Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams & Country Dreams

[sus]

One of the beautiful things about the American country tradition is its obsession with dreams—lost, thwarted, abandoned, foreclosed. You get this a bit in American singer-songwriters—Harry Chapin's the quintessential example—but it comes from country. Relatives, friends, town recluses who tried for the big stage and failed.

 

[sus]

Sylvia was workin' as a waitress in Beaumont
She said, "I'm movin' away, I'm gonna get what I want
I'm tired of these small town boys that don't move fast enough
I'm gonna find me one who wears a leather jacket
And likes his livin' rough"
So she saved her tips and overtime and bought an old rusty car
She sold most everything she had to make a brand new start
She said, "I won't be needing these silly dresses and nylon hose
'Cause when I get to where I'm goin'
I'm gonna buy me all new clothes"

 

[luka]

im assuming that second example is a modern pastiche. cutely done though isnt it.

 

[sus]

It's from 1988

 

[luka]

id call it pastiche.

 

[sus]

Anyone seen Nashville? Alongside Short Cuts, Altman's masterpiece.

 

[sus]

I think part of country'n'western music works by a sacredness circle. That circle says, The world is inherently tragic, but that tragedy is beautiful and meaningful.

 

[forclosure]

i like Nashville and Lucinda Williams, Iris Dement is somebody who i've recently come across and what i've heard i like

 

[sus]

Other people see tragedy as pure farce, meaninglessness, ironic. Oedipus as idiot; his fate is funny. This is the line Romeo & Juliet plays—Shakespeare saying "these two teenage idiots."

 

[forclosure]

its interesting you pick that song and not the two songs about suicide off Sweet old world

i returned to Williams recently cause my only exposure to her music was that Gravel Road album, i know its good but i can't remember anything from it

 

[forclosure]

here's a good one about tragedy and dreams

 

[sus]

The recipe for one of these tragedies: Plain, modest, small-town upbringing. Private about their aspirations, not bragging, it's something they keep close to them, it's too important and too impossible to speak aloud. Loving music in this pure way, too pure for the world. Maybe they finally are rallied, by their community, to believe in themselves—only to be meeted by critical disregard, heckling, self-doubt—and resign themselves to a small life. Others never muster up that courage in the first place.

 

[sus]

its interesting you pick that song and not the two songs about suicide off Sweet old world

i returned to Williams recently cause my only exposure to her music was that Gravel Road album, i know its good but i can't remember anything from it

I know Sweet Old Well decently, but not well enough to track the stories yet! Her s/t is my main kick, just jammed with great cuts. Which two songs?

 

[WashYourHands]

that Grateful Dead album, i know its good but i can't remember anything from it

 

[sus]

Daniel Johnston's lo-fi Americana brushes up on these themes:
Listen up and I'll tell a story
About an artist growing old
Some would try for fame and glory
Others aren't so bold

In his case, the nostalgic piano's already kicked in

 

[forclosure]

where did that comment come from?

I've never liked the dead

 

[forclosure]

@suspended these are the songs

 

[IdleRich]

im assuming that second example is a modern pastiche. cutely done though isnt it.

There's an argument that country doesn't really change that much so it's not really pastiche, just more of the same.

 

[IdleRich]

Other people see tragedy as pure farce, meaninglessness, ironic. Oedipus as idiot; his fate is funny. This is the line Romeo & Juliet plays—Shakespeare saying "these two teenage idiots."

He did do a couple of other tragedies though.

 

[luka]

There's an argument that country doesn't really change that much so it's not really pastiche, just more of the same.

yeah i know but i dont buy it cos everything else changes around it