old
Mr. Browning has a prediction
And we've all been told
So come on back from New York City
Roll your trucks in at dawn
Walk with me to the fountain
And hold onto my arm
Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back
Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994, after completing a farewell tour. Following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt with Heidorn, while the remaining members continued as Wilco.
Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy's lyrics frequently referred to Middle America and the working class of Belleville.
Yes, there was a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault in 1811, but that's just the first part of the story.
Iben Browing predicted in 1990 that there was a 50-50 chance of another major earthquake on a specific date — I don't remember when.
The news media from all over the country flocked to the area to cover the "event." The lyricist refers to acting as a tour guide for a woman reporter for whom he has affection. Of course when the earthquake did not happen, members of the media—including the attractive reporter—left town.
In the end, the lyricist appeals for a real earthquake in hopes that his woman reporter friend comes back. Sounds reasonable to me.
You say that like it's a bad thing...
c.
Anyone who digs Son Volt and/or Wilco HAS to get Anodyne - like, now. Tupelo's last disc - Tweedy having switched to guitar, and the band being a 5 or 6 piece rather than a trio. Some of it rocks hard, some of it is very subtle. Did I say masterpiece yet? Oh yeah, I did.
That earthquake re-routed the Mississippi River around the town of Kaskaskia, IL and doomed the city. it was the first state capitol and was a French fur trading outpost.
One of the few songs you here both Jeff T and Jeff F. doing harmony.
A bit too much contrived irony for my ears...maybe you reach an age when you can hear a band TRYING...cause you've heard it before...and it just doesn't play anymore...
Well, the song is almost 30 years old, and Uncle Tupelo is rightfully credited with being a cornerstone if not the outright originators of the alt country genre, so I respectfully disagree.
Name songs with cities in the title.
I'll go first:
New Madrid: Uncle Tupelo (that was too easy)
Tupelo Honey: Van Morrison (although the song probably refers to the plant, not the city)
Tokyo: Bruce Cockburn
Philadelphia: Bruce Springsteen
Roads to Moscow: Al Stewart
Barcelona: George Ezra
Budapest: George Ezra
If You're Going to San Francisco: Scott McKenzie
Ukiah: Doobie Brothers
China Grove: Doobie Brothers
By the Time I Get to Phoenix: Glen Campbell (come to think of it there's also Galveston and Witchita Lineman. Embarrassing that I know three Glen Campbell songs!)
City of New Orleans: Arlo Guthrie
Don't Go Back to Rockville: R.E.M.
Woodstock: CSNY
Walking in Memphis: Marc Cohn
London Calling: The Clash
New York Morning: Elbow
New York, New York: Frank Sinatra
(must be a million more NY songs)
Chicago: Frank Sinatra
Free Man in Paris: Joni Mitchell
OK. My brain hurts.
Your turn.
Edit: New York State of Mind: Billy Joel
NOUN:
A collision followed by a rebound.A shot in billiards in which the cue ball successively strikes two other balls. Also called billiard.A similar shot in a related game, such as pool.VERB: car·omed, car·om·ing, car·oms
VERB: intr.
To collide and rebound; glance: The car caromed off the guardrail into the ditch.To make a carom, as in billiards.ETYMOLOGY: Short for carambole, a stroke at billiards, from French, a billiard ball, from Spanish carambola, a stroke at billiards, perhaps from Portuguese, carambola ; see carambola
Makes more sense than "Karen's over the landfill," I suppose...
It's as good background for a song as any I've heard before, and apparently The US Geological Survey will send you 250 pages about the Iben Browning aftermath, for free.
USGS CIRCULAR 1083 — write to USGS Map Distribution, Box 25286, Building 810, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
Ooh! Ooh! It's available as a .pdf download.
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/cir1083
I've got my weekend reading. Thank you!
Yes, there was a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault in 1811, but that's just the first part of the story.
Iben Browning predicted in 1990 that there was a 50-50 chance of another major earthquake on a specific date — I don't remember when.
The news media from all over the country flocked to area to cover the "event." The lyricist refers to acting as a tour guide for a woman reporter for whom he has affection. Of course when the earthquake did not happen, members of the media—including the attractive reporter—left town.
In the end, the lyricist appeals for a real earthquake in hopes that his woman reporter friend comes back. Sounds reasonable to me.
It's as good background for a song as any I've heard before, and apparently The US Geological Survey will send you 250 pages about the Iben Browning aftermath, for free.
USGS CIRCULAR 1083 — write to USGS Map Distribution, Box 25286, Building 810, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
I see what you did there, Bill!