| Son Volt – Tear Stained Eye Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I don't think this is a song about the Missouri floods at all as other commenters have mentioned, I believe that's just a reference which I will explain shortly. I think this is a song about Jay Farrar, by now a seasoned touring musician, reflecting on his time with his previous band and specifically his writing partner- Jeff Tweedy. Jay left the band, they were younger then, maybe now he's reflecting on the good times they had ( 7 years/ 3 Albums ) and how they couldn't work out their differences. He's "walkin' down main st. Lookin for a purpose from a neon sign" wondering what does all this touring from city to city really mean if two friends couldn't just get along doing what they loved. They forged a path together once " Seeing traces of stars that came before/hitting the pavement still asking for more". Now it's kinda wearing on him, he's older and thus, wiser, more reflective, more emotionally mature "Worn out wood and familiar songs" He thinks about Jeff a lot now probably when he hears Wilco on the radio and just wonders what might have been - "To hear your voice is not enough/it's more than a shame" We grow a few years older and some of us, if we do it right , we admit that maybe we were wrong and we were the ones who could have made some better decisions "Throw away the bad news/put it to rest" i.e. End the feuding/bitterness. "If learning is living and the truth is a state of mind...ther's something better..." I really think this is a song about a guy who's a little older now and kind of regrets things playing out the way they did and at the same time owning up to his part of how things transpired. It's a deeply sad and melancholic tune and hence St. Genevieve can hold back flood waters but Saints 'don't bother with tear-stained eyes . Irony ; Flood ( HUGE pool of water) and then the Tears of regret. ......Genius song writing |
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