After signing a contract with the Atlantic Records label Lava Records in 1994, his first major-label album, Honor Among Thieves, was issued in 1995. His second album, Misguided Roses, spawned I'll Be, a major single in 1998. Two more albums (Messenger and Far from Over) followed, but at the end of 2001, he split from Lava. In 2003 he released a collection of acoustic versions of songs both old and new called The Austin Sessions via ATC Records, a Nashville-based independent record label (at which McCain was the first artist signed following its creation in 2001). Mid-2004 saw the arrival of his first studio album in three years, entitled Scream & Whisper, which was released on another indie label, DRT Entertainment.
He has released two DVDs to date. The first was through ATC records in late 2002, called Mile Marker: Songs and Stories from the Acoustic Highway, and it consisted of interviews, live performances, and other material. The other was in late 2004, Tinsel & Tap Shoes. It was his first live concert DVD, recorded at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A new CD was released in April, 2006 titled, Lost in America. Edwin recently signed a contract with Vanguard Records. This album (#8) is said to be a true "rock 'n roll" collection.
Profile photo by ASHLittle.
Welcome To Struggleville
Edwin McCain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There appears to be a lull
John and Jane Doe are sleeping well tonight
With the little thoughts inside their skulls
Salome she's undressed to the nines
Although a few pounds fatter
She's got Pavlov's bells on her ankles and wrists
She coming at you with her platter
They are building a new gallows
For when you show up on the street
Oh, polishing the electric chair
They're gonna give you a front row seat
Heard a sneer outside the garden
Salutation so well
Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville
I stole down to the waterfront
To escape the desert heat
Oh, what on earth you gotta do around here
To try and get yourself a drink
Heard John the Baptist preaching
Said, "Make way for the King
But if you wanna recognize him
You gotta tell me all your sins"
And they are building a new gallows
For when you show up on the street
Oh, polishing the electric chair
They're gonna give you a front row seat
Heard a sneer outside the garden
Salutation so well
"Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville"
I've been trying to negotiate peace
With my own existence
She's gotta stockpile full of weaponry
She breaking every cease-fire agreement
Oh, the whole thing is full of decay
Just as sure as I'm made of dust
Oh, but into rust I hear the beast is calling
They are building a new gallows
When you show up on the street
Oh, polishing the electric chair
They're gonna give you a front row seat
Heard a sneer outside the garden
Salutation so well
"Final Stop, no points beyond Struggleville"
"Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville"
The lyrics of Edwin McCain's song "Welcome to Struggleville" depict a desolate and oppressive environment. The opening lines "All is quiet on the Western front, There appears to be a lull" create the impression of a dead calm that is imposed from above as if it is the moment of anticipation before a storm. The subsequent lines describe the sleeping John and Jane Doe, whose ignorance about the harsh conditions they live under is symbolized by the "little thoughts inside their skulls." Salome, who is "undressed to the nines," evokes sensuality, but her actions are constrained by Pavlov's bells, resembling enslavement. The verses about the desert heat and John the Baptist's preaching indicate a religious theme where the looming gallows and electric chair suggest a judgment day.
The song's title refers to Struggleville, a place where one's existence is marked by struggle, decay, and eventual demise. The theme of "negotiating peace with my own existence" indicates a sense of hopelessness that permeates the atmosphere of the song. The lyrics evoke the feelings of the oppressed and marginalized, who are aware of the impending doom that they cannot avoid. The salutation of "Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville" and "Final Stop! No points beyond Struggleville" evoke a sense of finality, the end of the road, and no hope of redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
All is quiet on the Western front,
Everything seems calm and still.
There appears to be a lull.
There seems to be a temporary break or pause in the action.
John and Jane Doe are sleeping well tonight
People who are ignorant of the struggles around them are sleeping peacefully.
With the little thoughts inside their skulls.
They are unaware of the harsh realities of life.
Salome she's undressed to the nines
Salome is dressed in her best clothes.
Although a few pounds fatter.
Despite a small imperfection.
She's got Pavlov's bells on her ankles and wrists,
She is trying to lure someone with her feminine charms.
She coming at you with her platter.
She is offering herself to you.
I stole down to the waterfront
I went to the water's edge secretly.
To escape the desert heat.
To get away from the oppressive heat.
What on earth you gotta do around here
What do you have to do to get a drink?
To try and get yourself a drink
To get something to quench your thirst.
Heard John the Baptist preaching
I overheard John the Baptist talking.
"Make way for the King,
Prepare for the arrival of the King.
But if you wanna recognize him,
If you want to identify him.
you gotta tell me all your sins"
You must confess your sins to me.
They are building a new gallows
They are constructing a new place of execution.
For when you show up on the street.
In preparation for when people are punished publicly.
Polishing the electric chair,
Getting ready to electrocute someone.
They're gonna give you a front row seat.
They want to make sure the execution is a public spectacle.
Heard a sneer outside the garden;
I heard someone mocking from outside the safety of the garden.
Salutation so well-heeled:
Their greeting was well-crafted and elegant.
"Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville"
Welcome to a place where everyone struggles and life is difficult.
I've been trying to negotiate peace
I've been trying to make peace within myself.
With my own existence.
With my own life and being.
She's gotta stockpile full of weaponry;
My mind is full of thoughts and emotions that can be harmful.
She breaking every cease-fire agreement.
I am unable to control my thoughts and emotions.
Whole thing is full of decay
Everything is falling apart.
Just as sure as I'm made of dust,
As certain as my own mortality.
And into rust I know the beast is falling.
Everything will eventually fade to nothingness and disappear.
Final Stop! No points beyond Struggleville
This is the end of the line, there is nowhere else to go beyond this place of struggle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Mallonee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind