According to Bob Dylan's autobiographical Chronicles, Woody Guthrie gave his unpublished songs to Dylan but Bob was unable to get them from Guthrie's family (he tells a story about a reluctant babysitter).
Nora Guthrie's liner notes in Mermaid Avenue indicate that it was her intention that the songs be given to a new generation of musicians who would be able to make the songs relevant to a younger generation. She therefore contacted singer-songwriter Billy Bragg in spring 1995 about recording some unreleased songs by her father, folk singer Woody Guthrie. Most of the songs were written late in Guthrie's life when he was unable to record due to the motor impairments of Huntington's disease. By the 1990s, Woody Guthrie had become a "relic" to the MTV generation, and Nora sought to establish a different legacy for the musician. To Nora, Bragg was "the only singer I knew taking on the same issues as Woody." Bragg was concerned, however, that his fans would not realize that the songs were written by Guthrie when he performed them on tour, so he decided to record the album with another band.
Bragg contacted Tweedy and Bennett about co-recording the album while Wilco was on the European segment of their Being There tour. Bragg was particularly fond of Being There because their influences extended farther back than the 1950s. Although Tweedy was indifferent to the offer, Bennett was enthused about recording songs of one of his idols—Bennett's previous band Titanic Love Affair was named after a Billy Bragg lyric. A recording contract between Bragg and Wilco was signed after a show at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Bragg mostly recorded the politically-charged lyrics, while Tweedy preferred to record lyrics that showcased Guthrie as a "freak weirdo." The recording of Mermaid Avenue began on December 12, 1997, and was the topic of BBC's Man in the Sand documentary film.
Tempers flared between Bragg and Wilco after the album was completed. Bennett believed that Bragg was overproducing his songs, a sharp contrast to Wilco's sparser contributions. Bennett called Bragg about the possibility of remixing Bragg's songs, to which Bragg responded with "you make your record, and I'll make mine, fucker." Eventually Bragg sent copies of his recordings to Chicago for Bennett to remix, but Bragg refused to use the new mixes on the album. The two parties were unable to establish a promotional tour and quarreled over royalties and guest musician fees.
Despite these conflicts, the album was released on June 23, 1998, and sold over 277,000 copies. The album received rave reviews from Robert Christgau and Rolling Stone, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It also placed fourth on the Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1998 (right behind Bob Dylan's Live 1966).
Bugeye Jim
Billy Bragg & Wilco Lyrics
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I lose my house and my home again
If I get up and try to come
I get sent back to the land I'm from
Back to the land I'm from
The cloud came low and the rain did pour
I hear your hand touch on my door
Shows you standing in my room
Standing in my room
Bugeye Jim, I can't come
I can twist and turn, but I can't come
I can ache and I can burn, but I can't come
I woke up this morning with an aching brain
Hear you tap on my window pane
I look at you with a heavy head
I hear you sit down on my bed
The storm gets worse and my heart feels bare
I feel your fingers comb my hair
Feel you comb my hair
The mud it runs and the waters rise
I feel your hotkiss on my eyes
The rain it rained and the world did stir
I sing to you my lovesick word
I sing to you my lovesick word
Bugeye Jim, I can't come
I can twist and turn, I can't come
I can ache and I can burn, but I can't come
I woke up this morning with an aching brain
Hear you tap on my window pane
The song "Bugeye Jim" by Billy Bragg tells the story of a man who is torn between two homes. He cannot let someone in without facing the consequences of losing either his physical home or the place where he truly belongs. The singer feels conflicted and trapped, unable to make a decision between the two. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of an impending storm, with rain pouring down as the singer hears a knock at his door. He longs for the comfort and love of the person on the other side but is ultimately unable to go to them. He sings of feelings of lovesickness and pain, with a heavy heart and aching brain.
The message means that sometimes you have to make tough choices and weigh the consequences of your actions. It speaks of the difficulty of letting someone in when it could lead to the loss of something deeply important. The use of imagery throughout the song adds to the emotional distress of the situation, making it clear just how hard the decision is for the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
If I get up and let you in
If I allow you to enter my house
I lose my house and my home again
I may lose my dwelling
If I get up and try to come
If I attempt to leave
I get sent back to the land I'm from
I'm forced to return to my place of origin
Back to the land I'm from
Back to my homeland
The cloud came low and the rain did pour
It started to rain heavily
I hear your hand touch on my door
I hear you knocking at my door
The rain has quit and the light of the moon
The rain has stopped and the moon is shining
Shows you standing in my room
I see you standing in my room
Standing in my room
You are standing in my room
Bugeye Jim, I can't come
I am unable to go with you, Bugeye Jim
I can twist and turn, but I can't come
I am struggling to find a way to come with you, but I cannot
I can ache and I can burn, but I can't come
I am experiencing pain and discomfort, but I cannot come with you
I woke up this morning with an aching brain
I woke up with a headache
Hear you tap on my window pane
I hear you tapping on my window glass
I look at you with a heavy head
I look at you with a groggy, tired mind
I hear you sit down on my bed
I hear you sitting on my bed
The storm gets worse and my heart feels bare
The weather is getting worse and I am feeling vulnerable
I feel your fingers comb my hair
I feel your fingers running through my hair
Feel you comb my hair
You are combing my hair
The mud it runs and the waters rise
The ground is muddy and the water level is increasing
I feel your hotkiss on my eyes
I feel your warm kiss on my eyes
The rain it rained and the world did stir
It rained heavily and the world was in motion
I sing to you my lovesick word
I express my lovesickness to you through my song
Bugeye Jim, I can't come
I cannot go with you, Bugeye Jim
I can twist and turn, I can't come
I am trying to find a way to come with you, but I cannot
I can ache and I can burn, but I can't come
I am hurting inside but I cannot accompany you
I woke up this morning with an aching brain
I woke up with a headache
Hear you tap on my window pane
I hear you tapping on my window glass
Contributed by Sophia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.