Jurado's solo career began during the mid-1990s, releasing lo-fi folk based recordings on his own cassette-only label, Casa Recordings, beginning in 1995.
Jurado often makes use of found-sound and field-recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. Also released in 2000 was Ghost of David,, Jurado's bleakest and most personal sounding record to date. I Break Chairs, (2002) was produced by long time friend, David Bazan. It was his last album for Sub Pop, and was a much rockier, electric affair. After signing for the Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, Damien Jurado reverted to his trademark folk ballad-based style, releasing six more albums: Where Shall You Take Me? (2003), On My Way To Absence (2005), And Now That I'm In Your Shadow (2006), Caught in the Trees (2008), Saint Bartlett (2010) and Maraqopa (2012).
Official blog: iamcaughtinthetrees.blogspot.com
Lottery
Damien Jurado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The saints and angels all agree
Trouble sure as trouble sees it
I need it in writing to believe
To believe
The target was your heart in the beginning
Now there digging soft ground for your grave
They'll drink to your death with pink champagne
Pink champagne
Now I hear your widow crying
Her weeping I made into this song
It's popular with the disco dancers
They'll play it on the radio all week long
All week long
Misfortune, got you like a sickness
And the saints, the angels all agree
Trouble sure as trouble sees it
I need it in writing to believe
To believe
In "Lottery" by Damien Jurado, the lyrics paint a bleak picture of misfortune and trouble. The first two lines, "Misfortune, got you like a sickness/The saints and angels all agree," set the tone for the rest of the song. It's as if the singer is speaking to someone who has fallen on hard times or experienced a great loss. He needs to see proof of their suffering in writing to truly believe it.
The second verse, "The target was your heart in the beginning/Now they're digging soft ground for your grave," implies that the misfortune the singer speaks of has escalated to something much more dire, possibly even leading to death. The character is hoping for a less than glamorous end to their life, with mourners bringing plastic flowers and drinking pink champagne to their death.
Line by Line Meaning
Misfortune, got you like a sickness
The feeling of misfortune is affecting you as if it is a sickness spreading through your body.
The saints and angels all agree
Everyone can see that you are going through a tough time, even holy figures such as saints and angels.
Trouble sure as trouble sees it
Your problems are as clear as day and cannot be ignored.
I need it in writing to believe
It's hard for me to accept that this is happening to you without any concrete evidence or confirmation.
To believe
I need something to hold onto in order to really believe that this is happening to you.
The target was your heart in the beginning
From the start, someone had set out to break your heart and cause you pain.
Now there digging soft ground for your grave
The people who caused you harm are now digging your grave, either literally or figuratively, and you are at their mercy.
I hope the mourners will bring plastic flowers
The artist hopes that the people who attend your funeral will not be genuine but rather bring fake flowers as a sign of their insincerity.
They'll drink to your death with pink champagne
The people who harmed you will celebrate your death with expensive and frivolous items such as pink champagne, indicating their lack of remorse.
Now I hear your widow crying
The artist is now aware that you have passed away and can hear the lamentation of your loved ones left behind.
Her weeping I made into this song
The song being sung is a result of the grief and sadness that your widow is experiencing.
It's popular with the disco dancers
The music being played is upbeat and popular, preferred by those who choose not to acknowledge the sorrow conveyed in the lyrics.
They'll play it on the radio all week long
The song will be played repeatedly on the radio as a means of entertainment, even though the lyrics are somber and melancholy.
And the saints, the angels all agree
Once again, it is clear that even holy figures recognize the pain and hardship that you are experiencing.
Contributed by Ian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.