Time to get the tracks rolling again.

It's a Cooley song so you can never be exactly sure what's going on, but here's what I pull out of this one....
-- crazy car ride
-- the old lady's a piece of work
-- so is the baby mama
-- lawyers cost lots of $$$
-- "you're either someone's or your nothing" - ouch, that one can sting
-- in my mind Jimmy is Cooley's Billy Ringo.
-- Jay = Ronnie and Cooley = Keith





Trapped in a truck with Jimmy, listening to his band
Jimmy’s out of place same as ashtrays and column shifts
Said his last old lady nearly run him in the ground
Half a gram later I was hearing Jimmy loud

She had a tanning habit,
She’s like a talking leather couch
Warm between the cushions where she hid whatever treasure fell out
Said she only hollered when she’d stood as much as she could stand,
Jimmy’s ego can take it baby go on and fake it loud as you can

She’s my baby and she knows it I get reminded now and then
your either someone’s or your nothing,
God must be a lonely man

Them kids ain’t never listened, ain’t no use in trying now
All were doings’ getting older and our
welcome and our warnings wearing out
Jimmy’s babies mama’s got him lawyered up one side and down
That earful cost me nothing,
poor old Jimmy’s paying for it by the pound

Everybody loves a baby everybody loves a child
Nobody wants to see them damaged
Nobody wants them running wild

The moral lessons of a charmed life
Only get through guilty ears
Thanks to learning luck and half sense
I’m hearing Jimmy loud and clear

Great pick for a the next song off EO.

As you said, with a Cooley song, you never quite know what is going on, and there are simply no mentions of or reference to this song in the many interviews they did in support of the album release.

Some great imagery here ("out of place, same as ashtrays and column shifts", "like a talking leather couch, warm between the cushions where she hid whatever treasure fell out"), as well as some great lines to ponder ("you're either someone's or your nothing, God must be a lonely man", all we're doing's getting older and our welcome and our warning's wearing out", "the moral lessons of a charmed life only get through guilty ears").

Ultimately, the song is about the process and events (e.g., between a gram, age, reflection, comparison with his own life, and combined "luck and half sense"), by which the main character listened to his old friend babbling, but is now able to be "hearing Jimmy clear".

Great song.

Too bad about the so-so production and lousy guitar solo

Love this tune. As far as just a great, raunchy guitar riff it's my favorite of the album. But as an overall Cooley song on English Oceans, I'd have rank it third behind Shit Shots Count and Made Up English Oceans. But thats a tough thing to say cause I really dig it. It definitely has the most punk rock feel to it.

As far as the story behind it? My best guest is the narrator of the song is talking about an old buddy of his who can't buy a break. He's washed up, he plays in a band but isn't as good as he thinks, struggles w chicks and is just generally down and out. And maybe it was catching up and partying with Jimmy that gets the narrator to recognize all this. The 'talking leather couch' line may well be my favorite phrase on the entire album. Such great imagary and play on words.

I think Gaetzi nailed it.

Monster bass riff on this one.

I actually think it's Cooley's attempt at a big dumb pop song but it's a bit monotonous. Apart from the riff there's not a lot going on musically to hold my attention and after the a while my attention tends to drift off.

dogstar wrote:I actually think it's Cooley's attempt at a big dumb pop song but it's a bit monotonous. Apart from the riff there's not a lot going on musically to hold my attention and after the a while my attention tends to drift off.

I'm all for folks on the board having their own opinions, but I think this is far from a pop song. How many pop songs have lines about "half a gram"? Not too radio friendly. Dogstar were you referring more to the melody than the lyrics?

I love the line about column shifts....When I was a kid my grandfather had a '72 (I believe) Chevy pickup truck with a manual transmission that shifted from on the column. Take away my man card, but I could never figure out how to drive that thing!

Beaverdam - say it ain't so! All self respecting boys from the Southside of Virginia ought to know how to handle a three on the tree straight out the birth canal. It's just an H pattern but on the column. Don't sell yourself short...you got it in you. Bucket List it.

Beaverdam wrote:When I was a kid my grandfather had a '72 (I believe) Chevy pickup truck with a manual transmission that shifted from on the column. Take away my man card, but I could never figure out how to drive that thing!

I learned how to drive on a '70 Chevy pickup. 350 small block, a 3 on the tree, manual brakes, manual steering, manual clutch, and a seat that didn't adjust well. I'm pretty sure that my leg had to hit the steering wheel to find the friction point. It was either stalling out or burning rubber. The hardest damn thing for a teenager to try to drive.

Sometimes the riff that opens this song gets stuck in my head and just keeps repeating all day long.

Wasn't this the one that was originally titled (or at least nicknamed) Redneck Math Rock?

This song is in fact brilliant.

Basically it's a cautionary tale about how you don't want to end up being one of the guys in Anvil. (Though since the documentary, they've had quite a resurgence. But still...)

like a talking leather couch, warm between the cushions where she hid whatever treasure fell out

I know this is what the lyrics sheet says, but I am still wondering whether it isn't "worn" instead of "warm".

Depending on the cushions it may well be both.

LBRod wrote:Depending on the cushions it may well be both.

Beaverdam wrote:

dogstar wrote:I actually think it's Cooley's attempt at a big dumb pop song but it's a bit monotonous. Apart from the riff there's not a lot going on musically to hold my attention and after the a while my attention tends to drift off.

I'm all for folks on the board having their own opinions, but I think this is far from a pop song. How many pop songs have lines about "half a gram"? Not too radio friendly. Dogstar were you referring more to the melody than the lyrics?

Melody/riff more than lyrics - I'm not sure Cooley could ever write a pop song lyric. Duke appears to have come up with an accurate definition of a pop song

Duke Silver wrote:Sometimes the riff that opens this song gets stuck in my head and just keeps repeating all day long.

The big dumb pop song phrase is something Michael Stipe used to throw around in interviews about REM's poppier moments and just seemed apt.

When they did their European dates earlier in the year I think I used this as an excuse to go to the bathroom at least twice.

PonyGirl wrote:This song is in fact brilliant.

Basically it's a cautionary tale about how you don't want to end up being one of the guys in Anvil. (Though since the documentary, they've had quite a resurgence. But still...)

Now that's what I call a true opinion!

Zip City wrote:Great song.

Too bad about the so-so production and lousy guitar solo

Now you're just trolling me, Zip. I won't rise to the bait. Uh, did I just rise to the bait? Damn.

Markalanbishop wrote:

Zip City wrote:Great song.

Too bad about the so-so production and lousy guitar solo

Now you're just trolling me, Zip. I won't rise to the bait. Uh, did I just rise to the bait? Damn.

It's not trolling. Just one man's opinion. I think the guitars sound muffled, and the guitar solo is the worst in DBT history

All that said, the song is fucking great

Zip, I love ya man but "worst solo in DBT history" and you're NOT trolling?

It is a really sloppy solo but I'm not sure that's not intentonal.

Gaetzi wrote:It is a really sloppy solo but I'm not sure that's not intentonal.

I've always thought it was. kinda fits.

Tequila Cowboy wrote::lol:

Zip, I love ya man but "worst solo in DBT history" and you're NOT trolling?

Well by definition, SOME solo has to the worst in DBT history, right?

So who wants to do one of these track of the week threads? Shoot me a PM.

Clams wrote:So who wants to do one of these track of the week threads? Shoot me a PM.

Hey I didnt mean to kill the thread. Carry on.

Clams wrote:

Clams wrote:So who wants to do one of these track of the week threads? Shoot me a PM.

Hey I didnt mean to kill the thread. Carry on.

Too late. It's your own damn fault.

This was the first EO song that really grabbed me, thanks to that crushing, massive bass groove. Cooley ambiguities abound, with an extra helping of mean, which I really like.

So ...

Half a gram of what?

Southern Efficiency wrote:This was the first EO song that really grabbed me, thanks to that crushing, massive bass groove. Cooley ambiguities abound, with an extra helping of mean, which I really like.

So ...

Half a gram of what?

I always assumed it was coke

Southern Efficiency wrote:This was the first EO song that really grabbed me, thanks to that crushing, massive bass groove. Cooley ambiguities abound, with an extra helping of mean, which I really like.

So ...

Half a gram of what?

Let me turn that around: What could it possibly be other than cocaine?

beantownbubba wrote:

Southern Efficiency wrote:This was the first EO song that really grabbed me, thanks to that crushing, massive bass groove. Cooley ambiguities abound, with an extra helping of mean, which I really like.

So ...

Half a gram of what?

Let me turn that around: What could it possibly be other than cocaine?

After a little online research, I believe it could be meth, hash, or possibly heroin (which will please at least one reader).