This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I am the small town linesman
And you'll find me out here on the line.
Searching ceaselessly to simply
Find a place I can call mine.
Every corner of this country
Criss-crossed out with coloured lines.
The city lies before me,
Another city sprawling out behind.
Since the Scramble ended,
Since the West was won with wagon trails,
It seems the Mazzini's paradisical
Panopticon prevailed.
My walkabouts no longet take me
Beyond a choice of different gaols.
Why should I have to choose a state
When every one of them has failed?
I am a frontiersman,
Trapped in suburban England.
And I promise not to overthrow the state
If allowed to redraw the atlas before
I emigrate.
So I have sailed the seven seas alone,
Trying to find a shore I can call home.
But all I found are different flags,
Double-speaking diplomats, and
I do not have time for that.
So I'll declare my own sovereign state,
The borders based on the
Bbottoms of my boots,
And I will open embassies
Wherever the hell I please,
And at assemblies
You will see me sat
But never on my knees.
And I'd glagly leave your
Metternich's alone as long as where
I lay my head I can be my very own.
I am the Winchester lineman.
I am a frontiersman,
Trapped in suburban England,
But here I will not remain-
I'll ride into the sunset,
My horse waits on the plain,
And I keep walking the line.
And you'll find me out here on the line.
Searching ceaselessly to simply
Find a place I can call mine.
Every corner of this country
Criss-crossed out with coloured lines.
The city lies before me,
Another city sprawling out behind.
Since the Scramble ended,
Since the West was won with wagon trails,
It seems the Mazzini's paradisical
Panopticon prevailed.
My walkabouts no longet take me
Beyond a choice of different gaols.
Why should I have to choose a state
When every one of them has failed?
I am a frontiersman,
Trapped in suburban England.
And I promise not to overthrow the state
If allowed to redraw the atlas before
I emigrate.
So I have sailed the seven seas alone,
Trying to find a shore I can call home.
But all I found are different flags,
Double-speaking diplomats, and
I do not have time for that.
So I'll declare my own sovereign state,
The borders based on the
Bbottoms of my boots,
And I will open embassies
Wherever the hell I please,
And at assemblies
You will see me sat
But never on my knees.
And I'd glagly leave your
Metternich's alone as long as where
I lay my head I can be my very own.
I am the Winchester lineman.
I am a frontiersman,
Trapped in suburban England,
But here I will not remain-
I'll ride into the sunset,
My horse waits on the plain,
And I keep walking the line.
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I love this song. Firstly it's about feeling dissatisfied with the country you're living in and the way it's run. I'm not so sure about this but it also seems to be about the whole of the country becoming one big mass of cities, suburbs and nothing much else "The city lies before me, Another city sprawling out behind." and the coloured lines would be the motorways connecting them all. The Winchester lineman must be referring to the Wichita lineman
Yeah it must be play on words 'cause I think Frank is originally from Winchester.
"And since the scramble ended" refers to the "Scramble For Africa".
The reference to Mazzini is a reference to the idea of nation-states, a project/idea that Frank personally believes has failed (apparent in interviews, but also "why should I have to choose a state when every one of them has failed?")
Frank compares them to the Panopticon in the next line, which was a prison designed by the philosopher Bentham. - Wikipedia
"I promise not to overthrow the state if allowed to redraw the atlas before I emigrate" - another reference to Mazzini, who wanted to redraw the borders of Europe to be in line with God's intentions (borders delineated by great rivers, mountain ranges, etc)
"I'll declare my own sovereign state, with borders based on the bottoms of my boots" is reclaiming autonomy and authority over himself, saying that he won't accept other people or states coercing him, and this is backed up by "but never on my knees".
The Metternich line comes back to the lines about diplomacy, etc, and reflects his views that great revolutionary movements have failed, but that individuals can still attempt to reclaim autonomy for themselves.