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.
With These Hands
Alejandro Escovedo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flames scream hear the children cry
You see the wicked prowl across the border
They say death's the only peace the poor understand
Run for cover, run for cover the storm is breaking
Father, son, Mother, daughter
Their earth is shaking
Run to the river the water will heal your wounds
Say what you will
With these hands
Say what you will
I'll say it with these hands
There's danger on the highway, It's in the shadows
Darker, Darker, Darker, I see the light
It's moving faster, howling like the wind blows
Time comes when you longer fear the night
The first few lines of Alejandro Escovedo's song "With These Hands" paint a picture of a world in chaos. The imagery of fire and screaming children, as well as the mention of wickedness and death, create a sense of danger and uncertainty. The lines "Run for cover, run for cover the storm is breaking/Father, son, Mother, daughter/Their earth is shaking" emphasize this feeling of impending destruction and the need to seek refuge.
However, despite the bleakness of the situation, the song offers a glimmer of hope in the form of the river. The lines "Run to the river, The water is cool/Run to the river the water will heal your wounds" suggest that there is a place of safety and healing that can offer solace amidst the chaos. The repetition of the phrase "With these hands" throughout the song reinforces the idea that even in the face of danger and adversity, individuals have agency and the power to effect change through their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel the fire burning from the other side
Sensing the intense passion from a different perspective
Flames scream hear the children cry
The fiery blaze is so hot it is causing distress and discomfort to the little ones
You see the wicked prowl across the border
Witnessing the malevolent characters lurking around the territorial line
They say death's the only peace the poor understand
Poverty and misery have made the underprivileged people accustomed to the permanent slumber
Run for cover, run for cover the storm is breaking
Take refuge, take refuge before the calamity ensues
Father, son, Mother, daughter
From adults to kids, from male to female, everyone is affected
Their earth is shaking
The ground underneath them is trembling
Run to the river, The water is cool
Head towards the stream, its surface is chill and refreshing
Run to the river the water will heal your wounds
The liquid flowing in the watercourse has the power to cure aching injuries
Say what you will
Express, speak up your mind
With these hands
With the assistance of the hands
I'll say it with these hands
I'll communicate it with my palm and fingers
There's danger on the highway, It's in the shadows
The thoroughfare has hidden hazardous elements
Darker, Darker, Darker, I see the light
Although it's getting darker and unclear, I can spot a dim light in the distance
It's moving faster, howling like the wind blows
The speed is accelerating, the noise resembles the sound of the gust
Time comes when you no longer fear the night
A moment will arrive where darkness won't frighten you anymore
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind