submissions

Arlo Guthrie – This Land Is Your Land Lyrics	3 months ago
I love the verse that Woody showed Arlo when Arlo was in second grade and didn't know the words when the kids at school sang it during assembly. Goes like this: "As I was walkin'/ I saw a sign there/ And on the sign it said 'no trespassin'/ But on the other side/it didn't say nothin'/ That side was made for you and me."

submissions

Arlo Guthrie – Highway in the Wind Lyrics	3 months ago
Written in 1965/1966 for his future wife, Jackie. Arlo saw her leading a rodeo parade in California, and was instantly drawn to her. A couple years later they met, fell in love and got married. How's that for a fairytale ending? Lovely song.

submissions

Arlo Guthrie – Darkest Hour Lyrics

3 months ago

I think it's safe to say that this song was inspired by Bob Dylan's style of writing. On one particular Arlo show I have, he plays this right after he covers "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" and mentions having written some songs influenced by other people's style before playing this song. It is indeed true that Arlo Guthrie said he heard someone playing this song in a dream he had. And true to his humorous nature, he said that made him unsure that he actually wrote the song! He said he got up quickly and wrote parts of it down before he could forget. I love the imagery here. This woman is stylish, with her white silk scarves and her black Spanish hat. It brings to mind another woman who happens to be near and dear to me.

submissions

The Carter Family – Engine 143 Lyrics	2 years ago
The absolute best, most haunting version of this song is done by The Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling on the 1956 album, "Bowling Green." The entire record is great, but this may be my favorite track from it.

submissions

Grateful Dead – Box Of Rain Lyrics	2 years ago
@[de:48291] de dementia Correct, it was originally "Ball of Rain", but Hunter correctly thought that sounded wrong. He wrote down "box" instead, and when asked where "box" came from, he said he didn't know. Hence the line "and it's just a box of rain/I don't know who put it there." I always thought that was so brilliant!

submissions

Grateful Dead – Box Of Rain Lyrics

2 years ago

One thing of note: Hunter said when he wrote these lyrics, he saw it in his mind's eye as "Ball of Rain" (meaning Earth), but "Ball" didn't sound quite right. He wrote "box" instead, out of the blue. When asked where "box" came from, he said he didn't know, hence the line, "And it's just a box of rain/I don't know who put it there." Hunter was so clever. And I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet: the line "such a long, long time to be gone/and a short time to be there" is a direct reference to an old traditional folk song called "Little Birdie." The lines in that are, "I've a short time for to be here/and a long time to be gone."

submissions

The Black Crowes – Whoa Mule Lyrics	2 years ago
The lyrics should read, "I take her by her lily white hand, and into the woods we wander", not "hair" and "wonder." He's going for a leisurely walk in the woods with his love, not physically assaulting her.

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