Fred Eaglesmith (born as Frederick Elgersma on July 9, 1957 in Caistor Cent… Read Full Bio ↴Fred Eaglesmith (born as Frederick Elgersma on July 9, 1957 in Caistor Centre, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. Some of his albums have been credited to Fred J. Eaglesmith. Eaglesmith was one of nine children of an immigrant family from the Dutch province Friesland and raised in rural Southern Ontario. As a teenager, he hopped a freight train out to Western Canada, and began writing songs and performing. He is known for writing songs about machines or vehicles, including songs about trains, tractors, trucks, cars, and engines. Rural life, dogs, guns, drinking and farming/ranching are other common themes. Many of his songs are about failing farms and small businesses. Eaglesmith's songs are populated with down and out characters dealing with loss of love or livelihood, and quirky rural folk. His songwriting uses many of the techniques of short-story writing, including unreliable narrators, surprise endings, and plot twists.

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

Dynamite And Whiskey
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dynamite and whiskey
It's all the same
Tobacco in the sunshine
Sleepin' in the rain
Jesus said for sure
He's coming back again
Dynamite and whiskey
It's all the same

Ain't no tomorrow
For a man with no eyes
You stand by the roadway
And you wait for a ride
You stand by the water
And you'll whisper something
Dynamite and whiskey
It's all the same

Rabbit in your blood
Runnin' on your mind
Windshield wipers flapping out of time
I seen some things I won't see again
It's all the same
It's all the same

I think it's gonna rain

Dynamite and whiskey
It's all the same
Tobacco in the sunshine
Sleepin' in the rain
Stand by the water
And you'll whisper something
Dynamite and whiskey
It's all the same
It's all the same

It's all the same
It's all the same

Dynamite and whiskey

It's all the same
It's all the same

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fred Eaglesmith's "Dynamite and Whiskey" are open to interpretation, but they could be seen as a commentary on the cyclical nature of life and the repetition of destructive patterns. The opening lines "Dynamite and whiskey, it's all the same" suggest that there is a equivalence between two seemingly different things - explosive violence and alcoholism - and that these destructive forces have a common root. The mention of "tobacco in the sunshine, sleeping in the rain" and the refrain "it's all the same" suggest that despite the variation of experiences one may have in life, they all lead to similar outcomes.

The song then goes on to describe the life of a man "with no eyes" wandering by the roadway and water, living a life without direction or meaning - "ain't no tomorrow" for him. He has a "rabbit in his blood" and is haunted by his past, as evidenced by the line "I've seen some things I won't see again". The repetition of "it's all the same" throughout the song reinforces the message that no matter what you experience in life, the consequences will likely be the same - a bleak and aimless existence. The final line "I think it's gonna rain" adds to the sense of despair and hopelessness.

Line by Line Meaning

Dynamite and whiskey
Both dynamite and whiskey represent something that can destroy you, even though the means of destruction are different.

It's all the same
Despite the outward differences between things, they can be fundamentally the same in their effects.

Tobacco in the sunshine
Even things that are normally associated with positive experiences can have negative consequences.

Sleepin' in the rain
The world can be harsh and unforgiving, especially when you're trying to rest.

Jesus said for sure He's coming back again
No matter how bad things get, there is always hope for redemption.

Ain't no tomorrow For a man with no eyes
Without the ability to see and perceive what's around you, life has no real meaning.

You stand by the roadway And you wait for a ride
Sometimes, all you can do is wait and hope that something good will come along.

You stand by the water And you'll whisper something
Things that seem insignificant or small can still hold great meaning for us.

Rabbit in your blood Runnin' on your mind
The things that scare us can haunt us and stay with us, even long after we've overcome them.

Windshield wipers flapping out of time
The world can be out of sync with us, and sometimes we just have to find a way to keep moving forward despite the chaos.

I seen some things I won't see again
Our experiences are unique and can never truly be replicated, which makes them all the more precious.

I think it's gonna rain
Sometimes, we have no control over the world around us, and all we can do is brace ourselves for what's to come.

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Fred Elgersma

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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