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The Sweet Part of the City Lyrics
Back when we were living up on Hennepin,
she kept threatening to turn us in.
At night she mostly liked us.
We used to pass around the thermos.
Some nights she was gorgeous.
We were living it.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were living in the sweet part of the city.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
We used to meet underneath the marquis.
We used to nod off in the matinees.
She always claimed that she was from Tennessee
and now it seems to me
like distance doesn't equal rate and time no more.
It's like gravity doesn't apply.
No, everything sparkles and appears like we're on wheels.
It was dark, but I guess that's the deal.
St. Theresa showed up wearin' see-through.
It was standard issue.
We went out to get some more wine.
But it's a long haul to the corner store from the center of the universe
when you can't get your car off the curb.
We were livin' it.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were in heaven then.
The sweet part of the city.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
So we shot ourselves out into outer space.
It was tough to place the after taste.
It was stark, but it was spacious.
It's a long way from Cedar-Riverside to Cedar Sinai,
three times St. Paul to Cheyenne.
And it's a long way from Sacramento, too.
We were bored, so we started a band.
We like to play for you.
We like to pray for you.
We like to pray for you.
We like to play for you.
she kept threatening to turn us in.
At night she mostly liked us.
We used to pass around the thermos.
Some nights she was gorgeous.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were living in the sweet part of the city.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
We used to meet underneath the marquis.
We used to nod off in the matinees.
She always claimed that she was from Tennessee
and now it seems to me
like distance doesn't equal rate and time no more.
It's like gravity doesn't apply.
No, everything sparkles and appears like we're on wheels.
It was dark, but I guess that's the deal.
It was standard issue.
We went out to get some more wine.
when you can't get your car off the curb.
We delivered it.
We didn't feel a thing.
We were in heaven then.
The parts with the bars and restaurants.
So we shot ourselves out into outer space.
It was tough to place the after taste.
It was stark, but it was spacious.
three times St. Paul to Cheyenne.
And it's a long way from Sacramento, too.
We were bored, so we started a band.
We like to pray for you.
We like to pray for you.
We like to play for you.
Song Info
Submitted by
goodreverend On Apr 18, 2010
More The Hold Steady
Stuck Between Stations
You Can Make Him Like You
First Night
Citrus
Chillout Tent
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
The first line is: "Back when we were living up on Hennepin."
It's a street in Minneapolis
Thanks!
Thanks!
"like distance doesn't equal (??) no more." is "like distance doesn't equal rate and time no more."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Good team work guys!
This is without a doubt my favorite song on the new record. The guitar in it is some of my favorite The Hold Steady has ever done. This is what Rock and Roll should be.
I think it's "It's a long way from cedar-riverside to cedar sinai, three times St Paul to Cheyenne."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Cedar-Riverside is a hospital in Minneapolis. Cedar Sinai is a renowned hospital in Los Angeles.
cedar riverside isn't a hospital in minneapolis but it is a neighborhood in minneapolis on the westbank near campus (and very close to where i live)
cedar riverside isn't a hospital in minneapolis but it is a neighborhood in minneapolis on the westbank near campus (and very close to where i live)
Ceder-Riverside is a neighborhood in Minneapolis as well (one of the sweet parts of the city), which lends it double meaning. also, the hospital part plays off the first line in "Soft in the Center," which is the next song on the album.
Ceder-Riverside is a neighborhood in Minneapolis as well (one of the sweet parts of the city), which lends it double meaning. also, the hospital part plays off the first line in "Soft in the Center," which is the next song on the album.
i'm finding lots of tracks on Heaven is Whenever have the same kind of nostalgia in the lyrics as in Stay Positive. in Multitude of Casualties it was "we spent a few years nodding off in matinees"; in Same Kooks it became "we slept it off in the matinees"; now it's "we used to nod off in the matinees". used to. it's like how "we had some massive nights" is so much worldwearier in Joke About Jamaica than in Massive Nights, although the words are exactly the same.
elsewise: "some nights she looked gorgeous" reminds me of First Night; i make this the third THS song to mention the no-doubt great state of Tennessee; "St. Theresa showed up wearing see-through" reminds me of the antecedent of Stevie Nix turning up in a long black shawl; i don't know what it is about the St. Paul to Cheyenne journey but it turned in Yeah Sapphire too; and obviously "we were bored so we started a band" refers back to Positive Jam, though this time in the first-person plural rather than the singular.
I think the oohs at "We like to play for you" is highly reminiscent of the opening guitar on Stuck Between Stations. I don't know if it was meant to be this way or not, but I love it.
"Tad: That was one of the first songs, maybe besides “Lord, I’m Discouraged,” that was in an alternative tuning. The idea for it came up as an exercise for me to learn how to play slide guitar. And listening back, it’s obvious that I don’t do it very well. It never really gets super huge. It’s just kind of laid-back and more vibey — if I can use that word, which sounds kind of douchey.
Craig: Yeah, and that’s a great one. I was thinking a lot about this idea of a young person in their twenties, how living in the cool part of town is enough. You know what I mean? Your troubles aren’t that big if you can go out and get a couple of beers, if you live near the cool bars."
http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/hold-steady-craig-finn-tad-kubler-pick-best-songs.html
There's an obvious (and I would venture to guess, intentional) parallel between this song and Van Morrison's "Saint Dominic's Preview."
SPotC: "It's a long way from Cedar-Riverside to Cedar Sinai, three times St. Paul to Cheyenne/ And it's a long way from Sacramento, too." SDP: "And it's a long way to Buffalo/ It's a long way to Belfast city, too."