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.
Gravity
Alejandro Escovedo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wheel spinning going 'round and 'round
No angels hangin' from the ceiling can save
You
No no St. Jude can't pull you out
No use in running from the shadows to
Strangers
No words written in the songs can save you
The silence drowns you, there's no way out
CHORUS:
Falling down again.Pale little girl, Falling
Down again
Don't ask me if it hurts
She walks down the street, leaves fall at
Her feet
She loves to hear them crush
You call out her name
But she just looks the other way
She ain't got the time
La la la la la, Na na na na na, ha ha
Ha ha ha
You knock on the door, but she ain't ever at
Home
So you try the phone
It rings and it rings
Till you're so sick of that thing
But you can't wish her home
La la la la la, Na na na na na, ha
Ha ha ha ha
So you write her a letter
Cause you can't think anything better
You're so proud of yourself
She tears it in two and throws it over her
Shoulder
Cause she don't want bad luck
La la la la la, Na na na na na, ha ha ha ha
Ha
In Alejandro Escovedo's song Gravity, the lyrics explore the dangers of gambling and the hopelessness that can come with it. The first verse states that when you gamble, you take your chances and there are no safety nets to help you out of a bad situation. Even St. Jude - the patron saint of lost causes - can't save you from the repercussions of bad choices. The second verse emphasizes that running away from your problems won't solve them, and even music can't always provide a way out. The chorus talks about a pale girl who keeps falling down, but won't admit to the pain she's feeling. She ignores those who try to reach out to her, preferring instead to walk alone and listen to the sound of leaves crunching beneath her feet. The final verse presents a picture of a man desperate to connect with her, but she refuses to be reached by anyone, tearing up a letter he's written in a symbolic gesture of giving up on hope.
The song is a bleak and unflinching meditation on the dangers of risk-taking and the ultimate sense of isolation that can come with it. It's also a deeply resonant critique of American capitalism and the often ruthless nature of the American Dream. The repetition of the phrase "la la la la" and the 'na na na' sounds in the chorus underscore the desperation and hopelessness of the situation. The song is an emotional rollercoaster, as the verses contrast sharply with the upbeat sound of the chorus. The paradox of the song is that while it's so difficult to extricate oneself from the cycle of hopelessness and addiction, there's a great deal of beauty and honesty in Escovedo's writing.
Line by Line Meaning
Pay your money, take your chances
Life is like a gamble, and it's all up to chance. You have to take a leap and hope for the best.
The wheel spinning going 'round and 'round
The chaos of life continues endlessly, with the cycle repeating over and over.
No angels hangin' from the ceiling can save
You
There's no divine intervention or guardian angel that can save you from the consequences of your actions.
No no St. Jude can't pull you out
Even the patron saint of lost causes cannot save you.
No use in running from the shadows to
Strangers
You cannot escape your problems by seeking help from people you don't know.
The odds are hard, they let you down
The chances of overcoming tough odds are slim, and more often than not, they don't work in your favor.
No words written in the songs can save you
The silence drowns you, there's no way out
Even music, the universal language that can speak to one's soul, cannot save you from the overwhelming silence and isolation that come with depression.
Falling down again.Pale little girl, Falling
Down again
Don't ask me if it hurts
The artist keeps falling deeper into depression, but refuses to show her pain and suffering to others who ask.
She walks down the street, leaves fall at
Her feet
She loves to hear them crush
Nature brings her joy and peace, even when everything else seems to be falling apart.
You call out her name
But she just looks the other way
She ain't got the time
She's too consumed with her own pain to notice the world around her, and doesn't have the emotional energy to engage with others.
You knock on the door, but she ain't ever at
Home
So you try the phone
It rings and it rings
Till you're so sick of that thing
But you can't wish her home
Even when people reach out to her, she's too caught up in her own thoughts and feelings to respond or come back to the world around her.
So you write her a letter
Cause you can't think anything better
You're so proud of yourself
She tears it in two and throws it over her
Shoulder
Cause she don't want bad luck
Even something as thoughtful and kind as a personal letter is not enough to break through her depression and isolation.
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.