Escovedo's family tree includes former Santana percussionist Pete Escovedo and Pete's daughter, Sheila E (also Prince's former drummer and later a pop star). He began his music career with the Nuns, a mid-'70s punk band based in San Francisco. He co-founded the pioneering cowpunk band Rank and File in 1979, which moved to Austin, Texas, in 1981 after a stint in New York City. The band released Sundown on Slash Records in 1982, but shortly after, Escovedo left to form the True Believers with brother Javier. The band recorded two albums for EMI and toured the country, often as an opening act for Los Lobos. However, EMI opted not to release the second album, which eventually led to the group's break-up. (It eventually surfaced as a bonus item when Rykodisc reissued the first set on CD in 1994.)
Escovedo released a solo album in 1992 on Watermelon Records, Gravity, uniting his wide variety of styles; the album was produced by Stephen Bruton of Bonnie Raitt's band. Escovedo also began gigging periodically with the band Buick MacKane, who fused old-school punk with 70's glam rock; after Rykodisc released Escovedo's With These Hands in 1996, they followed it up with Buick MacKane's long-awaited album. After Escovedo parted ways with Rykodisc, he signed with the Chicago-based alt-country label Bloodshot in 1998, who released the live album More Miles Than Money: Live 1994-1996 and the acclaimed studio set A Man Under The Influence.
In April of 2003, Escovedo collapsed following a show in Phoenix, AZ, and he was subsequently diagnosed with Hepatitis C. An outpouring of support from musicians led to a series of successful benefit concerts to help pay Escovedo's medical expenses and keep his music before the public, followed by a tribute album, Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo, which was released in 2004.
In June 2010, Escovedo released Street Songs of Love.
Down In The Bowery
Alejandro Escovedo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the blues sometimes
Everybody's got feel some things
They don't want to feel sometimes
I'd buy you a smile in a minute
But would you wear it?
If I had one moment in time
Would you com down and share it?
I want to see you out on the street
Makin' a scene for everybody
I want to hear your voice up above
The crowd and the noise
Down in the Bowery
I hope you live long enough to forget
Half the stuff they taught you
When it's all said and done I hope
You've got your own set of rules
To hang on to
I'd buy you a smile in a minute
But would you wear it?
If I had one moment of time
Would you come down and share it?
I want to see you out on the street
Makin' a scene for everybody
I want to hear your voice up above
The crowd and the noise
Down in the Bowery
I hope you live long enough to forget
Half the stuff they taught you
When it's all said and done I hope
You've got your own set of rules
To hang on to
I'd buy you a smile in a minute
But would you wear it?
If I had one moment of time
Would you come down and share it?
I want to see you out on the street
Makin' a scene for everybody
I want to hear your voice up above
The crowd and the noise
Down in the Bowery
The song "Down in the Bowery" by Alejandro Escovedo expresses a message of hope and encouragement to listeners who may be feeling down or struggling with difficult emotions. The lyrics suggest that everyone experiences the blues from time to time and faces situations that they don't want to deal with. However, the singer offers to "buy" the listener a smile and share a moment of time with them, suggesting that a little bit of connection and kindness can go a long way in lifting one's spirits.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the desire of the singer to see the listener standing out and making themselves heard above the noise of the crowds in the Bowery. This can be interpreted as a call-to-action, urging listeners to embrace their individuality and find their own voice, rather than conforming to societal norms or expectations. The singer hopes that the listener will "hang on to" their own set of rules and beliefs, rather than internalizing the messages that they may have been taught by others.
Overall, "Down in the Bowery" can be seen as an uplifting and empowering song that encourages listeners to be true to themselves and embrace the unique qualities that make them who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's got to dance
With the blues sometimes
Everyone goes through hard times and has to deal with sad feelings.
Everybody's got feel some things
They don't want to feel sometimes
Everyone has to face certain emotions or experiences that they would rather avoid.
I'd buy you a smile in a minute
But would you wear it?
The singer wants to make the person happy, but wonders if they would even accept this kindness.
If I had one moment in time
Would you com down and share it?
The singer wishes they could share an important moment with the person, but is not sure if they actually would.
I want to see you out on the street
Makin' a scene for everybody
The singer wants the person to be confident and bold, and not be afraid to stand out in a crowd.
I want to hear your voice up above
The crowd and the noise
Down in the Bowery
The singer wants the person's unique thoughts and opinions to be heard, even in a place where it's difficult to stand out or be noticed.
I hope you live long enough to forget
Half the stuff they taught you
The singer hopes the person can break free from the negative or limiting messages that they may have been taught in the past.
When it's all said and done I hope
You've got your own set of rules
To hang on to
The singer wants the person to develop their own beliefs and values, rather than just following what others tell them.
I'd buy you a smile in a minute
But would you wear it?
The singer repeats this line, emphasizing their desire to bring happiness to the person, but also their uncertainty about whether it would truly be appreciated.
If I had one moment of time
Would you come down and share it?
The singer repeats this line, again expressing their wish to share a special moment with the person and their uncertainty about whether it is possible.
I want to see you out on the street
Makin' a scene for everybody
The singer repeats this line, emphasizing their desire for the person to be confident and unafraid to stand out.
I want to hear your voice up above
The crowd and the noise
Down in the Bowery
The singer repeats this line, again emphasizing their wish for the person's unique thoughts and opinions to be heard and valued.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, CHUCK PROPHET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind