Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a gui… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and painter. His music is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello. His song "Talkin' Woody, Bob, Bruce, and Dan Blues," from the album Smartie Mine, offers a joking take on this influence, presented in the style of a Guthrie or Dylan talking blues song, and containing a spoof of a Dylan song as well. Bernstein has also toured with Ani DiFranco. He is known for sardonic, literary lyrics, a range of musical styles, and a folk music style paired with rock instrumentation. He also wrote the novel Quitting Science (2004) under the pen name Cunliffe Merriwether and wrote the preface under his own name.

Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.

Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."

Smartie Mine
Dan Bern Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The paint is not yet dry
The clothes are not yet on
Only one place where I could
Go to be understood
Only one place
Only one face

Smartie mine

Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
I want to go
Deep down smartie mine

Down a shaft of green
Down a shaft of blue

I have a paint brush
I want to spread my colors around
Not to be careless, though
Only one place to go

Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine

Deep down under the ground
There's a place where it's always sun
Deep down under the Earth
There's chocolate for everyone
There's chocolate for everyone

Down a shaft of red
Down a shaft of red
Not be too nervous though
We've come too far

Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine
Smartie mine

I want to go
Deep down smartie mine

Smartie mine
Smartie mine

Overall Meaning

The song “Smartie Mine” by Dan Bern appears to be a song about finding a safe and comforting place to escape from the outside world. The opening lines of the song, “the paint is not yet dry, the clothes are not yet on,” suggest that the songwriter is still in the process of creating something, and that the space in which he is working is not yet complete. This uncertainty is contrasted with the line “only one place where I could go to be understood,” which implies that the singer has found a place where he feels at home.

The repeated phrase “Smartie Mine” is likely a reference to a nickname for this safe space or sanctuary. The image of going “deep down” suggests that this place is somewhere underground, perhaps literally or perhaps metaphorically suggesting that this is a hidden, secret space. The chorus, with its repetition and emphasis on the phrase “Smartie Mine,” reinforces the idea that this place is an important retreat from the world outside. Overall, the song seems to be a celebration of finding a safe and comfortable haven in which to create and be oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

The paint is not yet dry
The painting is still in progress and not yet complete

The clothes are not yet on
The person is not fully dressed yet

Only one place where I could
There is only one location that can satisfy the person's needs

Go to be understood
They need to go to a place where they will be accepted and understood

Only one place
There is no other location that will suffice

Only one face
There is only one person who can provide answers for the person

Smartie mine
Referring to a specific place where the person can go for comfort and reassurance

I want to go
The person desires to reach this specific location

Deep down smartie mine
The location is deep underground and is called Smartie Mine

Down a shaft of green
Referring to the mode of transportation to enter the underground location

Down a shaft of blue
The shaft has different colors as the person descends

I have a paint brush
The person has a creative tool to express themselves

I want to spread my colors around
The person wants to share their creativity with others

Not to be careless, though
They want to make sure they are thoughtful with their art

Deep down under the ground
Re-emphasizing the location of Smartie Mine

There's a place where it's always sun
Smartie Mine has a warm and inviting atmosphere

There's chocolate for everyone
Referring to the abundance of rewards and positivity of Smartie Mine

Down a shaft of red
Continuing the pattern of different colored shafts to reach Smartie Mine

Not be too nervous though
A reassurance to not worry too much

We've come too far
They have already committed and come too far to not see it through

Smartie mine
Reiterating the name of the comforting location

Smartie mine
Referring to the familiarity and comfort of Smartie Mine

Smartie mine
Repeating the location and reassurance of the place

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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