Old Joe

Old Joe
lived out in the valley
where things could get rough.
He wasn’t one for luxury
and he may have loved alcohol
a little too much.

His shack was up on a hill
lookin’ down on his small plot of land.
Mostly weeds and overgrowth
a few pines and some aspens
that had gotten out of hand.

Now there in the middle
he did keep a garden
that he tended with
a lonely man’s care.
Should any varmint enter
he would have shot them
fair and square.

Beside his bed
every night
laid his grandfather’s rifle
and a shot of whisky on ice.
He coveted the familiar
and that combo felt right.

A private man he was.
The government be damned.
They could never take his money
if he buried it underground
in a can.

And so when he got that letter,
Eminent Domain,
he stomped and hollered
cursed and swore.
“Ain’t nobody taking what’s mine,
that’s for sure.”

He was asked to leave and
they gave him a month.
But the whole town knew
it wasn’t enough.

Old Joe made a plan.
No change was comin’
so long as he owned a gun
they would get nothin’.

Then came the time
when that crew of orange
was on the property line.
The diesels growlin’ and
the Super ready to start
the daily grind.

But out comes Old Joe,
his face snarled and mean,
even started bearing his teeth.
Gun in his hand,
he yelled at them to
get off his land.

The Super had seen this behavior before,
all those tree-huggers and gypsy galores.
So he tried a few methods
to see what would provoke
Old Joe to leave
without casting stones.

Relenting,
Old Joe left his home
and hunkered in the garden.
Gun drawn and giving no pardons.

The Super smirked and told his men,
“I guess we will just have to go around it then.”

And so now the highway splits
at that little garden.
And Old Joe still sits,
gun in hand
and whiskey beside him.

UNBEARABLY WHITE – Vampire Weekend

Released as part of an EP in April 2019 and subsequently on Vampire Weekend’s fourth studio album Father of the Bride,  “Unbearably White” is anything but. It’s a colorful tune, with a lovely amount of movement playing between the layers, a real skill of the band’s.

Ezra Koenig, the lead singer, has said the song is about how “infighting among white people who is marginally more or less white is not particularly interesting” to the Sunday Times. And while perhaps one could twist the lyrics and search for that non-existent ploy, the song’s title and his joking take is more of a jab at a 2015 article that featured his photo and mentioned the band.

So let’s get to the real center of the song and it’s enjoyable qualities. The song starts with a playful electric guitar and a simple bongo pattern with a snare. Though the sound often puts me in a summertime mood, the lyrics suggest the opposite.

“Baby I love you / but that’s not enough.” From the beginning, it’s clear we are hearing about a relationship on the brink. If love’s not enough, what is? The narrator takes some time away, ending up at a mountain with snow that “was just unbearably white.”

Strings and a washboard pull us to a whipped shrill as we plunge into the next verse. Here we find the other person in the relationship still in the city with the frigid winter in full play. Likely looking to writing for some comfort, he/she opens the notebook and finds it “unbearably white.” As a writer myself, I know how haunting a blank page can feel, specially during a rough time.

The surface lightness of the verses drop off to the chorus as the strings intensify their holds and a synthesizer(?) joins the mix. The bass drum mimics a heartbeat, emphasizing the vulnerability and heaviness of what they both realize – the relationship is coming to an end.

It’s clear that the demise of what they had is hard, even though they were both expecting it. “Don’t cover your eyes” – no need to pretend any longer.

The words of the chorus “To learn what kept us together, darling / is what kept us alive.” seems to relish along the lines of love lost. From there the song dissipates to a reverbed/vibrato pedaled guitar and into the next verse.

“Unbearable” is a dominant word throughout, a statement in itself on the relationship. They shed the darkness that had enveloped them, coming out lighter. Though now apart and as difficult as it was, they’ve made the right choice.

We plunge again to the chorus and are held in its fluid pulse. The song releases to a reprise and the repetitious “Call it a day/Call it a night.” A nice groove with the bass and bongo, and the eventual addition of the washboard and some chimes/bells brings the song to a slow dissolve.

I think this tune is a great highlight to Father of the Bride and not one to be missed. Also, a great one to add to your skiing playlist while being surrounded by unbearably white snow (hint: check out the music video). T

Take a look at the the lyrics below and listen to the song here.

Enjoy!

“Unbearably White” – Vampire Weekend

Baby, I love you
But that’s not enough
And pulling away has been unbearably buff
I ran up the mountain
Out of your sight
The snow on the peak was just unbearably white

The city was freezing
An elegant flow
The wind at the doorway was unbearably cold
You walked to the bedroom
And sat down to write
The page in your notebook was unbearably white

There’s an avalanche coming
Don’t cover your eyes
It’s what you thought that you wanted
It’s still a surprise
It’s hard on the body
It’s hard on the mind
To learn what kept us together, darling
Is what kept us alive

Sooner or later
The story gets told
To tell it myself would be unbearably bold
Presented with darkness
We turn to the light
Could’ve been smart, we’re just unbearably bright

There’s an avalanche coming
Don’t cover your eyes
It’s what you thought that you wanted
It’s still a surprise
It’s hard on the body
It’s hard on the mind
To learn what kept us together, darling
Is what kept us alive

Call it a day
Call it a night
Calloused and cold and just unbearably white (x3)

Baby, I love you (Call it a day)
But that’s not enough (Call it a night)
And pulling away has been unbearably rough (Calloused and cold and just unbearably white)
I ran up the mountain (Call it a day)
Out of your sight (Call it a night)
The snow on the peak was just unbearably white

Call it a day
Call it a night
Careless and cold and just unbearably white

Call it a day
Call it a night