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
Cigarette Machine
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the break of day
I thought I saw your silhouette
Dancin' 'cross the shade
And I went out to the mission
And I called and called your name
'Til an angel with a face like yours
Came down and let me in
I thought I saw your reflection in a cigarette machine
In a bottle in the gutter
In a window on a street
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
I swear it was you starin' back at me
I heard soldiers' voices by the city gate
There were junkies lying on the ground
They made me look away
And I spilled you on a mirror
And I chopped you into lines
And over some old kitchen sink
I swore I'd let you die
I thought I saw your reflection in a cigarette machine
In a bottle in a gutter
In a window on a street
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
I swear it was you starin' back at me
Old radios and broken mirrors
Dog-eared things I read
Worn out movie stars
In faded limousines
And I battle through my own charades
Of coffee cups and clowns
I can't keep up with parades
I keep falling down
I thought I saw your reflection in a cigarette machine
In a bottle in the gutter
In a window on a street
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
I swear it was you starin' back at me
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
I swear it was you staring back at me
"Cigarette Machine" by Fred Eaglesmith is a song about a person who is hopelessly lost and searching for something that they cannot find. The singer in the song is wandering the streets at the break of day, stumbling past what is presumed to be the house of the person they are searching for. They think they see their silhouette dancing across the shade, but they cannot be sure. They then go to a mission and call out for the person's name until an angel-like figure lets them in, but it is not the person they were looking for.
The lyrics describe the singer's search for this person in many different places - in a cigarette machine, in a bottle in the gutter, in a window on a street, in a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV. They see what they think is the reflection of the person they are looking for in many different forms and places, but they can never be sure if it is really them. The singer is also struggling with addiction and sees the person they are looking for in a mirror, chopped up into lines of drugs. Throughout the song, they describe their own struggle with life, between the "coffee cups and clowns" of daily life and the "parades" that they cannot keep up with.
The song is about the search for something that one cannot find - perhaps love, meaning, or purpose. The cigarettes and drugs in the song could be seen as a metaphor for this search and the endless searching that some people do, unable to find fulfillment or purpose in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Stumbling past your house baby
At the crack of dawn, I was walking by your house unsteadily.
At the break of day
At dawn.
I thought I saw your silhouette
I believe I saw the dark outline of your figure.
Dancin' 'cross the shade
The outline seemed to be moving and swaying.
And I went out to the mission
I left and went to the mission.
And I called and called your name
I yelled out your name repeatedly to get your attention.
'Til an angel with a face like yours
Finally, someone who looks like you, an angel perhaps,
Came down and let me in
Appeared and allowed me to enter.
I thought I saw your reflection in a cigarette machine
I saw what seemed to be your reflection in a vending machine for cigarettes.
In a bottle in the gutter
In a discarded bottle lying on the street.
In a window on a street
In a window of a building on a street.
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
In a store, in a photograph, or on an old TV that no longer works.
I swear it was you starin' back at me
I am certain that I saw you staring back at me.
I heard soldiers' voices by the city gate
I heard the voices of soldiers near the entrance to the city.
There were junkies lying on the ground
There were drug addicts laying on the ground.
They made me look away
I turned my head elsewhere to avoid looking at them.
And I spilled you on a mirror
I spilled something that represents you on a mirror.
And I chopped you into lines
I cut up a substance that symbolizes you into lines.
And over some old kitchen sink
Over an old sink in the kitchen.
I swore I'd let you die
I pledged that I would let go of you and forget about you.
Old radios and broken mirrors
Old radios and mirrors that are broken.
Dog-eared things I read
A few things I've read before that I still hang onto.
Worn out movie stars
Movie stars of old who are no longer as popular.
In faded limousines
Traveling in limousines with worn out exteriors.
And I battle through my own charades
I struggle through the games and deceit I put myself through.
Of coffee cups and clowns
The lies and tricks I use to cover up my addiction to caffeine and to distract myself.
I can't keep up with parades
I can't seem to participate in celebrations.
I keep falling down
I keep on failing.
In a storefront, in a picture, on an old broken TV
In a store, in a photograph or on a non-working TV.
I swear it was you staring back at me
I am sure that I saw you staring back at me.
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"