Califone is the musical project of former Red Red Meat frontman Tim Rutili. Its regular and rotating contributors include many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands, such as Tortoise. Their music is less rooted in blues-rock than Red Red Meat and is more directly inspired by experimental music and early American folk music as can be found on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music.
Califone's current lineup includes Joe Adamik (drums), Jim Becker (banjo, violin), Ben Massarella (percussion), and Tim Rutili (vocals, guitar, keyboards). Each member is a multi-instrumentalist.
Tim Rutili has collaborated with a number of other artists as well. He joined up with Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock and others in 2002 to release the album Sharpen Your Teeth under the band name Ugly Casanova. Some members also toured with Freakwater and served as a backing band to record the album Thinking of You in 2005. In 2006, Tim Rutili teamed up with Wil Hendricks and Michael Krassner under the name The Unseen Hand to record the soundtrack for Rank, a documentary about bullriding. In the same year Califone worked with animator/musician Brent Green on a series of performance art pieces featuring animation, live music, and spoken word. They are also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Stranger than Fiction.
Don't Let Me Die Nervous
Califone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreaming of a whore that's sparkling like a sparkler
Dead eyed starlet calm
Laid you down upon the coats covering the bed
And said you are my brothers and what's his is mine
The blinder you get the more you can taste
Don't let me die nervous
The kids are eating candy skulls
The breaks were singing as you slide someone else's name
Like a crosseyed baby teething on a rusty knife
I'm gonna have your backside
Lay your plantation down
Jump the fire, burn your hair
Don't let me die nervous
You can't hear a noise til your tongue's bitten out
Don't let me die nervous
Sweated off the number on the palm of your hand
Cold rain about to bust in between your bones and skin
Forgot what I was begging for
You walk like a healthy meal
The car alarms are moaning someone else's name
Jump the fire, burn your hair
Don't let me die nervous
The blinder you get the more you can taste
Don't let me die nervous
[Repeat x8]
Don't let me die nervous
The opening line "Weather like the crucifixion" sets the tone for "Don't Let Me Die Nervous," by Califone. Through the use of vivid imagery and cryptic lines, the song explores the themes of anxiety, addiction, and disorientation. The singer, who might be in the state of delirium, scours his environment and laments his fate while speaking to an unacknowledged confidant. The singer is haunted both by his inner monologue and the experiences that have brought him to this point. He's talking about a dream of a whore sparkling like a sparkler, but it seems that the real world is almost just as overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Weather like the crucifixion
The weather is bad and the situation feels severe like being crucified.
Dreaming of a whore that's sparkling like a sparkler
Having a vivid dream about an attractive person who glitters like fireworks.
Dead eyed starlet calm
A calm demeanor with lifeless eyes like a movie starlet's.
Laid you down upon the coats covering the bed
Placing you softly on a bed covered with jackets.
And said you are my brothers and what's his is mine
Declaring a sense of unity with another person and willingness to share everything.
The blinder you get the more you can taste
The more you focus on one thing, the more aware of it you become.
Don't let me die nervous
Please help me stay calm and not worry excessively.
The kids are eating candy skulls
Children are consuming skull-shaped candy, possibly symbolizing the fleeting nature of life.
Your face is buried in the engine
Your face is close to or pressed against the car engine.
The brakes were singing as you slide someone else's name
The sound of the brakes screeching is reminiscent of singing, while thoughts of another person are dominant.
Like a crosseyed baby teething on a rusty knife
Illustrating an uncomfortable and painful sensation with the image of a cross-eyed infant biting a sharp, old object.
I'm gonna have your backside
I will support and defend you to the end.
Lay your plantation down
Surrender and give up whatever is being fought for.
Jump the fire, burn your hair
Taking a risky action that could result in injury or loss.
You can't hear a noise til your tongue's bitten out
You do not realize the extent of something until it is too late or you have already experienced harm.
Sweated off the number on the palm of your hand
Perspiring so much that the inked or carved digits on the hand are illegible.
Cold rain about to bust in between your bones and skin
Anticipation of unpleasant weather penetrating the body.
Forgot what I was begging for
Losing track of what one desired or needed in the first place.
You walk like a healthy meal
Walking confidently and appearing desirable and wholesome, like a nutritious meal.
The car alarms are moaning someone else's name
The sound of car alarms is unpleasant or painful, and reminds of someone else, possibly a love interest.
Jump the fire, burn your hair
Taking a risk or chance that could result in damage or injury.
Don't let me die nervous
Please help me stay calm and not worry excessively.
The blinder you get the more you can taste
The more your focus narrows to one sensation or idea, the more pronounced it becomes.
Don't let me die nervous
Please help me stay calm and not worry excessively.
[Repeat x8]
The previous line repeats eight times for emphasis.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Temistoclas Hugo Rutili
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind