Normal American Kids (acoustic) & Everlasting Everything (acoustic)
Twofer ahead! Today’s post is free for everyone. As a reminder: Songs are released frequently on Starship Casual (typically behind the paywall). Upgrade your membership to unlock the song vault.
“Normal American Kids”
Here’s a version with a bit more energy and some freer phrasing. I like the tone (exhausted despondency) of the Schmilco version but like they say, they ain’t me no more.
“Everlasting Everything”
I was always really proud of this tune musically, and it felt like something I needed to get off my chest. When it came together in the studio we really leaned into the drama of the key changes. In hindsight that instinct might have overwhelmed the sentiment. Still, when it came out, Bill Fay reached out to tell me how much he loved it. Which of course filled me with enormous pride to have made something satisfactory to one of my all-time heroes.
For whatever reason, in the years that have followed, it never really became a consistent part of the live repertoire. I mean…I guess I can think of some obvious reasons it hasn’t…like for instance, it’s a pretty major bummer of a tune. But that’s never really stopped us before. Wilco sets are littered with mood dampeners. So go figure, I guess. One other thing I’d point out--it's a real challenge for me to sing. And if you’re familiar with the song, you’ll notice here that I sing “would” instead of “could” in the choruses. I tried a couple more takes, but this is the one that sounds best.
And now I’m convinced that my lyrical amendment is an improvement. It’s a much more pleasant sound vocally and it’s by far a clearer lyric meaning-wise. So maybe that’s why it’s been neglected. It needed to be forgotten a bit. It’s actually kind of a relief to hear it now in this setting and feel like it’s been slightly improved by its low-profile nature. Otherwise I probably would have sung the “correct” lyric and still felt uneasy about the whole thing all over again.
These are lovely, and Jeff’s marginalia so interesting. Now please indulge me as I hijack in a well-meaning way. I was at the Aug. 12 Cedar Rapids show. It was simply excellent. Sadly the local paper didn’t review the show, as I enjoy comparing notes and learning. But a blogger or two took their obligatory turns, and the trouble with superfan bloggers is that they seem professionally obligated against joy. One suggested the show was a very competent dry run for the young tour, another put it solidly “in the middle” of the 40-some shows he’s seen. Well I’m here to tell you it was in the top 3 of the 3 I’ve seen, and it was fabulous. And mirthful. Fans breaking protocol to bring gifts and signables to the stage elicited a Wilcovian (did I just coin that? Me likes.) mix of bemusement and befuddlement, with Jeff finally declaring it “bold ... and ill-advised” to much laughter. Even more laughter later, toward the end of what I experienced as a very joyous, spirited performance, when Jeff thanked the crowd for its appreciation and said, “You’ve been such a wonderful audience. I don’t usually enthuse about audiences this way. [Pause for effect] I’m not a big fan of audiences in general.” This brought the house down, or most of it, with the rest coming down with the last few slamming tunes. I’m going on record to say it was a wonderful show. Thanks for indulging.
I love the aural landscapes the Wilcos make together & the mood that created. But the acoustic versions you’ve been sharing here really let the lyrics stretch out and shine. Thank you for sharing them.
I also wanted to thank you for something else. My mother passed away earlier this month, and I have been leaning heavily on your work the last few weeks. Thank you for openly and honestly exploring death & grief in your writing. It’s made processing this a little easier, I think.