The greatest lost track of all time
The Late Greats' Turpentine
You can't hear it on the radio
Can't hear it anywhere you go
The best band will never get signed
The Kay-Settes starring Butchers Blind
So good you won't ever know
They never even played a show
Can't hear them on the radio
The greatest singer in rock 'n' roll
Would have to be Romeo
His vocal cords are made of gold
He just looks a little too old
The best songs will never get sung
The best life never leaves your lungs
So good you won't ever know
You'll never hear it on the radio
Can't hear it on the radio
The Late Greats' Turpentine
You can't hear it on the radio
Can't hear it anywhere you go
The best band will never get signed
The Kay-Settes starring Butchers Blind
So good you won't ever know
They never even played a show
Can't hear them on the radio
The greatest singer in rock 'n' roll
Would have to be Romeo
His vocal cords are made of gold
He just looks a little too old
The best songs will never get sung
The best life never leaves your lungs
So good you won't ever know
You'll never hear it on the radio
Can't hear it on the radio
Lyrics submitted by eastcidskl, edited by kevgarf
The Late Greats Lyrics as written by Jeff Tweedy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
I might have agreed with you on the indie culture mockery even if I hadn't read so often about Jeff's love for obscure greats, but I mean, listen to the song: the music is completely unpretentious, unironic, and assured - it's just good ol' rock and roll with that Americana twang Wilco does so well.
If you want to hear a great song that REALLY reflects this "indie scene" while simultaneously embracing it playfully , check out LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge" from their self-titled album. Talk about irony. James Murphy is another songwriting genius like Jeff Tweedy even if their music is completely different.
Oh, and the indie scene didn't pop up in the past few years, man. There were weirdos that lived next door to your mom and dad in the 70's who wouldn't be caught dead listening to the Carpenters or Simon and Garfunkel.
It's funny, because I always made a point to play this song on my college radio show last year, and the programming director (an "indie kid" himself) tried to tell me that I couldn't play Wilco because they were "too commercial".
I told him to shove it up his ass.
This song was actually written during the YFH CD era, but released here after alterations that were made when Jay Bennett left. The song is a shot at the corporate music industry, how all they produce is shit and the real good bands never make it big. Whether you consider Wilco to be in that category, well thats up to you. Tweedy was definitely making a statement here though.
Essentially, I think they are making the point that you can't go through life worrying about these imaginary "bests". I wish I could say I was at this point, but I doubt I was the only person to go online and google the names he mentions in this song.
From what I gathered, Tweedy is not a Dylan type lyricist. Unlike Dylan, he isn't trying to loose you in the words, he wants you along for the ride. So, his lyrics are predominately transparent. The deduction of my constant pontificating is, that Tweedy was saying that there are some great bands that will never be signed. He isn't trying to make a blanket statement about the record industry. He's saying there are some bands that will be great and never signed (The late Captain Nowhere for example).
Best of all this is another timeless, catchy song, by a band that seems to be good for at least three of these a record. I think this song was added on the end of the album as a release from the depression and somber melodies of the rest of the album.
However, it is a double edge sword, as we all know great bands that never made a dent in "the industry." I think it is this double edge that makes it such a fun song, and fine songwriting.