The Walkabouts
The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris… Read Full Bio ↴The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson. Other members have been Michael Wells, Glenn Slater and Terri Moeller. The Walkabouts disbanded in 2015.
Although the Walkabouts started in Seattle, US their main base of popularity was Europe. Their blend of folk idioms and noisy experimental rock has won them lots of devoted fans; however, even with twelve studio albums and another 15 EPs, live albums and compilations released, they still remain below the radar of the public at large.
The band drew inspiration from folk and country music, particularly Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, French chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.
The Walkabouts achieved commercial success and a strong fanbase in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since early 1990s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record charts in countries such as Greece and Norway.
Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman met in 1983 when they were both working at an Alaskan fish cannery as a summer break from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1984 they moved to Seattle, and the band was born when they joined forces with Chris' two younger brothers, drummer Grant and bassist Curt. The Eckman brothers had been playing in various punk rock and pop groups during their college years, and Carla came from a folk and street singing background. The band took their name from the cult Nicolas Roeg film, Walkabout. [1]
They released their first EP, 22 Disasters, in early 1985. Curt Eckman then left the band, to be replaced by Michael Wells. Their second EP, Linda Evans/Cyclone, was released in 1987. The following year they released their first album, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens, on the PopLlama label, before being signed by Sub Pop as that label's first non-grunge band. Adding keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Slater, they released three albums on Sub Pop over the next few years - Cataract (1989), Rag & Bone (1990), and Scavenger (1991). They also toured extensively, particularly in Europe. In 1992 they left Sub Pop Seattle, but remained with Sub Pop Europe who issued three more albums, New West Motel (1993), Satisfied Mind (1993), and Setting The Woods On Fire (1994). Drummer Terri Moeller replaced Grant Eckman in 1992, when he left to care for his new born son, Dakota Eckman.[1]
Satisfied Mind was their first of several albums largely or wholly comprising songs originally written and recorded by an eclectic variety of other artists, including Nick Cave, Charlie Rich, Johnny Rivers, Patti Smith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Gene Clark. Their 1996 collection of unreleased songs, Death Valley Days, also included songs by Neil Young, Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, and in 2000 they issued Train Leaves At Eight, which broadened the approach further by including songs by European artists including Mikis Theodorakis, Goran Bregović, Jacques Brel and Neu!.[1]
In 1995 the band signed with Virgin Records in Germany and released Devil's Road (1996) - recorded in part with the Warsaw Philharmonic - and Nighttown (1997), leading to new levels of success in Europe. Michael Wells left the band for several years in 1996, rejoining in 2003. In 1999 they moved to the German record label, Glitterhouse Records (the successor to Sub Pop Europe), and released Trail of Stars (1999), Train Leaves At Eight (2000), Ended Up A Stranger (2001), Slow Days With Nina (2003) - an EP tribute to Nina Simone - and Acetylene (2005).
Eckman and Torgerson have also released albums as side projects under the name Chris & Carla and as solo artists. Eckman has worked with Willard Grant Conspiracy in recent years, on the albums Regard The End and Let It Roll, as well as with The Bambi Molesters.
Terri Moeller has also formed The Transmissionary Six with Paul Austin, formerly of Willard Grant Conspiracy.
Although the Walkabouts started in Seattle, US their main base of popularity was Europe. Their blend of folk idioms and noisy experimental rock has won them lots of devoted fans; however, even with twelve studio albums and another 15 EPs, live albums and compilations released, they still remain below the radar of the public at large.
The band drew inspiration from folk and country music, particularly Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, French chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.
The Walkabouts achieved commercial success and a strong fanbase in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since early 1990s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record charts in countries such as Greece and Norway.
Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman met in 1983 when they were both working at an Alaskan fish cannery as a summer break from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1984 they moved to Seattle, and the band was born when they joined forces with Chris' two younger brothers, drummer Grant and bassist Curt. The Eckman brothers had been playing in various punk rock and pop groups during their college years, and Carla came from a folk and street singing background. The band took their name from the cult Nicolas Roeg film, Walkabout. [1]
They released their first EP, 22 Disasters, in early 1985. Curt Eckman then left the band, to be replaced by Michael Wells. Their second EP, Linda Evans/Cyclone, was released in 1987. The following year they released their first album, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens, on the PopLlama label, before being signed by Sub Pop as that label's first non-grunge band. Adding keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Slater, they released three albums on Sub Pop over the next few years - Cataract (1989), Rag & Bone (1990), and Scavenger (1991). They also toured extensively, particularly in Europe. In 1992 they left Sub Pop Seattle, but remained with Sub Pop Europe who issued three more albums, New West Motel (1993), Satisfied Mind (1993), and Setting The Woods On Fire (1994). Drummer Terri Moeller replaced Grant Eckman in 1992, when he left to care for his new born son, Dakota Eckman.[1]
Satisfied Mind was their first of several albums largely or wholly comprising songs originally written and recorded by an eclectic variety of other artists, including Nick Cave, Charlie Rich, Johnny Rivers, Patti Smith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Gene Clark. Their 1996 collection of unreleased songs, Death Valley Days, also included songs by Neil Young, Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, and in 2000 they issued Train Leaves At Eight, which broadened the approach further by including songs by European artists including Mikis Theodorakis, Goran Bregović, Jacques Brel and Neu!.[1]
In 1995 the band signed with Virgin Records in Germany and released Devil's Road (1996) - recorded in part with the Warsaw Philharmonic - and Nighttown (1997), leading to new levels of success in Europe. Michael Wells left the band for several years in 1996, rejoining in 2003. In 1999 they moved to the German record label, Glitterhouse Records (the successor to Sub Pop Europe), and released Trail of Stars (1999), Train Leaves At Eight (2000), Ended Up A Stranger (2001), Slow Days With Nina (2003) - an EP tribute to Nina Simone - and Acetylene (2005).
Eckman and Torgerson have also released albums as side projects under the name Chris & Carla and as solo artists. Eckman has worked with Willard Grant Conspiracy in recent years, on the albums Regard The End and Let It Roll, as well as with The Bambi Molesters.
Terri Moeller has also formed The Transmissionary Six with Paul Austin, formerly of Willard Grant Conspiracy.
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The Walkabouts Lyrics
06. Lover's Crime Way up north, my love lies sleepin' Her lonely grave,…
07. Shelter For An Evening Howling like a banshee in the middle of the night…
08. Dear Darling Why would you run? I beg stars above A thing…
09. Poor Side Of Town How can you tell me how much you miss me When…
1 1 our healin' mark was reached above this floodlit street bene…
10. Free Money Every night before I go to sleep I find a…
11. The Storms Are On The Ocean Well I'm going away to leave you And I'm going…
12. Feel Like Going Home I've tried and I fell And I'm tired and weary…
Acetylene Rules of the game Have gone and changed Snapped! Somethin…
Ahead Of The Storm Gotta trust my name No fork in my tongue Gotta trust my…
All For This I come from nowhere I was nowhere bound never once beli…
Almost Wisdom Got an earthquake shack near Elbe. Got a garden of…
Before This City Wakes At the cinema of flames I work the swing shift When I…
Big Black Car ( written by Alex Chilton ) Driving in my big black…
Blown Away Out past the trees there is nothing to burn Just an…
Blue Head Flame tongue tied, said my prayers 20 years or more seems like y…
Bones Of Contention Well the fires are tended And my blood it just boils (Hey…
Bordertown I can sleep it off, Sleep it back to sleep, I can…
Break It Down Gently It soon appears Long rented shores Too big to name And secon…
Breakneck Speed The season has come When nothing gets done Save copycat kill…
Buffalo Ballet When Abilene was young and gay And thunder storms filled…
Cello Song ( written by Nick Drake ) Strange face, with your eyes…
Christmas Valley It's breathin' time In Christmas Valley Herons fly by nigh…
Climb Misery's a hostage That you treat too fair, and The…
Cold Eye painted so many towns painted them up and down down to…
Coming Up for Air Suckin' alabaster in a ventilator shaft Chewin' on surrende…
Crime Story thunder laughs and thunderclaps the afternoons round here, …
Cul-De-Sac Two years since it snowed The streets are slush and…
Dead Man Rise Wake up dead man, there's a noise You must attend It will…
Dear Darling Why would you run? I beg stars above A thing…
Desert Skies Black light fades Headlights switched off The engine burns A…
Devil in the Details The devils in the dull details The devils in the coffin Of…
Disamistade (Fabrizio De AndreÕ and Ivano Fossati) What are these souls …
Disamistade (live) What are these souls doing in front of the church? These…
Drag This River Quick, burn it down to the wick Burn it down to…
Drille Terriers Every morn at sven o'clock There's twenty terriers drilling…
Drown somethin' of a shambles another wicked tangle still I beli…
End-In-Tow Storm it shook ya down From the burial ground There…
Ended Up a Stranger Cacophonous and slippery 4:35 in the mornin' And I'm drivin…
Every River Will Burn Your prediction Wasn't very hard Mexico ain't in the cards…
Fairground Blues I can still remember the coat I wore that day yellow as…
Fallen Down Moon There's a place between Shadow and light Where your scars…
Feast Or Famine In a trailer park with hungry dogs Eat stolen bread With sto…
Feel Like Going Home I've tried and I fell And I'm tired and weary…
Feeling No Pain Will you crash the engine of our ruin? Who'll spill the…
Findlay's Motel Findlay was on his last legs But he made the…
Firetrap Come back in the winter, Won't steal away too long. And when…
Follow Me an Angel The city's shiverin' Shivers in the heat That we call…
Forever Gone Streaks of light On the graveyard walk Your bright star…
Forgiveness Song Bang out the night song on an old kettle drum don't ask…
Free Money Every night before I go to sleep I find a…
Fuck Your Fear A rumble in my bones A cold sting on my lips The…
Glad Nation's Death Song These are the ghosts that I half believed Guns &…
Glass Palace A crooked road on a country mile The widow walks from…
Gold See my silly watch Every second lost, hm Lost in a strange…
Good Luck Morning Maybe you should disappear, And now I've warned you so. Bury…
Goodbye Wisecracks and hijacks And contracts to sell Old wine in…
Grand Theft Auto In this town The blood will make you rich Yeah, in this…
Hang Man Hangman take these heads from me And swing 'em from your…
Harbour Lights Harbour lights will change your plans More than judge or…
Have You Ever Seen the Morning? I tried to catch the bus Out towards your place But the…
Heartless This is where it starts This is... where it stops…
Hell's Soup Kitchen Rolled in the mud But I could never come clean…
Hightimes hightimes, undermine tell me somethin' I don't know hight…
Hole In The Mountain Carved your name on the numbering hill, Now it looks…
Home As Found Well it should have been the first place But instead it…
Immaculate Said this was our town The joke it was on us We…
Jack Candy Jack Candy was as old as my father But still I…
John Reilly Fair young maiden All in the garden Strange young man Passed…
Jumping Off Dressed in jealous clothes She drove to the black hole Out p…
Kalashnikov Kalashnikov Closed circuit silence I know I test your nerv…
Last Ditch This is the last ditch ever I dug Once there were…
Last Tears These are your last tears for the century Don't cry…
Laughingstock Why we can't fake it you won't ever say Both arms…
Lazarus Heart I keep crashin' Into parked cars Waitin' for a horse And…
Lest We Forget Your lazy body Lyin' in the snow A sparkle in the…
Let's Burn Down The Cornfield Let's burn down the cornfield Let's burn down the cornfield…
Life: The Movie Why do you whisper? It's true, true lovers whisper Or…
Lift Your Burdens Up Been a lot of rain out there Rainin' blind Summer's…
Like a Hurricane ( written by Neil Young ) Once I thought I saw…
Long Black Veil Beyond the reach There are rows of tender hooks Where nothin…
Long Drive In A Slow Machine Baby hold that point We will get back to this But there's…
Long Time Here If you want good times I know where to look And if…
Loom of the Land It was the dirty end of winter Along the loom of…
Lover's Crime Way up north, my love lies sleepin' Her lonely grave,…
Maggie's Farm Well, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more No,…
Man From Reno If I could loose If you could choose For this next dance…
Medicine Hat Steal it from the yard Medicine hat she wore Mother's prot…
More Heat Than Light I never met your castanets I never met them Spanish…
Mr. Clancy If you're ready and the creek don't rise If you're ready…
Murdering Stone Man came down from the field A lonely horseman Heading…
My Diviner It hasn't rained much Out here this year It's a new kind…
Nightbirds The nightbirds stumble in Like broken pendulums The nigh…
Nightdrive Check the main road one more time. Check the main road…
No One The Wiser our healin' mark was reached above this floodlit street bene…
Northsea Train The rain crawls up the coast I know you hate This one-way…
Nothing Is A Stranger Spent another season in the valley of the bones But higher…
Old Crow Now all of us knew Old Crow as the patron…
On the Beach ( written by Neil Young ) The world is turning, I…
On The Day behind the bric and brac there will be no lookin' back…
Pass Me on Over Lead you over to the water, Said "Hold it down…
Polly If the wild-bird could speak He'd tell of places you…
Poor Side Of Town How can you tell me how much you miss me When…
Prayer for You When you burn your kingdom Through the ashes I will come I…
Promised Promise me my soul to keep. And promise me you'll…
Radiant Radiant ghost Love you the most Call me from the next…
Rainmaker Blues The rainmaker's comin' He's already in the next town The r…
Rebecca Wild Gathered by the riverside the current pulls 100 years each w…
River Blood Highwater is everywhere, highwater is telling me to go There…
Sand & Gravel The sky is always heavy here, And the mules they…
Satisfied Mind How many times have you heard someone say "If I…
See It in the Dark Tryin' hard to keep this I see it in the…
Shelter For An Evening Howling like a banshee in the middle of the night Don't…
Slow Red Dawn We need a better idea, here quick Before the sun's beatin'…
Smokestack Swept the floor of dreams Live ones in the cracks Crawlin…
Snake Mountain Blues Mr. ten dollar man Let me tell you where you're…
Soul Thief The burden I carry Is the story I tell Those in purgatory …
Specimen Days Oh one night of mercy Give me one night of merciful Shocks…
Stir The Ashes All dressed up for the day of the dead I have…
Straight To The Stars don't wait any longer not a second more don't wait for the…
Sundowner Deaf as a fence post Alone on a winter's night I'm drunk…
Sweet Revenge Fourteen and one half years You know I was good fortune's…
The Anvil Song Lose your coat and roll your sleeves This is demolition tim…
The Dustlands When I reach the river towns Dustlands call Telling me to …
The Last Ones We are the last ones The last ones Try that on for…
The Leaving Kind Trying hard to remember your voice it seems so faraway a…
The Light Will Stay On I go to sleep, before the devil wakes and I wake up,…
The Light Will Stay On (single version) I go to sleep before the devil wakes And I wake up before…
The Night Watch I'm the nightwatchman and nothing gets behind my back Work…
The Nightwatch I'm the nightwatchman and nothing gets behind my back W…
The River People Down here everyone says that the river people don't really…
The Stopping-Off Place Well the fog's rollin' thick in the trees And the fire…
The Storms Are On The Ocean Well, I'm going away to leave you And I'm gone for…
The Wellspring Knock yourself And knock again Roll it all into your hand An…
These Proud Streets To these streets Brazen and broken Never known No other way …
They Are Not Like Us Fear is weightless Anger weighs a ton Throw money at it A…
Thieves Like Us Don't ask me to run from here you might be surprised. Don't…
Thin of the Air I could see you weren't from here You didn't run the…
This Rotten Tree Liars left their roost last night I heard it from some…
Till I Reach You I don't care how long it might last don't care…
Train to Mercy Last time that I saw you, you were on the…
Tremble Gettin' stupid ... crooked feet A pinball on ... Scott…
Unholy Dreams (Well) I dreamed I saw the devil's club Growin' by the…
Unwind You're an open gate On a barbed wire fence Swingin'…
Up In The Graveyard The graveyard sits by the Prescott mill. Where my old…
When Fortune Smiles even the mightiest rivers will bend before they vanish, in …
Where The Deep Water Goes Into the heart of this old sunken ship A white…
Whereabouts Unknown Cross your heart gently The best days are with us…
Whiskey XXX Whiskey hold me well And never let me spill From…
Whisper Baby, baby Foolish baby Wipe your foolish blame Crazy, cr…
Who-Knows-What I waited all day And it seemed like one day too…
Wild Sky Revelry Big wheels whine As they're comin' down the rise You're in…
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone When death shall close these eyelids And this heart shall…
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? When death shall close these eyelids And this heart shall ce…
Winslow Place Planes fly low over Our heads over our bed The…
Wondertown I'll break the jackpot open In a wondertown, wondertown I'…
Wreck Of The Old T'was a cold wintry night Not a star was in sight And…
Wreck Of The Old #9 T'was a cold wintry night Not a star was in sight And…
Yesterday Is Here ( written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan ) If you…
Your Hope Shines Lay my body down By the shallows of the creek You can…