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
John Deere B
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As he parked across the lane
His face was red and sunburned
His clothes were old and stained
He wasn't a collector
He hadn't come for a bargain
He needed that old tractor
To farm that farm
With a row cropped front end
Hand cranked in the flywheel
The original B
It won't work another field
Or farm another farm
Some restaurant up in Omaha
Is gonna park that on it's lawn
I watched him check the oil
I watched him set the spark
Pulled on that old pump
Lord, till he finally got it started
He listened to the motor
Then he set the time
And when he got it going
I watched him slowly smile
It was a John Deere "B"
With a row cropped front end
Hand cranked in the flywheel
The original B
It won't work another field
Or farm another farm
Some restaurant up in Omaha
Is gonna park that on it's lawn
And when the bidding started
I saw him twitch his eye
Then I saw I saw the mirror
When the bidding got to high
He turned and looked a couple times
Before he got into his car
And quietly he turned around
And drove out of the yard
It was a John Deere "B"
With a row cropped front end
Hand cranked in the flywheel
The original B
It won't work another field
Or farm another farm
Some restaurant up in Omaha
Is gonna park that on it's lawn
The song "John Deere B" by Fred Eaglesmith tells a story about a man who desperately needs an old tractor to farm his land. The tractor is a John Deere "B", which is described in detail, with a row cropped front end and hand-cranked in the flywheel. The man shows up, looking weathered and sunburned, clearly in need of the tractor. He is not a collector, but needs the tractor to work his farm. The singer watches as the man starts the tractor and slowly smiles, relieved that it runs. However, when the bidding for the tractor gets too high, the man quietly leaves and drives away, unable to afford the tractor he needed.
The song is a poignant reflection on the struggles of farming, and the difficulty of making a living off the land. The John Deere "B" is symbolic of the importance of having the right tools to get the job done, and the desperation of those who need them. The man who comes to buy the tractor is not looking for a collector's item or a status symbol, but simply needs it to make his living. The lyrics are rich with detail, painting a vivid picture of the scene as it unfolds.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I watched him from the window
The singer observed the man from the window
As he parked across the lane
The man parked his vehicle across the lane
His face was red and sunburned
The man's face was red and burnt from being in the sun
His clothes were old and stained
The man's clothes were old and had stains on them
He wasn't a collector
The man was not a collector
He hadn't come for a bargain
The man had not come to get a deal
He needed that old tractor
The man needed the old tractor
To farm that farm
The man needed the tractor to farm his land
It was a John Deere "B"
The tractor the man needed was a John Deere 'B'
With a row cropped front end
The tractor had a row cropped front end
Hand cranked in the flywheel
The tractor was hand cranked in the flywheel
The original B
The tractor was the original B model
It won't work another field
The tractor would not work in another field
Or farm another farm
The tractor could not farm on another farm
Some restaurant up in Omaha
A restaurant in Omaha will put the tractor on display
Is gonna park that on it's lawn
The restaurant will put the tractor on their lawn
I watched him check the oil
The artist watched the man check the oil
I watched him set the spark
The singer watched the man set the spark
Pulled on that old pump
The man pulled on the old pump
Lord, till he finally got it started
The man worked hard until he got the tractor started
He listened to the motor
The man listened to the motor once it started
Then he set the time
The man set the time after the motor started
And when he got it going
The man smiled after he finally got the tractor going
I watched him slowly smile
The artist watched the man slowly smile
And when the bidding started
When the bidding began, the man was there
I saw him twitch his eye
The singer saw the man twitch his eye during the bidding
Then I saw I saw the mirror
The singer realized he was reflected in the mirror
When the bidding got to high
The bidding got too high for the man
He turned and looked a couple times
The man turned and looked a couple of times
Before he got into his car
The man got into his car after looking around
And quietly he turned around
The man turned around quietly
And drove out of the yard
The man left the yard
Contributed by Carter K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tim Duffin
"The original B" s/b "The original paint"
"Then I saw I saw the mirror" s/b "Then I saw them narrow"