Welch and Rawlings have collaborated on seven critically acclaimed albums, five released under her name, and two released under the name Dave Rawlings Machine. Her 1996 debut, Revival, and the 2001 release Time (The Revelator), received nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Her 2003 album, Soul Journey, introduced electric guitar, drums, and a more upbeat sound to their body of work. After a gap of eight years, she released a fifth studio album, The Harrow & The Harvest, in 2011, which was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Welch was an associate producer and performed on two songs of the soundtrack of the Coen brothers 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a platinum album that won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002. She also appeared in the film attempting to buy a Soggy Bottom Boys record. Welch, while not one of the principal actors, did sing and provide additional lyrics to the Sirens song "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby." In 2018 she and Rawlings wrote the song "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" for the Coens' The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, for which they received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Welch has collaborated and recorded with Alison Krauss, Ryan Adams, Jay Farrar, Emmylou Harris, the Decemberists, Sam Phillips, Conor Oberst, Ani DiFranco, and Robyn Hitchcock.
Gillian Howard Welch was born on October 2, 1967 in New York City, and was adopted by Mitzie Welch (née Marilyn Cottle) and Ken Welch, comedy and music entertainers. Her biological mother was a freshman in college, and her father was a musician visiting New York City. Welch has speculated that her biological father could have been one of her favorite musicians, and she later discovered from her adoptive parents that he was a drummer. Alec Wilkinson of The New Yorker stated that "from an address they had been given, it appeared that her mother ... may have grown up in the mountains of North Carolina". When Welch was three, her adoptive parents moved to Los Angeles to write music for The Carol Burnett Show. They also appeared on The Tonight Show.
As a child, Welch was introduced to the music of American folk singers Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and the Carter Family. She performed folk songs with her peers at the Westland Elementary School in Los Angeles. Welch later attended Crossroads School, a high school in Santa Monica, California. While in high school, a local television program featured her as a student who "excelled at everything she did."
Welch and Rawlings incorporate elements of early twentieth century music such as old time, classic country, gospel and traditional bluegrass with modern elements of rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz, and punk rock. The New Yorker's Alec Wilkinson maintained their musical style is "not easily classified—it is at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms".
The instrumentation on their songs is usually a simple arrangement, with Welch and Rawlings accompanying their own vocals with acoustic guitars, banjos, or a mandolin. Welch plays rhythm guitar with a 1956 Gibson J-50 (or banjo), while Rawlings plays lead on a 1935 Epiphone Olympic Guitar.The New Yorker's Wilkinson described Rawlings as a "strikingly inventive guitarist" who plays solos that are "daring melodic leaps". A review in No Depression by Andy Moore observed that Rawlings "squeezes, strokes, chokes and does just about everything but blow into" his guitar.
Many songs performed by Welch and Rawlings contain dark themes about social outcasts struggling against such elements as poverty, drug addiction, death, a disconnection from their family, and an unresponsive God. Despite Welch being the lead singer, several of these characters are male. Welch has commented, "To be commercial, everybody wants happy love songs. People would flat-out ask me, 'Don't you have any happy love songs?' Well, as a matter of fact, I don't. I've got songs about orphans and morphine addicts." To reflect these themes, Welch and Rawlings often employ a slow pace to their songs. Their tempo is compared to a "slow heartbeat", and Cowperthwait of Rolling Stone observed that their songs "can lull you into near-hypnosis and then make your jaw drop with one final revelation".
Breadline Blues 2008
Gillian Welch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has struck me funny
Says you have no friends
If you haven't got money
And all of us
Good folks are in distress
But I'm gonna get something off my chest
And when you place your vote
Please don't vote wrong
Vote away those blues
Those breadline blues
It's the rich man's job
To make some rules
In order to rid
Our breadline blues
Now listen here folks
And it ain't no joke
We've got to do something
Or we're all gonna croak
We can't get a job
We've all been robbed
We've got no money
And the corn's all cobbed
We've nothing but the blues
The breadline blues
If we had state rights
I leave it to you
We could all have safe and better home brew
Said the long earred mule
Standing over the box
To the big mouthed elephant
"You drink like an ox"
You had eight years
Proved nothin' but a curse
Instead of making it better
Gettin' worse and worse
Said the long earred mule
"I ain't no fool"
The elephant said
To the long earred mule
Well shut your mouth
You've never been to school
Well the mule said
"Elephant it ain't no joke"
We better do something
Or we're all gonna croak
We're struggling to keep our head
Above water
But we're drowning in debt
From the government order
It's the same old blues
Those breadline blues
The latest news
Has struck me funny
Says you have no friends
If you haven't got money
And all of us
Good folks are in distress
But I'm gonna get something off my chest
2008 won't be long
And when you place your vote
Please don't vote wrong
Vote away those blues
Those breadline blues
In "Breadline Blues," Gillian Welch reflects on the struggles of everyday people amidst economic hardship and political turmoil. The lyrics highlight the deep impact of financial struggles on personal relationships and the desperation faced by those living in poverty. The opening lines suggest that the media often perpetuates the idea that having money is the sole determinant of worth and friendship. Welch implies that society's emphasis on material wealth has created a sense of alienation among those who lack financial resources.
The song then shifts its focus to the political system, criticizing the rich for creating policies that perpetuate the breadline blues. Welch emphasizes the need for collective action in addressing these issues, as she implores her audience to take action before it's too late. The reference to the year 1932, a period of great economic hardship during the Great Depression, serves as a reminder that history has shown the consequences of voting wrongly. The lyrics highlight the importance of making informed choices and electing leaders who will work towards relieving the plight of the financially disadvantaged.
Through its blend of social commentary and timeless themes, "Breadline Blues" captures the frustrations and aspirations of those grappling with poverty and inequality. It serves as a reminder of the enduring relevance of these issues, regardless of the specific time period.
Line by Line Meaning
The latest news
The most recent information or updates
Has struck me funny
Has affected or impacted me strangely or unexpectedly
Says you have no friends
Claims that you are isolated or unsupported
If you haven't got money
If you are lacking financial resources
And all of us
Every single one of us
Good folks are in distress
Decent, honorable people are experiencing hardship or suffering
But I'm gonna get something off my chest
But I'm going to express my thoughts or feelings honestly
1932 won't be long
The year 1932 will arrive soon
And when you place your vote
And when you cast your ballot
Please don't vote wrong
Please do not make an incorrect or harmful decision through your vote
Vote away those blues
Use your vote to alleviate or overcome the feelings of sadness or despair
Those breadline blues
Those feelings of hardship or poverty
It's the rich man's job
It is the responsibility or duty of the wealthy individual
To make some rules
To establish or create certain regulations
In order to rid
With the purpose of eliminating or getting rid of
Our breadline blues
Our experiences of poverty or financial struggle
Now listen here folks
Now pay attention, my friends
And it ain't no joke
And it is not meant to be funny or humorous
We've got to do something
We must take action
Or we're all gonna croak
Or else we will all perish or suffer greatly
We can't get a job
We are unable to find employment
We've all been robbed
We have all been cheated or stolen from
We've got no money
We lack financial resources
And the corn's all cobbed
And the corn has been fully harvested
We've nothing but the blues
We only have feelings of sadness or despair
The breadline blues
The experiences of poverty or financial struggle
If we had state rights
If we possessed the authority or control over local affairs
I leave it to you
I trust or rely upon you to handle it
We could all have safe and better home brew
We could all produce and enjoy homemade alcoholic beverages that are both safe and of higher quality
Said the long earred mule
Declared the donkey with long ears
Standing over the box
Positioned near or adjacent to the ballot box
To the big mouthed elephant
To the boastful or verbose elephant
"You drink like an ox"
"You consume alcohol excessively or with great appetite"
You had eight years
You had a period of eight years
Proved nothin' but a curse
Demonstrated nothing except bringing misfortune or hardship
Instead of making it better
Instead of improving the situation
Gettin' worse and worse
Becoming increasingly worse or more unfavorable
Said the long earred mule
Asserted the donkey with long ears
"I ain't no fool"
"I am not foolish or gullible"
The elephant said
The elephant responded
To the long earred mule
To the donkey with long ears
Well shut your mouth
Well, be quiet or stop talking
You've never been to school
You have never received formal education
Well the mule said
Well, the donkey responded
"Elephant it ain't no joke"
"Elephant, it is not a matter to be taken lightly or as a joke"
We better do something
We must take action
Or we're all gonna croak
Or else we will all perish or suffer greatly
We're struggling to keep our head
We are enduring great difficulty or hardship
Above water
Above the surface of the water, metaphorically referring to staying afloat or surviving
But we're drowning in debt
But we are overwhelmed or suffocating due to the amount of money owed
From the government order
Due to the instructions or mandates from the government
It's the same old blues
It is the recurring feelings of sadness or despair
Those breadline blues
Those experiences of poverty or financial struggle
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind