In addition to his own albums, Eaglesmith frequently collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a past member of Eaglesmith's band, who had to step down after a heart attack in spring 2007. Eaglesmith's fans are known as Fredheads because of the similarities to deadheads. He has appeared in several movies, including "The Gift" and "50 Odd Dollars." His band is known as The Flying Squirrels or The Flathead Noodlers. Both bands have the same lineup, but play different styles. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock. An early incarnation of the band was known as The Smokin' Losers. When Fred does solo appearances he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to the songs, a typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Fred. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U.S./Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve. Eaglesmith is the owner and president of A Major Label, which publishes his records.
Current band members
* Fred J. Eaglesmith - Guitars, Vocals
* Matt Simpson - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Kori Heppner - Drums
* Luke Stackhouse - Bass, Vocals
Former members
* Willie P. Bennett - Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocals
* David Essig - Mandolin, Guitar
* Kevin Komatsu - Drums
* Roger Marin Jr. - Pedal Steel, Guitar, Vocals
* Ralph Schipper - Bass
* Jude Waldman - Drums
* Dan Walsh - Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
* Skip Wamsteeker - Drums
* Washboard Hank - Washboard, Dobro
* Darcy Yates - Bass
Discography
* Fred Eaglesmith (1980)
* The Boy That Just Went Wrong (1983)
* Indiana Road (1987)
* There Ain't No Easy Road (1991)
* Things Is Changin' (1993)
* Paradise Motel (1994)
* Drive-In Movie (1995)
* Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline (1997)
* 50 Odd Dollars (1999)
* Live: Ralph's Last Show (2001)
* Falling Stars and Broken Hearts (2002)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 1' (2002)
* Balin (2003)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2' (2004)
* Dusty (2004)
* Milly's Cafe (2006)
* Tinderbox (2008)
www.fredeaglesmith.com
Carmelita
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ran into my old friend Jack
He was dressed in his Sunday best
But his face was red and his eyes were dead
He said, "I lost Marina, and the last place that I seen her
She was makin' off with my best friend"
I spentfifty dollars
On something that would take him to the moon
Well, he must have gone to heaven
'Cause just before I left him
I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't move
So come on Carmelita
You drank too much and I can see that
Soon you're gonna need a breath of air
We'll dance across the wheat fields
There's a place I know just east of here
And it wouldn't take too long to go down there
We'll sleep out on the ground, and in the morning when we wake up
We'll leave town
Well, I picked my last tobacco leaf
Soaking wet up to my knees
Out there before the sun is on the rise
You can have a drink of water
But don't you look at my daughter
Or I'll come down there and I'll cut you with this knife
So come on Carmelita
You drank too much and I can see that
Soon you're gonna need a breath of air
We'll dance across the wheat fields
There's a place I know just east of here
And it wouldn't take too long to go down there
We'll sleep out on the ground
And in the morning when we wake up
We'll leave town
There ain't any flack, man
But if you're a black man
They'll put you on a plane back to where you're from
So come on Carmelita
The lyrics to Fred Eaglesmith's song "Carmelita" tell the story of a series of encounters the singer has with different characters. In the first verse, he meets his old friend Jack along the railroad tracks. Despite wearing his Sunday best, Jack's face is red and his eyes are dead because he has lost his girlfriend Marina, who left him for his best friend. The singer tries to help him by giving him something that would take him to the moon, likely a drug. They part ways, and the singer thinks Jack may have gone to heaven because he is unresponsive when the singer tries to wake him up.
In the second verse, the singer moves on to a new encounter with a character named Carmelita. He sees that she has been drinking too much and needs fresh air, so he suggests they go dance across the nearby wheat fields. He suggests they spend the night there and leave town in the morning. However, the singer also warns Carmelita's father that he should not look at his daughter or he will cut him with a knife. The final line of the verse warns that a black man will be put on a plane back to their home country.
Overall, the song tells a story of loss and fleeting connections with other people. The singer tries to help those he meets, but ultimately everyone is on their own journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Down along the railroad track
The singer is walking along the tracks when he meets an old friend.
I ran into my old friend Jack
The singer meets his friend named Jack.
He was dressed in his Sunday best
Jack was dressed very elegantly.
But his face was red and his eyes were dead
Jack was upset and looked down.
He said, "I lost Marina, and the last place that I seen her
Jack shares with the artist that he lost his girlfriend Marina.
She was makin' off with my best friend"
Marina left him for his best friend.
I took him to the water
The singer takes Jack near the water.
I spentfifty dollars
The artist spends fifty dollars on something for Jack.
On something that would take him to the moon
The artist buys something that will help Jack feel better.
Well, he must have gone to heaven
The artist believes Jack has passed away.
'Cause just before I left him
Just before leaving, the singer tried to wake Jack up.
I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't move
Jack was unresponsive and wouldn't wake up.
So come on Carmelita
The singer is now addressing a woman named Carmelita.
You drank too much and I can see that
Carmelita has had too much to drink.
Soon you're gonna need a breath of air
Carmelita will need to go outside to take a breath of fresh air soon.
We'll dance across the wheat fields
The artist and Carmelita will dance in the wheat fields.
There's a place I know just east of here
The artist knows a place east of his current location.
And it wouldn't take too long to go down there
It wouldn't take them long to get there.
We'll sleep out on the ground, and in the morning when we wake up
They will sleep outside and wake up in the morning.
We'll leave town
They will leave town after sleeping outside.
Well, I picked my last tobacco leaf
The artist has picked his last tobacco leaf.
Soaking wet up to my knees
The artist is wet from the rain or dew up to his knees.
Out there before the sun is on the rise
He is outside before the sunrise.
You can have a drink of water
Someone can have a drink of water.
But don't you look at my daughter
The singer doesn't want anyone looking at his daughter.
Or I'll come down there and I'll cut you with this knife
The singer will use his knife if someone looks at his daughter.
There ain't any flack, man
There is no trouble or fuss.
But if you're a black man
If someone is black, there may be trouble.
They'll put you on a plane back to where you're from
If someone is black, they may be sent back to their home country.
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Fred Elgersma
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim Duffin
on John Deere B
"The original B" s/b "The original paint"
"Then I saw I saw the mirror" s/b "Then I saw them narrow"