Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

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mark, I think these are his worst lyrics yet. if that helps any.

I love the song with the violin, I wish more of the record sounded that vital.

Josh, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mark, the lyrics on YHF are truly awful. The snotty Wire kiss-off has a bit of relevancy in light of that, it's easy to imagine Tweedy having no greater lyrical ambition than setting weird phrases against each other (and no doubt trying to seem willfully obscurantist about Great Ideas). On the other hand, the Wire's overly effortful Coil concert review in the same issue is pretty laughable.

Dare, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

ha the random phrases thing might come off better but it doesn't sound like that most of the time, it sounds like he wants to be MEANINGFUL and articulate DEEP AND REAL FEELINGS

Josh, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm liking this record more and more, but my original opinion of it not being overwhelming still stands

Sean, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I can't say anything about the lyrics, they seem to be deep, but I don't get them. A couple of days ago I bought "Summerteeth" which is at least as impressive as YHF, which I still love. Tweedy's voice sounds like Lennon's there in several songs. Wilco truly seem to be the American Beatles for me. Like the Beatles would have sounded after they broke up and if they would have been American. Amazing pop music. The tunes are very subtle and it always takes several listens to grasp them. And they seem so light. I guess Tweedy must have real problems to perform those intricate harmonies live.

alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

''I can't say anything about the lyrics, they seem to be deep, but I don't get them.''

HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! I am very 'deep' too. With my feelings of hetred towards Wico. What do you think is deep, then?

''Tweedy's voice sounds like Lennon's there in several songs. Wilco truly seem to be the American Beatles for me. Like the Beatles would have sounded after they broke up and if they would have been American. Amazing pop music. The tunes are very subtle and it always takes several listens to grasp them. And they seem so light.''

this is not good is it? They will beremembered by you as the 'American Beatles' but not as 'Wilco'. Nice!

Julio Dsouza, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Take this:

I would like to salute
The ashes of American flags
And all the fallen leaves
Filling up shopping bags

I like it. But I don't understand what it means. Is it anti-American? Is it just trying to be clever? Or is it ironic, or a joke? Or is it pro-American in a subtle different way?

alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

'The ashes of american flags.' well, that is anti-american. 'Shooping bags' reference= commercialism.

It's anti-american but that's so easy really to attack america. What's the big deal?

JUlio Desouza, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

the american beatles? hahaha. cf. simon reynolds on the giant corpse of rock n roll. rather than just fucking that corpse, wilco are trying to look tough and real and pretty and cool and meaningful all at once so that the corpse will come over and fuck THEM

only the corpse isn't going for it

Josh, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Josh, when did you join my cult?

Melissa W, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

What are you on about, Josh? Compared to your last post Tweedy's lyrics are lucid as the light of the morning sun. If Wilco were not the Beatles reborn on American ground who would be the American Beatles then, according to you? Don't say Big Star. Their music has aged so badly. The quality of the tunes of Wilco makes the Beatles comparison inevitable. Especially on Summerteeth.

alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

it's quite lucid, you just didn't get it.

'if they aren't the american beatles, then who would be?' is a v. v. poor reason to think that there is an american beatles anyway. if you think about it you'll see that my comment had something to do with wilco's relationship with tradition, a tortured and overly self-conscious one that I just don't hear in the beatles (until the white album ha but it's a different matter there). this relationship comes through in the way tweedy's songs are written, too - I don't think I would think he had such a troubled relationship with tradition if he was a better songwriter, but he's not. (which sort of blows a lennon/mccartney - tweedy songwriting comparison, so, like, american beatles, what the fuck?)

Josh, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

mel, I just got sick of wincing at every lyric I heard.

also if he keeps kicking out people who can write better melodies than him...

Josh, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

so, like, american beatles, what the fuck?

Quite. The question as a larger one is a bit strange anyway. Who the hell cares if there is an American Beatles or not? Why bother? Leave that for the fetishists.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

''Leave that for the fetishists.''

Or music journalists.

Julio Desouza, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Woohoo!

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

wilco's relationship with tradition, a tortured and overly self- conscious one that I just don't hear in the beatles
The early Beatles were just quite an average rock n roll band rooted deeply in tradition with some nice tunes. If you look at the early Wilco which was very country there is another parallel actually. Both the Beatles and Wilco then developed their own style. The Beatles style was probably more original but the "corpse of rock" was much smaller at their time so they had more freedom and could shape the things to come. The main difference between the two I can see is that the Wilco tunes are more difficult to remember, they are not as universal, but I wouldn't hold that against them. Almost on the contrary as their music takes more time to sink into the ear of the listener which I find a good thing. And you are absolutely right that they are eclectic but in their eclecticism they create something refreshingly new. Like Ryan Adams and probably even more so. Tell me one band of today with a similarly strong songwriting (I mean the musical part here). Of course there doesn't need to be an American Beatles but I'd guess the question which band would come closest is legitimate.

alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

'similarly strong songwriting': most of the bands I like much that write 'songs' are better songwriters than jeff tweedy haha

Josh, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

most of the bands I like much that write 'songs' are better songwriters than jeff tweedy
who are those bands then, josh? you don't like tweedy, big deal, but why are you so bloody destructive here? and please don't ha-ha again, as that does not help in this discussion. arguments please!

alex in mainhattan, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Josh is saying tweedy isn't a good songwriter. I mean, he isn't (to me) but then that's just my opinion. You can't prove it and i can't analyse his songwriting and then after that come up with a reason of why he's shit (it's a pity).

Julio Desouza, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

you read my weblog, alex, I'm sure you're familiar with my likes. notably one of them is a band you despised when you sampled their last album, the dismemberment plan.

I don't think I'm being 'destructive', but you're probably a little sensitive about people hating on your music, which is understandable. I've been thinking about the lame lyrics on YHF for a while, so I'll try to write something about them soon. just for you.

Josh, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I realize reading this that it's very difficult to say why one set of pseudo-random strung-together phrases works while another doesn't. YHF seems so boring lyrically, but my favorite lyricist is probably David Berman and I could see him getting similar complaints.

Mark, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

People!

Michael Daddino, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yikes!

Michael Daddino, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've been thinking about the lame lyrics on YHF for a while, so I'll try to write something about them soon. just for you.
Thank you Josh. But you know Wilco is not only about the lyrics. When I like music I usually like it for the music and not for the lyrics in the beginning. I only start listening to the lyrics when I really dig the music. With Wilco I have started trying to understand what Tweedy sings about but I didn't go very far yet. My feeling is that his lyrics are rather vague and allow many different interpretations. But even if the lyrics were utter shite I would still love Wilco.

alex in mainhattan, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Just a note, Julio:

I'm not sure that that is an anti-American lyric. He's paying homage to all the felled patriots, those who have burned up for the Flag; supposedly its a tetchy subject with Patriot Americans (the Burning of the Flag). He's taking this tetchyness, and saying Fuck You! to the burners. I'll salute the flag anyway. Even more so than that, I'm gonna come out an explicitly say it here, right now - not just think it.

It's also a kinda Wonder Years Nostalgia lyric, you can just imagine a bag full of leaves, ashed flag, jolly ranchers wrapper, lying at the bottom of Kevin's drive, Super 8 all over you *boink*.

The shopping bags ref. could also be a passing hint at American Beauty shopping bag/American Dream, dissolution of theme. Just a nod.

But I don't think it is Anti-American. It doesn't fit with what the Josh is saying, with whom I agree to an extent (though I like the album).

david h(owie), Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thank you David, that makes a lot of sense to me. When reading your post I immediately thought that saluting the fallen leaves in shopping bags could also mean saluting the American soldiers who died in a war (no specific one) whose corpses are then flown back to the States in these huge plastic bags. How are they called again?

alex in mainhattan, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Alex- body bags.
Having seen American Beauty, the shopping bag lyrics just remind me of the boy's video in the movie. Regardless of whether Jeff Tweedy was just tossing together words (which personally I suspect he was), this lyric from I Am Trying to Break Your Heart makes so little sense that I love it: You're quite a quiet domino bury me now Take off your band-aid cuz I don't believe in touchdowns.

lyra in seattle, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

My favourite line from Ashes of American Flags definitely is:

I shake like a toothache
When i hear myself sing


Tweedy can laugh about himself!

I know this is far-fetched craziness but continuing my "fallen leaves filling shopping bags" interpretation, the tree would be the United States and Tweedy sings of shopping bags as going to a war is like shopping for death. Though the American Beauty parallel is striking as well.

I think somewhere Bob Dylan said that he does not think a lot about the meaning of his lyrics when writing them. He lets the others interpret them. And there are usually millions of interpretations. That is the art of writing good lyrics or poems I guess.

alex in mainhattan, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

david- fair enough.

But this just shows that speculation on lyrics is useless at the end of the day. I'm english and I took that from an anti-american perspective (since sept 11th, also american foreig policy and so on).

That's why i restrict myself to sound itself (and the ound of the voice and how it interacts w/sound that the group makes) and from that perspective Wilco don't do enough for me.

julio Desouza, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ha, Julio see my blog for my Dark Night of the Lyric/Soul.

david h(0wie), Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

(Curious, why restrict yrself?)

david h(0wie), Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

because first of all i can't register lyrics when i am listening to a record, more the sound of the voice. So a correction, i don't restrict myself, it's just that i find it hard to listen to lyrics.

but then you're trying to interpret lyrics and most reviewers do that to interpret what the 'artist' is thinking and that can lead to all sorts of shit that i read in record reviews.

I mean: Dylan is a poet you know? and that horse shit.

Julio Desouza, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

sorry no ? but an ! mark on the post above.

Julio Desouza, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I like YHF pretty well, but Tweedy's lyrics sometimes make me wince. I like him best when he doesn't try so hard: "War on War" works for me because it's simple and perversely inane, "Heavy Metal Drummer" because it's not afraid to be emotionally direct. For the most part, the strained metaphors and evasive symbolism don't do much for me.

o. nate, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

that's funny, 'heavy metal drummer' is one of the ones I want to pick on

Josh, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

There's no such thing as "sound itself".

Clarke B., Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

that's funny, 'heavy metal drummer' is one of the ones I want to pick on

I dunno - it makes me feel warm fuzzy feelings.

It's hard for me to explain why I like abstract metaphor and symbolism when Bob Dylan or Stephen Malkmus does it, but why I don't like it when Jeff Tweedy does it. I think it's partly in the delivery, and partly in the sense of humor - or rather Tweedy's apparent lack of same.

o. nate, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Heavy metal drummer comes across as fake, like he never actually liked heavy metal music at all. I think he has a slight Mark Kozelek complex. And on the second(?) song he tries really hard to be Ryan Adams. The one that goes "honey, cheer up".

The "experimental" noise on this record is totally pointless, it's not integrated with the songs - just pasted at the end. I don't like the vague lyrics either, especially since I heard that they don't actually mean much. For me that is the worst type of lyrics.

Marc, Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

doomie is dead right. "I am trying to break your heart" sounds like an under (over?) produced "Downs".

Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

right about the sister lovers comparison I mean.

Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

You 'heard the lyrics don't mean much,' Marc? Do you ever decide the meaning for yourself?

Dare, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Q:

How come Tweedy is getting shit for his supposedly oblique lyrics when mister Convolution Disquised As Depth Bob Dylan has uttraly, at certain points, been propelled by it? Nuggets of strained words free passed as "oracular wisdom"?

david h(0wie), Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Decide my own meaning from random words? No.

Marc, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

It was actually Jeff Tweedy himself that said the lyrics didn't mean much.

Marc, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

And if Bob said that?

david h(0wie), Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Decide my own meaning from random words? No.

I interpret this statement as Anti-Art.

I saw Wilco live last week. I enjoyed the record before, but more so now. It didn't feel "experimental" before, but when I saw them perform "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" I saw Wilco experimenting. There are no genuinely radical ideas, but there are no inhibitions either. It is experimental pop, exactly.

Keiko, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I was replying to "Dare".

Marc, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

IF the author didn't mean anything with it then it doesn't have a meaning.

Marc, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

i agree with sean. the album really grew on me aswell. but i wouldn't say album of the year at all either. "i am trying to break your heart" is an amazing tune, and i like "heavy metal drummer" because it reminds me of pavemant.

dyson, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link


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