An enigmatic folk nomad, McCombs is a quintessentially American artist; "he's quietly become one of (the country's) finest chroniclers of fringe characters, a writer of heart-rending love songs and psychedelic odes to the natural world, a teller of tall-tales with a sense of humor dry as desert wood, and that rare folksinger who actually sings about the folk." His vocals range somewhere between the anxious drone of Lou Reed, the hollow croon of Elliott Smith, the lilting melody of Morrissey, and the driving earnestness and complexity of bards such as Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan. His lyrical style is alternately vivid and weary, laconic and yearning, or drifting into the high-spirited and whimsical.
After cutting his first EP, Not the Way in San Francisco in 2001, McCombs relocated to Baltimore, MD. There he released "Not the Way" in 2002 and recorded his first full-length, A, in 2003 on Monitor Records. He spent the next few years touring: playing All Tomorrow's Parties; and opening for bands such as Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, and Belle and Sebastian; before recording his second LP PREfection, which was released on 4AD in 2005.
McCombs' subsequent releases have been on the highly successful British independent label Domino Recording Co. 2007's Dropping the Writ was named one of Amazon's Best Albums of that year. Catacombs was voted one of the 50 greatest albums of 2009 by Pitchfork Media, and features Academy Award-nominated actress and singer Karen Black on the track Dreams-Come-True-Girl. During this period, McCombs toured with the likes of Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, José González, Beach House, and The Walkmen.
Catacombs also established McCombs' relationship with engineer/producer Ariel Rechtshaid, member of The Hippos and Foreign Born, who produced Grammy-winning hit Climax for Usher, the Plain White T's Grammy-nominated No.1 platinum-selling single Hey There Delilah, and albums for Vampire Weekend, Sky Ferreira, Snoop Lion, and Haim, among others.
In 2010 McCombs played Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, L.A.'s Culture Collide Festival and Invisible Children Benefit. 2011 offered an extensive headlining tour, an appearance at SXSW, and two albums released by McCombs and produced by Rechtshaid: Wit's End in April and Humor Risk in November. The two albums were made simultaneously. In an interview with Pitchfork, McCombs explains: "Wit's End was started years ago and it slowly made its way to the finish line. Humor Risk was just punched out. They're friends but they're different. Wit's End is like a stew; Humor Risk is the raw food diet."
Big Wheel and Others, McCombs' seventh full-length (and first double album) was released in October 2013. The album is rooted in the Americana mythos of the Wild West, from the San Francisco drug culture to the gunslingers and gold rush of the nineteenth century. The album once again features Karen Black on a version of the track Brighter!, her final recording before passing away due to ampullary cancer in August, 2013. Big Wheel is dedicated to her memory.
http://cassmccombs.com
Wheel Of Fortune
Cass McCombs Lyrics
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A double-negative is a positive, it is not?
A holy paradox
A natural beauty
I'm open and ready
Word love-magic
The gale before the gate
Become the Will of Fate
There is no "I" in "you"
Wheel of Fortune
A four-day miracle
From Iowa to Minneapolis
Began my transformation
Of body over mind
Oh yes, nothing is impossible
No door impassable
The Ego debased.
Now the wheel is everyday
The gale before the gate
Become the Will of Fate
Wheel of Fortune
Don't say that it's "uncouth"
There is no "I" in "you"
Wheel of Fortune
The lyrics in Cass McCombs's song "Wheel of Fortune" revolve around the theme of personal transformation and the idea that nothing is impossible. McCombs talks about how a four-day miracle that occurs from Iowa to Minneapolis kickstarts his transformation of "body over mind," suggestive of how the physical journey empowered him spiritually. He also mentions the paradoxical nature of life, where a double negative, when considering language and grammar, implies positivity. McCombs also touches upon the concept of the Wheel of Fortune, a tarot card that symbolizes the cyclical, unpredictable nature of life where success or failure can suddenly change. The lyrics "gale before the gate, become the Will of Fate" alludes to the unpredictability of life and how one can either resist it or embrace it.
McCombs emphasizes the importance of love while suggesting that it has a potent magical effect. The line "word love-magic" regards the power of words in influencing the emotions and mentality of others while implying that love has a mystical element. He also talks about the ego and how it needs to be debased for growth and transformation to take place. The lyrics "there is no 'I' in 'you'" could refer to the idea that empathy and selflessness can help in personal growth, where focusing less on the self can aid one in becoming their best selves.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing is impossible
A statement that shows that anything is possible if one believes in it.
A double-negative is a positive, it is not?
A rhetorical question that introduces the concept of paradox as being a natural part of everything.
A holy paradox
An acknowledgment that life is full of paradoxes, but they are also divine and essential.
A natural beauty
A reference to the simplicity and purity of nature as a way to inspire oneself to experience life as it comes.
I'm open and ready
A personal affirmation that someone is ready to face whatever comes their way.
Word love-magic
A phrase that hints at the idea that love is a powerful force that can transform people's lives and lead them to fulfillment.
The gale before the gate
A metaphor for the challenges and difficulties that someone faces before reaching a goal or gaining access to something that they desire.
Become the Will of Fate
An exhortation to have faith in oneself and take control of one's own destiny.
Don't say that it's "uncouth"
A plea to others not to judge someone based on their origins or behavior and to be accepting of their differences.
There is no "I" in "you"
An insight that suggests that the separation between individuals is an illusion and that everyone is connected in the same cosmic unity.
Wheel of Fortune
A reference to the idea that life is full of ups and downs and that one must accept this fact to be able to enjoy the ride.
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.