1) Charlie Allen wa… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name including:
1) Charlie Allen was vocalist with American band Pacific Gas & Electric.
2) Charlie Allen is an American trumpeter.
3) Charlie Allen is an American country musician born in Bristol, TN, into a family steeped in Country music. Allen’s mother, Louise Bouton was a regular on WCYB radio’s “Fun and Farm Time,” and she is a member of the Bristol Hall of Fame. His father, Charles D. Bouton, was an artist manager.
Singing and performing was the family business, and Allen and his brothers, William and Robert, learned from the best. Just as some mothers give their child a toy to play with, Allen’s mom gave him a broom, and taught him to pretend that it was a microphone. Eventually, he would learn to play the guitar, piano, steel guitar and drums. When most of his friends were getting on a school bus, Allen was getting on a tour bus.
Allen’s uncle, Jim Harless, was also in the music business in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was there, at age seven, that Allen began to hone his skills as a singer and performer with his family at the legendary Panther Hall. The stage was his classroom, and his teachers were the pillars of Country music; Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings and Jerry Lee Lewis are just a few of the touring performers that Allen fronted for, and worked with. It was during this time that Allen signed his first recording contract with Decca Records.
By age fifteen, Allen was fronting his own group, The Bouton Brothers. They appeared on various television shows in the Bristol and Kingsport area, opening for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charley Pride and others. He also hosted his own television show, sponsored by Martha White.
Later on, Allen was signed to Parc Records, an independent label and publishing company with offices in Orlando, Florida, and Nashville. Parc, and their affiliate, Parc Studios, boasted a stellar list of clients such as The Backstreet Boys, ‘N Snyc, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, among others. Commuting between Nashville and Orlando, Allen wrote and recorded many songs, including “Better Said Than Done,” co-written with Earl Thomas Conley. That song garnered Allen his first critical acclaim from Music Row’s toughest critic, Robert K. Oermann, who has been an ardent supporter of Allen ever since. He also made fans of the nationally syndicated radio show hosts, John Boy and Billy, who had this to say: “We believe that Charlie is destined for stardom. He has a heart as big as Tennessee and a voice to match it.”
Allen’s CD, That Was Then, This Is Now, was released in 2008.
ID
Charlie Allen Lyrics
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My sick pig-head companion
As much a rotten part of me
As forgotten twin or shadow?
fur bristles with the fever
His kickdrum pulses quicken
Him a specter. Me spectator.
I'm caught inside his tow
And what am I to do?
Pull out his teeth?
Or file down his claws?
You know as well as I
No freedom lies
between pearly jaws
God, what am I to say?
As if his name
Gives me some holy power
For what I've done
I know that Even Christ's communion
wine goes sour
O brother Id, you own me
O father Id, you're all I am
O reverend Id, please wipe
That endless toothy smirk away
Red letters on my eyelids
On every gristle, bone or cell
The one command for self
Presses me to obey
And what am I to do?
Pull out his teeth?
Or file down his claws?
You know as well as I
No freedom lies
between pearly jaws
God, what am I to say?
As if his name
Gives me some holy power
For what I've done
I know that Even Christ's communion
wine goes sour
And what am I to do?
God, what am I to say?
And what am I to do?
God, what am I to say?
And what am I to do?
Pull out his teeth?
Or file down his claws?
You know as well as I
No freedom lies
between pearly jaws
Oh, what am I to say?
As if his name
Gives me some holy power
For what I've done
I know that Even Christ's communion
wine goes sour
The song "Id" by Charlie Allen is a contemplative and introspective song about the darker aspects of the human psyche, using the concept of the "Id" from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory as a metaphor for the singer's inner demons. The lyrics describe this inner turmoil as an "unforgiving pulse", accompanied by a "sick pig-head companion" that is both a part of the singer and separate from them. The singer struggles with the urge to either suppress or embrace this dark side, questioning whether they should "pull out his teeth" or "file down his claws". However, the singer ultimately realizes that there is no freedom to be found in denying this part of themselves, as "no freedom lies between pearly jaws".
The repeated refrain of "God, what am I to say?" suggests that the singer is searching for guidance or answers from a higher power, but ultimately finds none. The reference to "Red letters on my eyelids" could be interpreted as a reference to the biblical concept of stigmata, or perhaps just a metaphor for the inescapable nature of these inner demons. The final lines of the song, "For what I've done / I know that Even Christ's communion / wine goes sour", suggest a feeling of guilt or remorse for past actions, but also point to the universal nature of this inner struggle - even the holiest of symbols can be tainted by the darkness within.
Line by Line Meaning
That unforgiving pulse again
The intense, unrelenting urge to do something wrong is back
My sick pig-head companion
This feeling is like a disgusting, stubborn pig that won't leave me alone
As much a rotten part of me
This pig-like feeling is an integral, unpleasant aspect of my personality
As forgotten twin or shadow?
It's unclear whether this part of me is like a forgotten twin or a dark shadow, always present but not often recognized
Fur bristles with the fever
This intense desire causes my hair to stand on end, like a feverish response
His kickdrum pulses quicken
The pig-like feeling gets more intense, like the pounding rhythm of a bass drum
Him a specter. Me spectator.
The feeling is like an elusive ghost, and I feel like a helpless observer
I'm caught inside his tow
I'm trapped within the pull of this feeling
And what am I to do?
I'm at a loss as to what to do
Pull out his teeth?
Should I try to eliminate this feeling entirely?
Or file down his claws?
Or just try to minimize its potential harm?
You know as well as I
You understand, just as I do
No freedom lies between pearly jaws
There is no freedom within the confines of this feeling, like being trapped within the jaws of a creature with white teeth
God, what am I to say?
I'm asking for divine guidance on how to handle this situation
As if his name
As if knowing the name of this feeling
Gives me some holy power
Would give me some sort of spiritual authority over it
For what I've done
Because of what I've done in the past
I know that Even Christ's communion wine goes sour
I understand that even the holiest of things can be ruined, like the wine used in communion
O brother Id, you own me
I am possessed or controlled by this part of myself, embodied in the pig-like feeling
O father Id, you're all I am
This part of me is an integral part of my identity, like a father figure
O reverend Id, please wipe
I'm invoking a spiritual leader or authority to help me
That endless toothy smirk away
I want this feeling, with its mocking, grinning expression, to go away
Red letters on my eyelids
I see reminders of this feeling everywhere, even when I close my eyes
On every gristle, bone or cell
This feeling is present in every part of my being, like a physical aspect of myself
The one command for self
The only 'commandment' I have for myself
Presses me to obey
Is to obey this pig-like feeling, no matter how detrimental it may be
Oh, what am I to say?
I'm at a loss for words
Contributed by Dominic M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.