All this heated debate... But who cares? If you like it - you like it. If you don't - you don't. Since when has music been any different? Listen to it, find whatever meaning rings true to you - if you don't find one, fine. Move on.
Anybody know the alcoholic who destroys his relationships with the people who matter most to him. A moment of self recognition: "I am trying to break your heart"
As much as we could argue about the meaning for years and years, the only truly obvious thing about the song is how much of it is a stream of consciousness, a narrative that wouldn't even make sense to the narrator if he sobered up and saw it a week later. He's drunk ,and that is clear, but beyond that, who's to say anything about the song's intention? As many times as I thought I've hit the meaning of the song, It usually just means I drunk dialed the wrong girl again.
aquarium drinker - drink like a fish. assassin down the avenue - drinking swagger on. with the swagger on he kills his relationship with the person he loves. "what was I thinking when I let go of you." SAD. he remembers: tongue tied lightning- that great feeling when you are first falling in love and can hardly talk. loves this woman but his out of control drinking leads him to kill what means most to him. it's even easy when drunk to just let it all go. alcohol controlling life. crying out.
@xcvishnu I'm pretty sure most people who comment on youtube videos are self-absorbed pricks. I've never seen a respectful exchange of ideas on here. NEVER. It just doesn't happen. People get on the internet and they turn into jerks.
wow...this group is so underrated in that it doesnt get half the remarks about it sucking like it should. i mean it deserves a lot of ridicule. hahahaha. defend your crappy group. rise up from your resin filled bowls and try and unite. jeff tweedy sux.
@misterbuckethead that was it...did you come up for air from licking jeff tweedys no talent ass and drinking his blood soaked codpiece from screwing you out of your time and money to tell me that. if so ...thanks buddy...hahahhaa. really i knew they had no talent i guess i should have realized the same about their fans. a toast to the hairy balls in your mouth. no dont bother lifting your head..you have juices to drink. hahahahaha
@misterbuckethead i know...but dont worry..you will get some sweet man meat soon. and you can have your bottle. oh did you mean me? nah not mad...i just love picking on wilco fans. thanx for your time and your goat. we will surely kill it and make tacos. have a nice one...someone is really smart...what a genius ...that would be you einstien . waaaaaaaaah!!!
@misterbuckethead oh i get it ...you are trying to break my heart....wow...so original like the group you love to suck!!! and they do and you as well.
@misterbuckethead well so long as i can taste some of the hot models he bangs cooches..then i guess i will. you enjoy that young boy taste on jeff tweedys cock. give my best to the doctors who remove your anal warts. yawn.
@misterbuckethead laugh out louder sucka..way to call me faggot and then assess the problem with me and give your useless opinion and then go back to your waste of a life....enjoy middle management dude. lol. i kill me. thanks for playing....and losing. ha. i send you chocolate fleas for your birthday...my mom cuts out the crusts on the whitebread so we can use them as shoe laces.
Respond to this video... wilco fans are the best fans in the world...to make fun of!!!! forget jimmy buffet over the hill monkeys..or grateful dead retired old farts...you guys rule!!! nothing!!!
It is about unleashing the power of a bad relationship. It does have meaning. He a) knows they are bad for each other b) knows it will end badly c) and is simultaneously attracted to her. His head wants to let go but his heart will not let him.
In my opinion, this song has absolutely no meaning, it's heavy on style but intentionally doesn't have any content.
Sort of like when you're whispering sweet nothings to a girl and promising her the world when you're really just looking to screw. You recite poetry and sew together beautiful soliloquies but in the end:
meaning is are just labels that we put on things to make sense of them, and most of the time the meanings we give things are meanings we have read somewhere or heard from somebody you thought was smarter than you were...
but yeah I dig poetry, just don't spend to much to try and understand it, and just enjoy it.
of course this song has meaning! it's beautifully poetic, and the words and order they are put in have meaning.
it's about the frustratingly cyclical nature of relationships, or even of life. it's written in reverse, so it goes from the end to the beginning, except for the last line of the last verse which is about the both ("what was i thinking when i let you back in").
my favorite line is probably "i assasin down the avenue". he doesn't just walk or stroll - he assasins.
If you like this song, and I do, please check out the cover by J C Brooks and the Uptown Sound. It is on YouTube. They did a 180 and totally sent it uptown, but it is great!
I'd submit that the lyrics may have no logical meaning because they are the ramblings of a drunk. The speaker, after all, says: you were so right when you said I been drinkin'.
And while the version here (from the film) is "cleaner," the ambient sounds and instrumentation on the album version align with an inebriated reading of the song--all that dissonance and fumbling SOUNDS like a drunken haze on the part of the player, even if carefully, brilliantly constructed by Wilco.
@jovenmedia i see where you're coming from. But so much poetry is not about literal meanings within each line. Instead it's about an overall feeling conveyed by the poem/song as a whole. I think Jeff does that beautifully here.
@jovenmedia then dude you have to understand that it is an artistic song. It has meaning to him and if everyone else thinks about it will have some meaning.
I had a laugh at the poster up there saying they liked it "until the belly drawing scene" - thats one of my favourite parts! His tummy is so cute, and I like seeing scenes of him and Jay interacting in a friendly way. I know they were good pals even if they clashed professionally - you can see their camaraderie in the film. RIP Jay: such a shame :(
One of the best openings to one of the best movies ever - it captures a great band beautifully, making awesome music while dealing with some personal and professional stumbling blocks. Not unlike the Beatles at the end. Regarding some of the comments I have been reading here: Jeff may not have a "perfect" voice but that is part of its beauty - it is full of life and character. And I'm surprised no-one has yet mentioned how gorgeous he is - what an adorable face :)
"You babies started this shit, not me...You started the personal attacks."
Judging by this you also have a vagina.
That tallies to five major health issues. You should really look into all these town hall meetings. They may have an impact on when you can get these issues fixed.
And yes, this is America, so please, I encourage you to say what you would wish.
However, you've posted your opinions numerous times. We are just defending a band we love, surely an attitude you would be glad to have in your fans.
Wouldn't you want your fans to love you and defend you against the ageism, bitterness, and jealousy of a man who gave up on his dreams and started playing covers for popularity and cash? Oh...
And NEVER email me again. Post in the forum, not in my inbox.
Obviously I'm a retard, I mean look at my username ranran. But atleast I haven't hit the trifecta yet...bald, fat, and stupid...that is a deadly combination. Which begs the question, why aren't you dead yet?
you babies can dish it out anonymously but can't take it. I'm not bald, fat, or stupid......but you babies know that.
The point was not my band, or my covers, but we DO make lots of money.
However, I can sing and write lyrics that are not for stupid baby twits like you.
You babies started this shit, not me.
You started the personal attacks. Why not send my comments to Jeff Tweedy. He's the one laughing all the way to the bank with the money he makes off you failed abortions.
RanRan, this is a response to your "lyrical meanings" comment. Calm the fuck down and read this before you start typing. I'm not a hard core Wilco fan, I just started listening to them since i know the band touring with them personally. Anyway, you obviously don't have a very creative mind in lyrical terms. "I am an American Aquarium Drinker" simply means the amount of alcohol he consumes. Quite creative. "Assassin Down the Ave." It literally means how he walks down the avenue. A strut.
I'm sure you've researched this fully and speak with authority, or maybe you're guessing.
Take the last two lines of the coda. This will be representative of the beginning of the song, as usually the melody is written before the lyrics). It should be then obvious that the writer place words which fit into the tempo and metre of that coda. Other options are usually inserted as second and third verses. He obviously used any nonsense words that exactly fit that tempo and metre. You are a fool.
No, sir, you are the ignorant fool. Really? You're complaining about a somewhat successful independent brand. It's not only the lyrics you're complaining about, it's the vocals. It's really no use trying to get you to see the artistic point of view of these songs, or any song for that matter. Apparently you haven't heard of Bob Dylan? Not a great voice, great song writer. While the lyrics of this song are more abstract than others, they definitely have a meaning and i can assure you they do.
Tweedy, as a magnificent lyricist, has admitted in numerous interviews, one of which is on Youtube, that he writes poems which he then sets to music. Obviously you haven't researched this fully.
Nice try, though. We are all impressed with your musical prowess. Your grammar and paragraph structure? Not so much...
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Not interested. I think this entire song is a mess. Lousy writing, and lousy singing.
This has nothing to do with my grammar and paragraph structure, (which is fine, by the way). That is an asiinine comment at best. I would expect nothing less from you at this point.
Don't deflect from the real issue here by making snide insults at me.
I think the lyrics are nonsense too, but i do not feel that that is a flaw. Ever hear of Lewis Carrol's poem Jabberwocky? Musically, like most rock songs, Tweedy only uses a few chords in here, but again this is pretty much just convention. The recording is a pretty organic one which may be jarring if your used to studio perfection (although being in a live band probably not). You are really just being a troll.
@ranran19701 Damn man, you´re such an asshole over something that really, nobody really seems to care that much anyways, the song may not be perfect, and jeff tweedy may not be the best singer out there, but the song sounds beautiful and poetic, as meaningless as you may deem it to be....the truth is, most listeners don´t give a shit about most of the things you bald, fat, and stupid old man like you may have to say.
This fantastic documentary defined Wilco as artists who produced an album no one wanted for mere creativity. Their label dropped them, and Jeff Tweedy remained poised to keep producing original music, despite the threat of bankruptcy.
He plays covers too, but he would never surrender his creativity for money. Now he plays for charity.
I understand ranran. You can't make money with your originals. I wonder why...
I do make money with originals and also covers, and I can sing very well.
No it's not the money and many artists have sold out, and that is admirable if Wilco didn't. No argument there. It costs money to mount a tour to promote a band and a record, and the other musicians and crew have to be paid.
"Aquarium Drinker"= I'm drinking A LOT at the moment
"Assassin down the avenue"= ever get that feeling when you're a little intoxicated and you feel invincible, mysterious, murderously untouchable?
Turning a noun into a verb...and in a pretty awesome way I might add. So you don't like it? Who cares? Some of us do, so stop provoking some self-indulgent internet rage.
And now I'm being self-indulgent by even addressing it.
Out of respect for one of my favorite bands and one of the most emotionally complex albums i own, I am just going to stray breifly from the intellectual side of this argument and tell ranran to Shove It. You're wasting your time here; go listen to Mark Farner and keep your patronizing thoughts to yourself. THIS IS SPARTA!!
no actually you should go and listen to Wilco and keep your juvenile commebts about "art" to yourself. I was originally responding to the comments you all have made about this being profound, meaningful art. It is horrible writing and horrible singing. Deny that?
Also, the fact that you think singing has to be pitch perfect makes you EXACTLY what is wrong with the music industry right now. Nothing is real. I hope you enjoy "producing" cookie cutter artists with autotune. And your claim to fame is a cover band? Just keep your uneducated thoughts to yourself.
I usually refrain from commenting on here, but your comments have me in stitches. for someone who claims to be "in the music business" (which in this day and age could be anyone) I am surprised at your lack of knowledge. Any serious musician would at least be aware at Wilco's impact on modern music, even if they don't prefer it. To confuse Jeff Tweedy with Jay Bennett in an argument about Wilco is downright laughable.
Lots of knowledge my friend, but just because my opinion doesn't jive with yours doesn't signify lack of knowledge. Been playing and recording music for 43 years. Likely longer than you've been alive.
I could play this recording in front of any given 300 people and I would imagine 280 of them would say it stinks. It is very poorly written and played. The lyrics do not mean a thing; they just rhyme and fir the metre (look it up kid).
This shlt is for kids who play X-Box and watch cartoons.
the word is "effect" not "impact". If you say I'm old, sad, and misinformed that is your opinion, however wrong. My wisdom comes from age and experience. You don't know me so you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm talking about. The lyrics to this song are nonsense words to fit a specific tempo and metre: "I am an American aquarium drinker" cannot be considered as profound, except by a few very young kids like yourself.......You my friend are the misinformed sheep being led around by the nose.
come on. Its seems you are desperate to prove your validity here. this guy has had a record deal for 20 years. Wilco and his previous band Uncle Tupelo, had a huge "impact" on alt-country and modern music alike. To be arguing about something you have no knowledge of is grasping in the dark. If you don't get it, you don't get it, but don't assume I'm a young child. I've got All Things Must Pass on LP, you're telling me Apple Scruffs is any more profound than this? Man stick to the "popular" music
No young man--- I am not saying anything about myself. You young lions will learn someday that you cannot prove the worth and beauty of something by putting a gun to other people's heads. What I have said is that this singing is very poor and the lyrics don't mean anything. If you like it, that is fine, but you cannot say this is on a par with beautiful earnest singing like CSN, or Mark Farner, or Max Carl. This is cult music and 99% of people over 35 think it stinks, and that's that.
Pretty much anything that is considered classic and groundbreaking was disliked by most over 35 at the time. Zeppelin, Floyd dark side of the moon, Television, etc. If you lack the imagination to see meaning in lyrics that don't hit you right over the head, that's your problem I guess. YHF is destined to be a classic.
"People are very open minded about new things as long as they're exactly like the old ones."
"If you lack the imagination to see meaning in lyrics that don't hit you right over the head, that's your problem I guess" "I assassin down the avenue?" Somebody has a big problem indeed...."Tongue-tied lightning?"
This is a nonsense song for kids? Or just nonsense.
If imagery such as "I assassin down the avenue" doesn't conjure anything up in your mind then I don't know what to tell you. Tweedy is one of those rare "artists" who can paint a picture in just a few words, not unlike other great songwriters and authors. This is real talent and it isn't a new concept. If you don't want a little mystery in there or to use your imagination or deconstruct things a bit, so be it. Maybe you are the one who isn't with it. Toodles.
don't you have anything better to do than trash music that is way over your ignorant baby boomer head? and please stop e-mailing me. I mean whats your big problem? did your english teacher in high school molest you or somemething
Even if you aren't familiar with the album version, it's clear this is a spontaneous, demo-type recording of the song. It's not perfect. Sam Jones chose it because it was exactly the opposite: flawed but honest. A great opening to a film that documents a band that is simultaneously making a great record and coming apart at the seams. Say what you will, but there are plenty of folks "in the music business" who feel this film, this album and this band are some of the best American music around.
Certainly the most replied to troll on the tube. This is, in the end, a 3 page argument between Wilco fans and some old dude who doesn't like Wilco. Fairly legendary stuff really...
Seems pandemic that any Wilco fan who has responded to me begins by calling names. However, it seems unlikely that any of you can say I'm wrong when I say that this is a nonsense song.
Step up to the plate and answer the question:
Translate the lyrics to this profound and meaningful writing........Specifically and clearly define the terms "Aquarium Drinker" and "Assassin Down the Avenue".
Boy you little folks get really mad when someone inquisitively calls you on something.
i guess ' american aquarium drinker' could be a sort of profile someone fills on a dating site, you know, nationality, sign etc. drinker is ironic. and it goes well with aquarium, semantically. the second one i have no idea.
the guy may not sing beautifully, but his voice has depth, or maybe i just see it because i'm aware of his mesmerising personality. either way, who cares? he gives me chills.
why don't you just go listen to your jouney albums and leave the people who like good music alone. or maybe read a book it might help you understand the concept of metaphore.
i'm sorry for my last comment it was elitist and rude. 1st of all all art is subjective and means different things to different people. Tweety never says what his lyrics mean 4 this very reason. 4 me aquarium drinker means that he sees himself as a sort of sideshow act, a freak and i assasin down the avenue means that he moves with purpose but wishes to remain unnoticed and hiding out in the big city is the perfect place to do so.
ah actually because he makes up lyrics that fit the melody and you dopes buy them, even if they don't mean anything. Then you make up shit in your minds. I also specifically said HE CANNOT FUKING SING! HE IS WORSE THAN FUKKING DYLAN! He sounds like a billy goat with his balls caught in a car door.
I don't think it really serves the song to be searching for a specific meaning in each turn of phrase. Jeff has mentioned in interviews that he enjoys finding words that sound good or cool together and putting them in a song, even if they don't make sense.
yeah it kind of makes you wonder what bands this guy is into. my guess is that he likes songs that read like a story in readers digest. at any rate wilco is like one of the dutch masters and this guy would be more into thomas kinkade
I'd rather enjoy any song by a person who can sing. There are so many talented singers.............surely you people must realize that this singing is rather poor at best, by any standards.
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"....Big City Blinkin" at :24. When he sings the word "Big" he's nowhere near the proper note or pitch. He has no life or personality in his voice. He cannot sing. Those of you who enjoy this music I hope you continue to do so. I know quite a bit about voice and projection and this guy cannot sing very well at all. Buy the cd and listen to it on your own time.
My GOD! Its people like you who live their little insignificant lives, going through and MISSING THE POINT. Do you really think GOOD music has to be pitch prefect? If so - please remove your self from the debate, as you really should probably listen to the "chart music" and your comments are not welcome here. I dont worship Wilco. I respect them. Make something better, I might change my mind. Until then, your critical opinion is worthless.
OK first of all, pecker head, my life is not insignificant, so find some better meaningful insults... you act like a little kid. You don't know me at all, idiot.
Yes! good music must be pitch perfect or it is bad music. This is VERY bad!!!! I am in the music business and I make good money at it so my critical opinion is worthwhile. I am responding to other peoples' comments about how "beautiful and profound this song is. It is rather lousy, at best. It is nauseating.
"Find some better meaningful insults" - "Pecker head". Really?
And as for pitch perfect, you ARE wrong. Its not opinion - its fact. Are you telling me Pavement and The Velvet Underground are bad? Oh your in the music business? Im guessing your a guy who is in a band and plays some music. And as for money I really could not care less. Perhaps working as a producer I might just know what Im talking about.
The only thing you produce is a big turd every morning.
1. List your five major FPVs.
2. What percentage of youth in the US under 15 have NPP?
I am waiting.
"I, Am Trying, Not to Barf."
Dude, that phrase at 1:46 doesn't even qualify as singing.
Write a letter to Crosby, Stills, and Nash and ask them about the distinct tonal qualities of this vocal performance. Ask them to compare it to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes".
"i hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands." You say cover bands are pretentious (did you look that one up?) or losers but dont name any examples. For a kid of 18 you seem to know all. To folks in their 40s and 50s that this kind of odd "singing" of absurd dumb lyrics is the talent of trying to appeal to children. This is a novelty, appealing to a small specialized audience. by the way, we play 85 songs----some are original but unpublished. Can you do that? I don't mean Guitar Hero.
i really do hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands that think they know anything about lyricism or music for that matter... go learn another van halen tab or whatever the fuck you do. Im 18 years old and understand the genius that is wilco and jeff tweedy....overdose? you don't know what the fuck you're talking about guy that was an original member that died last year
"i really do hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands" You're assuming that cover bands are pretentious (did you look that one up?). For a child of 18 you seem to know everything. to folks in their 40s and 50s that this kind of odd "singing" of absurd and obtuse lyrics is indeed trying to appeal to teens. This is a novelty, appealing to a small specialized audience. by the way, we play 85 songs---some of which are original but unpublished. Can you do that? I don't mean on Guitar Hero.
You're a singer? You imitate other peoples' voices. Unoriginal.
Let it go man. Lots of people enjoy his music.
I am sure people enjoying watching you and your friends practice your hobby and sing other peoples stuff. Don't quit your day job and learn to play another Eagles song.
Talking about song, via a premier vocal performance. It doesn't matter who wrote it. It could be Happy Birthday.
Talking about profound and meaningful lyrics.....Not like "I am an American aquarium drinker". NOBODY has yet explained what these nonsense lyrics mean. I think it means this guy is smart enough to get you to buy his cds by writing nonsense songs.
Here's the thing about art. Sometimes, people use what is called "symbolism" and "metaphor" to say things indirectly instead of just saying them like anyone else can. If you google "aquarium drinker" you will find some popular slang uses of this phrase. Please complete high school and maybe you will understand later.
graduated in 1971, and I did actually google the term. ALL the posts are derived from the line in this song. I asked an open question: if it is so meaningful, what does it mean......and you cannot explain it. That is because it's nonsense; a phrase made up to fit that piece of the melody. You are in denial.
I love that this is in Chicago :0)
Emac951 6 days ago
this version is so good
JeremyLovesTyler 2 weeks ago
the end fucks it up
Kumagoroo23 4 months ago
Tabs?
mattdre93 4 months ago
@mattdre93 It's just A, Em, and D with capo on 2nd fret throughout the whole song.
imthefly 4 months ago
@mattdre93 A Em D
quigonjinn96 3 weeks ago
RIP Jay Bennet
1StarProductions 5 months ago
I think this song has lots of meaning, if youve ever been through a messy break-up or been cheated on it makes a whole lot of sense
conboybp 7 months ago
All this heated debate... But who cares? If you like it - you like it. If you don't - you don't. Since when has music been any different? Listen to it, find whatever meaning rings true to you - if you don't find one, fine. Move on.
GeorgeJohnPaulRingo 7 months ago
Anybody know the alcoholic who destroys his relationships with the people who matter most to him. A moment of self recognition: "I am trying to break your heart"
miles55552001 9 months ago
As much as we could argue about the meaning for years and years, the only truly obvious thing about the song is how much of it is a stream of consciousness, a narrative that wouldn't even make sense to the narrator if he sobered up and saw it a week later. He's drunk ,and that is clear, but beyond that, who's to say anything about the song's intention? As many times as I thought I've hit the meaning of the song, It usually just means I drunk dialed the wrong girl again.
xman682 9 months ago
aquarium drinker - drink like a fish. assassin down the avenue - drinking swagger on. with the swagger on he kills his relationship with the person he loves. "what was I thinking when I let go of you." SAD. he remembers: tongue tied lightning- that great feeling when you are first falling in love and can hardly talk. loves this woman but his out of control drinking leads him to kill what means most to him. it's even easy when drunk to just let it all go. alcohol controlling life. crying out.
miles55552001 9 months ago
Such a catchy guitar riff
matttsa89 10 months ago
there's something wrong with this video. there's a dislike button.
seanoconnorphoto 11 months ago 2
Damn, I didn't know Tweedy was pregnant when this was shot. It even looks like twins!
jum1801 11 months ago
amazing. but i have to admit, i never knew wilco fans could be such self-absorbed pricks. thanks youtube!
xcvishnu 1 year ago
@xcvishnu I'm pretty sure most people who comment on youtube videos are self-absorbed pricks. I've never seen a respectful exchange of ideas on here. NEVER. It just doesn't happen. People get on the internet and they turn into jerks.
MAugustineP 1 year ago 2
@MAugustineP You're right, but I've been pleasantly surprised a couple of times :)
poisonandantidote 11 months ago
i wanna hold you in the bible-black predawn...this stripped down version is easy on da ears
samjhow3 1 year ago
Whenever I'm away from my hometown of Chicago, I watch this video and get incredibly homesick and nostalgia. I almost want to cry.
Puppeteer1986 1 year ago
wow...this group is so underrated in that it doesnt get half the remarks about it sucking like it should. i mean it deserves a lot of ridicule. hahahaha. defend your crappy group. rise up from your resin filled bowls and try and unite. jeff tweedy sux.
grimlock1211 1 year ago
@grimlock1211 lol enjoy your jen trynin you fucking fag
misterbuckethead 1 year ago
@misterbuckethead that was it...did you come up for air from licking jeff tweedys no talent ass and drinking his blood soaked codpiece from screwing you out of your time and money to tell me that. if so ...thanks buddy...hahahhaa. really i knew they had no talent i guess i should have realized the same about their fans. a toast to the hairy balls in your mouth. no dont bother lifting your head..you have juices to drink. hahahahaha
grimlock1211 1 year ago
@grimlock1211 lol someone is really really mad
haha what a baby
misterbuckethead 1 year ago
@misterbuckethead i know...but dont worry..you will get some sweet man meat soon. and you can have your bottle. oh did you mean me? nah not mad...i just love picking on wilco fans. thanx for your time and your goat. we will surely kill it and make tacos. have a nice one...someone is really smart...what a genius ...that would be you einstien . waaaaaaaaah!!!
grimlock1211 1 year ago
@misterbuckethead oh i get it ...you are trying to break my heart....wow...so original like the group you love to suck!!! and they do and you as well.
grimlock1211 1 year ago
@grimlock1211 go back to sucking rod stewarts dick lol
you get trolled so hard, baby
misterbuckethead 1 year ago
@misterbuckethead well so long as i can taste some of the hot models he bangs cooches..then i guess i will. you enjoy that young boy taste on jeff tweedys cock. give my best to the doctors who remove your anal warts. yawn.
grimlock1211 1 year ago
@grimlock1211 lol someone gets worked up over the internet
enjoy middle school, dude
misterbuckethead 1 year ago
@misterbuckethead laugh out louder sucka..way to call me faggot and then assess the problem with me and give your useless opinion and then go back to your waste of a life....enjoy middle management dude. lol. i kill me. thanks for playing....and losing. ha. i send you chocolate fleas for your birthday...my mom cuts out the crusts on the whitebread so we can use them as shoe laces.
grimlock1211 1 year ago
Respond to this video... wilco fans are the best fans in the world...to make fun of!!!! forget jimmy buffet over the hill monkeys..or grateful dead retired old farts...you guys rule!!! nothing!!!
grimlock1211 1 year ago
Great video
Great lyrics
Great song
Great band <3
MutantFarrah 1 year ago
wow
MrsPallaLott 1 year ago
where can i download this version? i cant find it anywhere
Dshowcat 1 year ago
props to my college friend sam jones:)
hudsonzuma 1 year ago
It is about unleashing the power of a bad relationship. It does have meaning. He a) knows they are bad for each other b) knows it will end badly c) and is simultaneously attracted to her. His head wants to let go but his heart will not let him.
MrElsegundo 1 year ago 5
I want to see this
BreezyFilm 1 year ago
The opening to the WILCO live DVD. We of a certain age have broken someone else's heart.
bmeggles 1 year ago
nice song
externon00 1 year ago
This version of the song played along with this video, to me, perfectly captures Chicago. Beautiful.
jordanjohnston91 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I Am Trying to Bore You to Death as Ryan Adam's pithily put it.
oldblackdawning 1 year ago
Eat a dick.
reivenlocke 1 year ago
@oldblackdawning Ha ha, lol.
TheWhiteTomatoes 1 year ago
unbelievable.
diam1527 1 year ago
I adore Jeff Tweedy's voice
wuppz 2 years ago 3
This is nothing short of amazing.
ComputerGeek396 2 years ago 17
This song is awesome...
In my opinion, this song has absolutely no meaning, it's heavy on style but intentionally doesn't have any content.
Sort of like when you're whispering sweet nothings to a girl and promising her the world when you're really just looking to screw. You recite poetry and sew together beautiful soliloquies but in the end:
"But still I'd be lying if I said it wasn't easy
I am trying to break your heart"
jovenmedia 2 years ago 26
haha beautiful way to put it
waggy55 2 years ago 3
@jovenmedia it has plenty of meaning, maybe you just dont understand poems very well...
i mean they have songs with more meaning by far, but still...
getfunkySTUDIOS 2 years ago
@getfunkySTUDIOS meaning is subjective...
meaning is are just labels that we put on things to make sense of them, and most of the time the meanings we give things are meanings we have read somewhere or heard from somebody you thought was smarter than you were...
but yeah I dig poetry, just don't spend to much to try and understand it, and just enjoy it.
jovenmedia 2 years ago 3
of course this song has meaning! it's beautifully poetic, and the words and order they are put in have meaning.
it's about the frustratingly cyclical nature of relationships, or even of life. it's written in reverse, so it goes from the end to the beginning, except for the last line of the last verse which is about the both ("what was i thinking when i let you back in").
my favorite line is probably "i assasin down the avenue". he doesn't just walk or stroll - he assasins.
amazing!
devenlyon 1 year ago
@devenlyon
If you like this song, and I do, please check out the cover by J C Brooks and the Uptown Sound. It is on YouTube. They did a 180 and totally sent it uptown, but it is great!
tralee2348 1 year ago
@jovenmedia ... the meaning is right there, I'm sorry if you can't hear it
qwidproquo 1 year ago
@jovenmedia
I'd submit that the lyrics may have no logical meaning because they are the ramblings of a drunk. The speaker, after all, says: you were so right when you said I been drinkin'.
And while the version here (from the film) is "cleaner," the ambient sounds and instrumentation on the album version align with an inebriated reading of the song--all that dissonance and fumbling SOUNDS like a drunken haze on the part of the player, even if carefully, brilliantly constructed by Wilco.
33mrk 1 year ago
@jovenmedia i see where you're coming from. But so much poetry is not about literal meanings within each line. Instead it's about an overall feeling conveyed by the poem/song as a whole. I think Jeff does that beautifully here.
esteban57764 1 year ago
Comment removed
lmrickford 1 year ago
@jovenmedia That's rubbish, and a shallow, frankly lazy reading. But cheers for effort.
lmrickford 1 year ago
@lmrickford one man's rubbish is another man's... etc.,
jovenmedia 1 year ago
maybe so, maybe not but maybe it's just because the words just sound so damn good together.
aces4x 1 year ago
@jovenmedia then dude you have to understand that it is an artistic song. It has meaning to him and if everyone else thinks about it will have some meaning.
sshnoes 1 year ago
@jovenmedia maybe the intention of mantra is lost on you.
When you learn about seduction you will understand that it only works because you remember one thing
over and over and over
i am trying to break your heart.
sometimes it gets boring, and you get frustrated thinking that it isn't happening the way that you want it to.
maybe the substance is the damned obviousness of love, but that is the mark of the genius of it, isn't it?
360percent 9 months ago
@jovenmedia Pretty sure each verse in this song is a drunk dial to the same woman at a different point in their relationship.
SirSwass 4 months ago in playlist WILCO
@jovenmedia it's irony...
pairosouls 1 week ago
I am am amercian aquarium dreeenker
i assasin down the avenue
IAAAAD
IADA
I am tryin' to break your hearT
IATTBYHt
alliteration methinks folks
Araby7771 2 years ago
Can't believe you guys are fighting on a Tweedy song. Just enjoy it, man. And if you can't or don't enjoy it, watch something you do enjoy.
NorthWriter 2 years ago 6
I had a laugh at the poster up there saying they liked it "until the belly drawing scene" - thats one of my favourite parts! His tummy is so cute, and I like seeing scenes of him and Jay interacting in a friendly way. I know they were good pals even if they clashed professionally - you can see their camaraderie in the film. RIP Jay: such a shame :(
Jojoseahorse 2 years ago 3
One of the best openings to one of the best movies ever - it captures a great band beautifully, making awesome music while dealing with some personal and professional stumbling blocks. Not unlike the Beatles at the end. Regarding some of the comments I have been reading here: Jeff may not have a "perfect" voice but that is part of its beauty - it is full of life and character. And I'm surprised no-one has yet mentioned how gorgeous he is - what an adorable face :)
Jojoseahorse 2 years ago 2
Love it
jasonpauljohnston 2 years ago
I really want this acoustic version of the title song! Any one know if it's on an album?
gnomedork 2 years ago
Don't think so. I wish it was though!
polishpunk911 2 years ago 2
i don't give a shit what you guys are fighting about. this song/dvd are bad ass. i used to fall asleep to it nightly for a while.
deanodynamo 2 years ago 3
"I'm not bald, fat, or stupid..."
Well we can add blindness to the list.
"You babies started this shit, not me...You started the personal attacks."
Judging by this you also have a vagina.
That tallies to five major health issues. You should really look into all these town hall meetings. They may have an impact on when you can get these issues fixed.
TheOriginalPoopFlex 2 years ago
And yes, this is America, so please, I encourage you to say what you would wish.
However, you've posted your opinions numerous times. We are just defending a band we love, surely an attitude you would be glad to have in your fans.
Wouldn't you want your fans to love you and defend you against the ageism, bitterness, and jealousy of a man who gave up on his dreams and started playing covers for popularity and cash? Oh...
And NEVER email me again. Post in the forum, not in my inbox.
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago 2
So it's not the money...
You're a cover band, correct? And apparently you have a following and by your admission make good money.
But Wilco makes money with original music with the lyrics you claim are for "baby twits."
Bottom line: they make money with original music. You make money with someone else's music.
When writers do that, they get a fine!
"Failed abortions?" Damn, dishing out the personal attacks, eh?
.
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago
By the way....this is America, and this forum is for comments and opinions. My opinion is:
This song has inane lyrics, (look it up babies), and the singer's voice is pretty fucking bad.
Other than that, you can keep your opinions in gym class.
ranran19701 2 years ago
His voice is great! You offend me!
wuppz 2 years ago 6
Obviously I'm a retard, I mean look at my username ranran. But atleast I haven't hit the trifecta yet...bald, fat, and stupid...that is a deadly combination. Which begs the question, why aren't you dead yet?
TheOriginalPoopFlex 2 years ago
you babies can dish it out anonymously but can't take it. I'm not bald, fat, or stupid......but you babies know that.
The point was not my band, or my covers, but we DO make lots of money.
However, I can sing and write lyrics that are not for stupid baby twits like you.
You babies started this shit, not me.
You started the personal attacks. Why not send my comments to Jeff Tweedy. He's the one laughing all the way to the bank with the money he makes off you failed abortions.
ranran19701 2 years ago
RanRan, this is a response to your "lyrical meanings" comment. Calm the fuck down and read this before you start typing. I'm not a hard core Wilco fan, I just started listening to them since i know the band touring with them personally. Anyway, you obviously don't have a very creative mind in lyrical terms. "I am an American Aquarium Drinker" simply means the amount of alcohol he consumes. Quite creative. "Assassin Down the Ave." It literally means how he walks down the avenue. A strut.
Mrblues23 2 years ago
I'm sure you've researched this fully and speak with authority, or maybe you're guessing.
Take the last two lines of the coda. This will be representative of the beginning of the song, as usually the melody is written before the lyrics). It should be then obvious that the writer place words which fit into the tempo and metre of that coda. Other options are usually inserted as second and third verses. He obviously used any nonsense words that exactly fit that tempo and metre. You are a fool.
ranran19701 2 years ago
No, sir, you are the ignorant fool. Really? You're complaining about a somewhat successful independent brand. It's not only the lyrics you're complaining about, it's the vocals. It's really no use trying to get you to see the artistic point of view of these songs, or any song for that matter. Apparently you haven't heard of Bob Dylan? Not a great voice, great song writer. While the lyrics of this song are more abstract than others, they definitely have a meaning and i can assure you they do.
Mrblues23 2 years ago
Tweedy, as a magnificent lyricist, has admitted in numerous interviews, one of which is on Youtube, that he writes poems which he then sets to music. Obviously you haven't researched this fully.
Nice try, though. We are all impressed with your musical prowess. Your grammar and paragraph structure? Not so much...
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Not interested. I think this entire song is a mess. Lousy writing, and lousy singing.
This has nothing to do with my grammar and paragraph structure, (which is fine, by the way). That is an asiinine comment at best. I would expect nothing less from you at this point.
Don't deflect from the real issue here by making snide insults at me.
ranran19701 2 years ago
I think the lyrics are nonsense too, but i do not feel that that is a flaw. Ever hear of Lewis Carrol's poem Jabberwocky? Musically, like most rock songs, Tweedy only uses a few chords in here, but again this is pretty much just convention. The recording is a pretty organic one which may be jarring if your used to studio perfection (although being in a live band probably not). You are really just being a troll.
angband621 2 years ago
The lyrics make sense, it's a poem.
moog67 2 years ago
@ranran19701 Damn man, you´re such an asshole over something that really, nobody really seems to care that much anyways, the song may not be perfect, and jeff tweedy may not be the best singer out there, but the song sounds beautiful and poetic, as meaningless as you may deem it to be....the truth is, most listeners don´t give a shit about most of the things you bald, fat, and stupid old man like you may have to say.
Perfect pitch? Fuck that, they´re being honest
More than you can do. Fat bitch.
ILATINiko 9 months ago
@ILATINiko Amazing song, thank you, Jeff Tweedy.
ILATINiko 9 months ago
And "after she gets off my face?"
Who is the 14 year old?
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago
No asshole I said your Mom.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Oh, it's the money ranran.
This fantastic documentary defined Wilco as artists who produced an album no one wanted for mere creativity. Their label dropped them, and Jeff Tweedy remained poised to keep producing original music, despite the threat of bankruptcy.
He plays covers too, but he would never surrender his creativity for money. Now he plays for charity.
I understand ranran. You can't make money with your originals. I wonder why...
BTWThis became Wilco's most successful album.
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago
I do make money with originals and also covers, and I can sing very well.
No it's not the money and many artists have sold out, and that is admirable if Wilco didn't. No argument there. It costs money to mount a tour to promote a band and a record, and the other musicians and crew have to be paid.
ranran19701 2 years ago
ranran you are the loser that fights with fourteen year olds past their bed time.
2Stardumb 2 years ago
Tongue-tied lightning?
Retarded.
ranran19701 2 years ago
*Wheres
Ohh.. I like Mark Farina too but you need to go kill yourself ranran.
TheOriginalPoopFlex 2 years ago
ranran?
Whers is the credibility man?
I mean you cover songs that I hear on insurance commercials.
I know you have been off your game since your butthole wasn't big enough for Mark Farina but come on! You are better than that.
TheOriginalPoopFlex 2 years ago
It's Mark Farner, retard. I'm talking about Wilco, but then again you're only 14 so you don't understand.
We do original stuff too, but hey guess what. The covers are always more popular.
The Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Grand Funk, and other platinum artists made a whole shitload of money with covers.
Your Mommy says it's time to go to bed after she gets off my face.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Made up ageist backtalk...when I grow up, I want to be just as narrowminded as you are!
Wilco plays against the beautiful backdrop of my fair city, the magnificent Chicago. I love watching this intro.
When something speaks to you it just does. I guess this songs speaks to you too. And you want to incite an internet riot about it.
I hope when I'm fat and old, I have a business to run, not "kids" to belittle.
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago
I thought it was obvious?
"Aquarium Drinker"= I'm drinking A LOT at the moment
"Assassin down the avenue"= ever get that feeling when you're a little intoxicated and you feel invincible, mysterious, murderously untouchable?
Turning a noun into a verb...and in a pretty awesome way I might add. So you don't like it? Who cares? Some of us do, so stop provoking some self-indulgent internet rage.
And now I'm being self-indulgent by even addressing it.
Regardless, Jeff Tweedy's the MAN!
AssassinDownAvenue 2 years ago 3
Made up fabricated kid talk. You are definitely drinking a lot at the moment, and so was he when he sang this trash.
Yep you're right I don't like it. It just plain sucks.
ranran19701 2 years ago
i finally watched this documentary a few days ago;so glad i did. love jeff tweedy,love wilco!
poizonIvylady 2 years ago
Such a good documentary.
mctlm22 2 years ago
Out of respect for one of my favorite bands and one of the most emotionally complex albums i own, I am just going to stray breifly from the intellectual side of this argument and tell ranran to Shove It. You're wasting your time here; go listen to Mark Farner and keep your patronizing thoughts to yourself. THIS IS SPARTA!!
PatCleese 2 years ago
no actually you should go and listen to Wilco and keep your juvenile commebts about "art" to yourself. I was originally responding to the comments you all have made about this being profound, meaningful art. It is horrible writing and horrible singing. Deny that?
ranran19701 2 years ago
Also, the fact that you think singing has to be pitch perfect makes you EXACTLY what is wrong with the music industry right now. Nothing is real. I hope you enjoy "producing" cookie cutter artists with autotune. And your claim to fame is a cover band? Just keep your uneducated thoughts to yourself.
oceanrivals 2 years ago
ah ranra19701,
I usually refrain from commenting on here, but your comments have me in stitches. for someone who claims to be "in the music business" (which in this day and age could be anyone) I am surprised at your lack of knowledge. Any serious musician would at least be aware at Wilco's impact on modern music, even if they don't prefer it. To confuse Jeff Tweedy with Jay Bennett in an argument about Wilco is downright laughable.
oceanrivals 2 years ago
Lots of knowledge my friend, but just because my opinion doesn't jive with yours doesn't signify lack of knowledge. Been playing and recording music for 43 years. Likely longer than you've been alive.
I could play this recording in front of any given 300 people and I would imagine 280 of them would say it stinks. It is very poorly written and played. The lyrics do not mean a thing; they just rhyme and fir the metre (look it up kid).
This shlt is for kids who play X-Box and watch cartoons.
ranran19701 2 years ago
the word is "effect" not "impact". If you say I'm old, sad, and misinformed that is your opinion, however wrong. My wisdom comes from age and experience. You don't know me so you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm talking about. The lyrics to this song are nonsense words to fit a specific tempo and metre: "I am an American aquarium drinker" cannot be considered as profound, except by a few very young kids like yourself.......You my friend are the misinformed sheep being led around by the nose.
ranran19701 2 years ago
come on. Its seems you are desperate to prove your validity here. this guy has had a record deal for 20 years. Wilco and his previous band Uncle Tupelo, had a huge "impact" on alt-country and modern music alike. To be arguing about something you have no knowledge of is grasping in the dark. If you don't get it, you don't get it, but don't assume I'm a young child. I've got All Things Must Pass on LP, you're telling me Apple Scruffs is any more profound than this? Man stick to the "popular" music
oceanrivals 2 years ago
No young man--- I am not saying anything about myself. You young lions will learn someday that you cannot prove the worth and beauty of something by putting a gun to other people's heads. What I have said is that this singing is very poor and the lyrics don't mean anything. If you like it, that is fine, but you cannot say this is on a par with beautiful earnest singing like CSN, or Mark Farner, or Max Carl. This is cult music and 99% of people over 35 think it stinks, and that's that.
ranran19701 2 years ago
fair enough. i think neil young said it best:
"I can get away with saying a lot of ideas that are young and naive. I'm liberated."
oceanrivals 2 years ago
I feel bad for you, man. You are hypocritical and foolish, and you don't even realize it.
npresco2 2 years ago
I would ask you to explain both accusations if you were old enough to realize the necessity to do so.
There is no hypocrisy in anything I've said, nor foolishness. Maybe you just picked two words out of the dictionary?
You'll be going back to tenth grade pretty soon so hurry.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Pretty much anything that is considered classic and groundbreaking was disliked by most over 35 at the time. Zeppelin, Floyd dark side of the moon, Television, etc. If you lack the imagination to see meaning in lyrics that don't hit you right over the head, that's your problem I guess. YHF is destined to be a classic.
"People are very open minded about new things as long as they're exactly like the old ones."
-Charles F. Kettering
wsucougz 2 years ago
"If you lack the imagination to see meaning in lyrics that don't hit you right over the head, that's your problem I guess" "I assassin down the avenue?" Somebody has a big problem indeed...."Tongue-tied lightning?"
This is a nonsense song for kids? Or just nonsense.
ranran19701 2 years ago
If imagery such as "I assassin down the avenue" doesn't conjure anything up in your mind then I don't know what to tell you. Tweedy is one of those rare "artists" who can paint a picture in just a few words, not unlike other great songwriters and authors. This is real talent and it isn't a new concept. If you don't want a little mystery in there or to use your imagination or deconstruct things a bit, so be it. Maybe you are the one who isn't with it. Toodles.
wsucougz 2 years ago 2
don't you have anything better to do than trash music that is way over your ignorant baby boomer head? and please stop e-mailing me. I mean whats your big problem? did your english teacher in high school molest you or somemething
sklasgar37 2 years ago
Even if you aren't familiar with the album version, it's clear this is a spontaneous, demo-type recording of the song. It's not perfect. Sam Jones chose it because it was exactly the opposite: flawed but honest. A great opening to a film that documents a band that is simultaneously making a great record and coming apart at the seams. Say what you will, but there are plenty of folks "in the music business" who feel this film, this album and this band are some of the best American music around.
designstl 2 years ago
to candlewhiskey: hey scumbag stop over any time. I have a surprise for you.
ranran19701 2 years ago
you have got to be the most successful troll on youtube. congrats i suppose...
candlewhiskey 2 years ago
Certainly the most replied to troll on the tube. This is, in the end, a 3 page argument between Wilco fans and some old dude who doesn't like Wilco. Fairly legendary stuff really...
jphann 2 years ago 3
Seems pandemic that any Wilco fan who has responded to me begins by calling names. However, it seems unlikely that any of you can say I'm wrong when I say that this is a nonsense song.
Step up to the plate and answer the question:
Translate the lyrics to this profound and meaningful writing........Specifically and clearly define the terms "Aquarium Drinker" and "Assassin Down the Avenue".
Boy you little folks get really mad when someone inquisitively calls you on something.
ranran19701 2 years ago
i guess ' american aquarium drinker' could be a sort of profile someone fills on a dating site, you know, nationality, sign etc. drinker is ironic. and it goes well with aquarium, semantically. the second one i have no idea.
teoferrazzi 2 years ago
the guy may not sing beautifully, but his voice has depth, or maybe i just see it because i'm aware of his mesmerising personality. either way, who cares? he gives me chills.
teoferrazzi 2 years ago 2
why don't you just go listen to your jouney albums and leave the people who like good music alone. or maybe read a book it might help you understand the concept of metaphore.
sklasgar37 2 years ago
i'm sorry for my last comment it was elitist and rude. 1st of all all art is subjective and means different things to different people. Tweety never says what his lyrics mean 4 this very reason. 4 me aquarium drinker means that he sees himself as a sort of sideshow act, a freak and i assasin down the avenue means that he moves with purpose but wishes to remain unnoticed and hiding out in the big city is the perfect place to do so.
sklasgar37 2 years ago
ah actually because he makes up lyrics that fit the melody and you dopes buy them, even if they don't mean anything. Then you make up shit in your minds. I also specifically said HE CANNOT FUKING SING! HE IS WORSE THAN FUKKING DYLAN! He sounds like a billy goat with his balls caught in a car door.
ranran19701 2 years ago
I don't think it really serves the song to be searching for a specific meaning in each turn of phrase. Jeff has mentioned in interviews that he enjoys finding words that sound good or cool together and putting them in a song, even if they don't make sense.
NorthWriter 2 years ago 2
well if that is true he hit a home run on this song, there for i agree whole heartedly , well said
rjsouth9 2 years ago
yeah it kind of makes you wonder what bands this guy is into. my guess is that he likes songs that read like a story in readers digest. at any rate wilco is like one of the dutch masters and this guy would be more into thomas kinkade
sklasgar37 2 years ago
I'd rather enjoy any song by a person who can sing. There are so many talented singers.............surely you people must realize that this singing is rather poor at best, by any standards.
ranran19701 2 years ago
So, your in one of those lame oldies cover bands that explains everything. you sir are a fucking retard.
sklasgar37 2 years ago
Comment removed
jphann 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
"....Big City Blinkin" at :24. When he sings the word "Big" he's nowhere near the proper note or pitch. He has no life or personality in his voice. He cannot sing. Those of you who enjoy this music I hope you continue to do so. I know quite a bit about voice and projection and this guy cannot sing very well at all. Buy the cd and listen to it on your own time.
ranran19701 2 years ago
My GOD! Its people like you who live their little insignificant lives, going through and MISSING THE POINT. Do you really think GOOD music has to be pitch prefect? If so - please remove your self from the debate, as you really should probably listen to the "chart music" and your comments are not welcome here. I dont worship Wilco. I respect them. Make something better, I might change my mind. Until then, your critical opinion is worthless.
RCossland 2 years ago
OK first of all, pecker head, my life is not insignificant, so find some better meaningful insults... you act like a little kid. You don't know me at all, idiot.
Yes! good music must be pitch perfect or it is bad music. This is VERY bad!!!! I am in the music business and I make good money at it so my critical opinion is worthwhile. I am responding to other peoples' comments about how "beautiful and profound this song is. It is rather lousy, at best. It is nauseating.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Hum. I think ill just break this down.
"Find some better meaningful insults" - "Pecker head". Really?
And as for pitch perfect, you ARE wrong. Its not opinion - its fact. Are you telling me Pavement and The Velvet Underground are bad? Oh your in the music business? Im guessing your a guy who is in a band and plays some music. And as for money I really could not care less. Perhaps working as a producer I might just know what Im talking about.
RCossland 2 years ago
The only thing you produce is a big turd every morning.
1. List your five major FPVs.
2. What percentage of youth in the US under 15 have NPP?
I am waiting.
"I, Am Trying, Not to Barf."
Dude, that phrase at 1:46 doesn't even qualify as singing.
Write a letter to Crosby, Stills, and Nash and ask them about the distinct tonal qualities of this vocal performance. Ask them to compare it to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes".
Listen to Mark Farner sing "Isn't It Amazing".
This song BLOWS.
ranran19701 2 years ago
After you get out of high school we'll talk about working as a producer.
Yes I play a great deal of music. Have many hours of studio experience.
I do not focus my entire day on Guitar Hero and X-Box. I know damn well you have Guitar Hero. Take a nap. Your
Mommy will be home soon.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Define the word "tud" as it occurs in a raw playback.
You phony ass litle queen.
ranran19701 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i will find you. and i will kill you.
candlewhiskey 2 years ago
Plug in these words to the first line:
" I Am A Retarded Chump, A Fa-mous Drunkard.
I Am Puking on a Toilet Seat...."
Hey I have talent. If I sing it just like Bob Dylan on crack, I'll be a profound influence on American youth.
ranran19701 2 years ago
I love this song.
OdetoWode 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
"i hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands." You say cover bands are pretentious (did you look that one up?) or losers but dont name any examples. For a kid of 18 you seem to know all. To folks in their 40s and 50s that this kind of odd "singing" of absurd dumb lyrics is the talent of trying to appeal to children. This is a novelty, appealing to a small specialized audience. by the way, we play 85 songs----some are original but unpublished. Can you do that? I don't mean Guitar Hero.
ranran19701 2 years ago
i really do hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands that think they know anything about lyricism or music for that matter... go learn another van halen tab or whatever the fuck you do. Im 18 years old and understand the genius that is wilco and jeff tweedy....overdose? you don't know what the fuck you're talking about guy that was an original member that died last year
kobainfollower 2 years ago
"i really do hate pretentious middle age losers in cover bands" You're assuming that cover bands are pretentious (did you look that one up?). For a child of 18 you seem to know everything. to folks in their 40s and 50s that this kind of odd "singing" of absurd and obtuse lyrics is indeed trying to appeal to teens. This is a novelty, appealing to a small specialized audience. by the way, we play 85 songs---some of which are original but unpublished. Can you do that? I don't mean on Guitar Hero.
ranran19701 2 years ago
I haven't heard such phenomenal singing talent since Bob Dylan......
How can I get a record contract????
ranran19701 2 years ago
Just keep being a bald lame ass in a cover band.
brosty74 2 years ago
And a singer. Not some drunk who groans and gets paid for it.
ranran19701 2 years ago
You're a singer? You imitate other peoples' voices. Unoriginal.
Let it go man. Lots of people enjoy his music.
I am sure people enjoying watching you and your friends practice your hobby and sing other peoples stuff. Don't quit your day job and learn to play another Eagles song.
brosty74 2 years ago
brave little boy you are. I bet you play X-Box too. That's your talent.
We play lots of Eagles songs. Cover bands in my area make a lot of money having fun.
You don't believe that this freak is copying Dylan an Guthrie? hahaha!
He's a fucking drunk writing a song about drinking, then he died from an overdose.
That's the kind of person I want to emulate---NOT.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Are you talking about Jeff Tweedy (the guy singing in this video)? Because he did not die from an overdose, he's still alive.
fdsdarkgrunt 2 years ago
What the hell are you talking about??
Jeff Tweedy is alive and singing way more beautiful, meaningful, and intelligent music than the fucking eagles.
Go fuck yourself you sad old man.
timanderic1 2 years ago
hahahahahahahah young punk.
I'm here to tell you that this song stinks and so does the singer.
ranran19701 2 years ago
plenty of artists have been drunks. where is your original music?
atenfootdrop 2 years ago
Have original music--not published. It gets stolen on occasion.
Many artists do lots of covers. The Beatles covered dozens of songs and made their careers on them.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Talking about song, via a premier vocal performance. It doesn't matter who wrote it. It could be Happy Birthday.
Talking about profound and meaningful lyrics.....Not like "I am an American aquarium drinker". NOBODY has yet explained what these nonsense lyrics mean. I think it means this guy is smart enough to get you to buy his cds by writing nonsense songs.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Comment removed
atlantaguitar 2 years ago
Here's the thing about art. Sometimes, people use what is called "symbolism" and "metaphor" to say things indirectly instead of just saying them like anyone else can. If you google "aquarium drinker" you will find some popular slang uses of this phrase. Please complete high school and maybe you will understand later.
atlantaguitar 2 years ago
graduated in 1971, and I did actually google the term. ALL the posts are derived from the line in this song. I asked an open question: if it is so meaningful, what does it mean......and you cannot explain it. That is because it's nonsense; a phrase made up to fit that piece of the melody. You are in denial.
ranran19701 2 years ago
:39. :(
ZRN959 2 years ago
brilliant, lovely, and pure . . .
Pipstein 2 years ago
Sorry to put my own honest assessment on here but this singer is a piece of shit.
Pure shit. What this sounds like is a drunken 14 year old looking at himself in the mirror.
ranran19701 2 years ago
Where can I watch the full version of this?
dolmenrage 2 years ago
Jay Bennett Rest easy mate-you will be missed...
traceymod 2 years ago
Go in peace Jay, the best Wilco days were with your inclusion.
InterpolFL 2 years ago
RIP Jay Bennett.
tbaffoe 2 years ago
he messes up at :58...haha theyre still great
WhiteHen0 2 years ago
i accidentally gave this video one star but i didn't mean it... i meant five stars...guilt is gone
aheffelf 2 years ago 4
I love this version of this song. I was in Boot camp, in Great Lakes Ill when they did "kicking and screaming" live cd. I missed it!!
JerseyThursday37 2 years ago
me too :)
!!!
mmbreeze 2 years ago
I hope Jeff Tweedy lives forever.
ilovemutemath 2 years ago 3
We Chicago Wilco fans are spoiled.
revco68 2 years ago 2
Man, when I went to Chicago for the first time a couple of years ago, I couldn't stop singing this song to myself as I rode around on the train.
VanGreco 3 years ago 2
Comment removed
walker1921 3 years ago