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

dusty
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Across the mesa, the daylight shines in your eyes and it makes you blind
And in your head the sirens wail, they just let you out of jail

You're just dusty now, there's flies on you
Your guns are rusty and your soul is too
The Texas is wearing off of your old leather boots
You're just dusty now, there's flies on you

There's tobacco inside your cuffs
And you drink too much but it's never enough
People stare at you as you stand and cough
Might be the weather, might be the dust

You're just dusty now...

Rain rain rain in a western sky
Teardrops in your heart, gravel in your eyes

Overall Meaning

The above lyrics are from the Fred Eaglesmith song "Dusty". The song is a melancholy tale of a man who has seen better days. He has just been released from jail and is wandering through the desolate landscape of the mesa, blinded by the bright sun. The wailing sirens in his head suggest that he is haunted by his past and that he is not really free.

The lyrics go on to describe the man's physical appearance - he is covered in dust and flies, his guns and soul are rusty. The Texas is wearing off his leather boots, and he has tobacco inside his cuffs. These details paint a picture of a man who has been through a lot and has been left behind by the world around him. People stare at him as he stands there coughing, perhaps due to his ongoing struggles with addiction or illness.

The final stanza of the song describes rain and teardrops in the sky, with gravel in the man's eyes. It is a powerful image of someone who is overwhelmed by their circumstances and is unable to find any solace in the world around them.

Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of the harsh realities faced by many people living on the fringe of society. The lyrics are simple yet evocative, and Eaglesmith's haunting vocal delivery only adds to the emotional impact of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Across the mesa, the daylight shines in your eyes and it makes you blind
The bright light in your eyes from the shining daylight is making it difficult for you to see.

And in your head the sirens wail, they just let you out of jail
The wailing sirens are echoing in your head, reminding you of the time when you were released from jail.

You're just dusty now, there's flies on you
You are now old and worn out, as represented by the dust on you and the presence of flies.

Your guns are rusty and your soul is too
Your guns and your soul have aged and degraded over time, losing their power and luster.

The Texas is wearing off of your old leather boots
Your life in Texas is slowly fading away, as shown by the fading away of the Texas symbol on your boots.

There's tobacco inside your cuffs
Your addiction to tobacco is so strong that there are residues of it sticking to your cuffs.

And you drink too much but it's never enough
You have succumbed to alcoholism, and although you drink excessively, it never feels like enough.

People stare at you as you stand and cough
People observe you in wonder as you stand, coughing uncontrollably.

Might be the weather, might be the dust
Your cough could be due to the weather or the dust around you, making it difficult to breathe.

Rain rain rain in a western sky
The sky in the west is clouded with rain, signaling a change in the weather.

Teardrops in your heart, gravel in your eyes
You are going through a tough time, feeling emotional pain in your heart, and pain in your eyes from the dusty environment.

Contributed by Bella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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