Loved by some, loathed by others. Patterson doing his best Hold Steady? I find myself liking this song more often than not. Especially in the summertime.


I can tell by her lips, she's got fucked-up teeth.
Got a banged up grill like she just hit a deer.
And I watch her go down in the tent with a bloke.
You know what they say about girls who smoke.

It's festival season all around the UK,
they're herding the fans like cattle.
All the blogs are alive, and the kids are all stoked.
You know what they say about girls who smoke.

Girls who smoke.

Parked at the venue, the driver will skin you
if you paper up, do number 2 in the loo.
It smells so bad as it is you could croak.
Outside there's mud and rain and girls who smoke.

Girls who smoke.
Girls who smoke.

It's August and freezing, and the headliner's cheesy.
The port-a-potties are shaking and wheezing.
The catering sucks, and the vendors blow.
It's the middle of the afternoon...
drink like it's midnight...
time for the show.

Kids keep coming, and thank god for
lasses with passes and dudes 'round the corner.
It's storming in Stafford and everyone's soaked.
You know what they say about... girls who smoke.
Girls who smoke.

Do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do

Definitely sounds like Hold Steady to me.

Pretty decent rocker, but I think it's status as a bonus track is spot on.

One of the most "fun" DBT songs ever. Strutter and GWS (in that order) should have closed out TBTD instead of Wallendas and Eyes Like Glue.

Should have been on TBTD and should have been the single.

Fun tune. Always liked it. Agree, should have been on the disc.

You know what they say about opinions...but I really like this song. It's catchy as Hell and really accessible for those that don't know that much about the band.

beantownbubba wrote:Should have been on TBTD and should have been the single.

I agree 100%. It is not by any means a typical DBT song (whatever that is) but is one hell of a good song.

Lasses with passes!

It's also better than any THS song I ever heard.

Smitty wrote:It's also better than any THS song I ever heard.

Iowan wrote:

Smitty wrote:It's also better than any THS song I ever heard.

To be fair, I'm a lukewarm THS fan and a DBT fanaTiC. For some reason I HaVe To CapiTalize CerTain LeTTers or THey donT sHow up. Any suggesTions?

(bs my faV THS songs off THe Top of my Head are "Lord I'm DisCouraged", "Killer ParTies" and "STuCk BeTween STaTions".)

Smitty wrote:

Iowan wrote:

Smitty wrote:It's also better than any THS song I ever heard.

To be fair, I'm a lukewarm THS fan and a DBT fanaTiC. For some reason I HaVe To CapiTalize CerTain LeTTers or THey donT sHow up. Any suggesTions?

(bs my faV THS songs off THe Top of my Head are "Lord I'm DisCouraged", "Killer ParTies" and "STuCk BeTween STaTions".)

Yeah, my level of passion for each band is close. It just kinda depends on the day. I think I like DBT overall a little more, but THS's subject matter has struck a little more close to home with me, especially in a literal sense since they write almost exclusively about the upper Midwest.

My top 5 THS probably looks like:
Sequestered in Memphis
Most People are DJs
Banging Camp
Hot Soft Light
Southtown Girls

I really dig Sequestered & Certain Songs too - I imagine one of the main reasons I feel such a connection with DBT is the regional aspect, cuz I straddle the Al/Ga line, both states they could claim home too. More than anyone else, I feel like they know exactly how it is down here and feel about the same as me about it.

1. I'm a big fan of the song musically and I agree that it fits sonically on TBTD, but I'm with Zip - it's a perfect bonus track. I'm having trouble explaining why, but it has something to do with my perception that it's a stream of consciousness (albeit a cool one) about Patterson's experience at a show overseas, nothing less, nothing more. That's absolutely fine, but most of his songs, even the "lighter, just for fun" songs, i.e., Mrs. Claus' Kimono, President's Penis, perhaps Zoloft, Tough Sell, CIK or even 9B, demonstrate a deeper level of composition (even if those songs were written in a similar "stream" style). Or twistedness. Or that something was broiling beneath the surface in Patterson's head when he wrote them. While I like the song, and I think the lyrics are cool, it just doesn't hit me the same way as almost everything else in Patterson's catalogue.

2. I'm not sure if this is hypocritical, but I would have loved for Strutter to have been on the album. They rock the hell out of that song (more so than GWS, IMO), it's a cool cover, and the opening shenanigans are a throwback to the AAW mayhem.

3. I've never listened to THS. 3DD has never led me astray with music, see J Roddy and the Dexateens, so what's their story / sound?

It's no secret I'm a big fan of GWS. To me, it's just a fun song, and a blast to hear live. I also like it because it was co-written by Patterson and Cooley, something you don't see every day.

Regarding THS, there is a great divide between 3DD members. Some love them, others can't stand them. Personally, UR has been a fan for quite a while, but it took me seeing them live to really "get" them. The first time I saw them was on the Rock & Roll Means Well tour, with THS and DBT trading opening & headlining spots each night. That is when I became a THS fan.

It took five days for CG to weigh in on GWS. Huh glad I didn't bet on that I would have had the under.

I met my husband in 1986. He was fresh out of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and while he's not from Alabama, he had many, many fraternity brothers from the many podunk towns all around the state. I remember him saying to me early in our relationship, no doubt while we were in some bar, "You know what they say about girls who smoke, right? If she's a smoker, she's a poker". Trust me, he's a really nice guy and not a misogynist at all, but that was something that the boys at the ATO house used to say when evaluating their chances for getting lucky with a particular girl during an evening of drunken debauchery.

The band did a meet-and-greet and the Mile High Music Festival in Denver during The Big To-Do tour. I was completely star-struck and I suppose overwhelmed with the chance to talk to Cooley. After it was all over I wished I had asked Patterson exactly what HE thought they said about girls who smoke. Or maybe Cooley was the guy to ask, since he is gets co-writing credit on the song as the lyrics were supposedly taken from his stream-of-consciousness comments while crowd-watching during a nearly-miserable summer festival experience in England.

Anyways, great song, I have always loved it. To me it deserved to be a real track on TBTD and not a bonus track.

LOVE IT! I really hope they play this in Athens - it would make the whole trip for me!!!!

After all this waiting we finally have an answer.

You know what they say about....girls who smoke? If she's a smoker, she's a poker.

Thanks colodog.

Sterling Big Mouth wrote:
3. I've never listened to THS. 3DD has never led me astray with music, see J Roddy and the Dexateens, so what's their story / sound?

More or less mainstream rock for the 21st century (roots in mainstream rock, an alt indie feel). Springsteen is one obvious big influence. Songs about "the kids" - the outsiders in a big Midwestern city (Minneapolis) including sex, drugs & rock n' roll. And relationships, or the lack or difficulties thereof. Key albums are Almost Killed Me and Boys & Girls in America w/ Stay Positive a worthy third choice.

beantownbubba wrote:

Sterling Big Mouth wrote:
3. I've never listened to THS. 3DD has never led me astray with music, see J Roddy and the Dexateens, so what's their story / sound?

More or less mainstream rock for the 21st century (roots in mainstream rock, an alt indie feel). Springsteen is one obvious big influence. Songs about "the kids" - the outsiders in a big Midwestern city (Minneapolis) including sex, drugs & rock n' roll. And relationships, or the lack or difficulties thereof. Key albums are Almost Killed Me and Boys & Girls in America w/ Stay Positive a worthy third choice.

Sex, drugs, rock & roll AND relgion I would add. Perhaps not to the very depths of the matter, but at least the theme of sin and redemption is present in a lot of the lyrics.
One other big influence that I think should be mentioned is Cheap Trick.

RolanK wrote:

beantownbubba wrote:

Sterling Big Mouth wrote:
3. I've never listened to THS. 3DD has never led me astray with music, see J Roddy and the Dexateens, so what's their story / sound?

More or less mainstream rock for the 21st century (roots in mainstream rock, an alt indie feel). Springsteen is one obvious big influence. Songs about "the kids" - the outsiders in a big Midwestern city (Minneapolis) including sex, drugs & rock n' roll. And relationships, or the lack or difficulties thereof. Key albums are Almost Killed Me and Boys & Girls in America w/ Stay Positive a worthy third choice.

Sex, drugs, rock & roll AND relgion I would add. Perhaps not to the very depths of the matter, but at least the theme of sin and redemption is present in a lot of the lyrics.
One other big influence that I think should be mentioned is Cheap Trick.

The Hold Steady sounds like Jim Carroll, fronting Thin Lizzy.

I accept both amendments.

Let's not forget Separation Sunday.

The best way to get aquainted with The Hold Steady would be to acquire their first 4 albums, and then listen to them in chronological order at extremely loud volumes on a long road trip.

When you get to your destination, you're going to want to drink heavily and fornicate.

Rocky wrote:After all this waiting we finally have an answer.

You know what they say about....girls who smoke? If she's a smoker, she's a poker.

Thanks colodog.

It's similar, but I always heard, "If she smokes, she'll let you poke."

Iowan wrote:Let's not forget Separation Sunday.

The best way to get aquainted with The Hold Steady would be to acquire their first 4 albums, and then listen to them in chronological order at extremely loud volumes on a long road trip.

When you get to your destination, you're going to want to drink heavily and fornicate.

I don't think that if I had heard AKM & SS early on that I would have wound up as big of a Hold Steady fan as I am now. It was the more polished Boy's And Girls In America that drew me in. I couldn't even begin to describe how important The Hold Steady are to me. I love them every bit as much as I do DBT. The Rock n Roll Means Well Tour was pure magic for me.

sactochris wrote:

Iowan wrote:Let's not forget Separation Sunday.

The best way to get aquainted with The Hold Steady would be to acquire their first 4 albums, and then listen to them in chronological order at extremely loud volumes on a long road trip.

When you get to your destination, you're going to want to drink heavily and fornicate.

I don't think that if I had heard AKM & SS early on that I would have wound up as big of a Hold Steady fan as I am now. It was the more polished Boy's And Girls In America that drew me in. I couldn't even begin to describe how important The Hold Steady are to me. I love them every bit as much as I do DBT. The Rock n Roll Means Well Tour was pure magic for me.

Boys and Girls was what drew me in too, but it was also the first thing I ever heard from them. In hindsight I kind of wish that I had got in on the ground floor. Their themes build from the ground up with the first album, so thats why I recommend it to people. Almost Killed Me is one of my Top 10 debut albums of all time.

I've always heard "if she smokes, she pokes" or "if she smokes, she must like something in her mouth".

You boys are certainly a hopeful lot.

one belt loop wrote:You boys are certainly a hopeful lot.

Where would we be without optimism?