Grant Lee Buffalo has an Americana-tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music, and often tackled political and social issues in their lyrics (for example, "Lone Star Song" from Mighty Joe Moon references the infamous Waco siege). They toured with major bands of the early-to-mid 1990s such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.
The Shining Hour
Grant Lee Buffalo Lyrics
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With the lady Anna Clarke
And her trumpet solo
Whose ghost sings for pay
In the blue billiard room of the Monterrey
For room and for board
And the backdoor key is a
19th century civil war sword
Who misplaced his script
When he caught his leather boot
And this could be the shining hour
Based on all those mad beliefs
In money, oil and angel powder
In the new age magazine
There's a hole in the wall
Behind the photograph of Al Capone
He's a sittin' down at city hall
The police they peek through here
And they watch you get dressed
In the two-way mirror
But its all in good spirits
And if you close your eyes
Ya cant help
Help
But to hear 'em move
And this could be the shining hour
Based on all those mad beliefs
In money, oil and angel powder
In the new age magazine
I propose a toast
To the memory of the horse
Who carried King Tut
And his gold
Into the sun
He collapsed last summer
From a heat stroke
Somewhere in the East Village
Oh it kills me to think
That I'm no longer living
Just looking for excuses to drink
So lift up your glass
And you Ouija board
'Cause I'm fading, fading
Fading fast
And this could be the shining hour
Based on all those mad beliefs
In money, oil and angel powder
In the new age magazine
The lyrics of Grant Lee Buffalo's song "The Shining Hour" paint a picture of a surreal world where history, both real and imagined, collides with the present. The song begins with a reference to a woman named Anna Clarke, who plays a trumpet solo for pay as a ghost in the blue billiard room of the Monterrey. The Monterrey was a grand hotel in California that was demolished in the 1970s. The backdoor key to the Monterrey is a civil war sword once owned by John Booth, who is most likely a reference to John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth famously appeared in a production of Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" shortly before he assassinated Lincoln. The reference to Booth's misplaced script for the play suggests a sense of disorientation and dislocation.
The lyrics then move to a hole in the wall behind a photograph of Al Capone. Capone was a notorious gangster in the early 20th century who was eventually imprisoned for tax evasion. The reference to Capone sitting down at city hall suggests a sense of corruption and manipulation of the political system. The two-way mirror in the room implies a sense of voyeurism and surveillance. The line "But its all in good spirits" suggests that there is a sense of playfulness or even humor in the situation.
The song ends with a toast to the memory of the horse who carried King Tut and his gold into the sun. This is a reference to the belief in ancient Egyptian mythology that the stars were literally the deceased pharaohs, who rode across the sky in a chariot pulled by a horse. The horse collapsing from a heat stroke last summer suggests a sense of mortality and the passing of time. The reference to the Ouija board implies an attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Shining Hour" create a surreal world that is both playful and unsettling, where history and mythology collide with the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Are we still on the phone
Are we still in communication
With the lady Anna Clarke
Communicating with Anna Clarke
And her trumpet solo
And her musical performance on the trumpet
Whose ghost sings for pay
Whose spirit performs and receives payment
In the blue billiard room of the Monterrey
Inside Monterrey's blue billiard room
For room and for board
In exchange for accommodation and meals
And the backdoor key is a 19th century civil war sword
The key to the backdoor is a sword from the 19th century civil war
Once owned by John Booth
John Booth formerly owned the sword
Who misplaced his script
John Booth lost his lines
When he caught his leather boot
When his leather shoe came loose
And this could be the shining hour
This moment could be significant
Based on all those mad beliefs
Based on insane convictions
In money, oil and angel powder
In wealth, petroleum, and divine essence
In the new age magazine
In a publication associated with the New Age movement
There's a hole in the wall
There's a gap in the wall
Behind the photograph of Al Capone
Behind the picture of Al Capone
He's a sittin' down at city hall
He's sitting at city hall
The police they peek through here
The cops observe through this opening
And they watch you get dressed
As you dress, they observe
In the two-way mirror
Using a mirror that allows viewing from two directions
But its all in good spirits
It's all in good fun
And if you close your eyes
If you shut your eyes
Ya cant help Help
You cannot help
But to hear 'em move
But to hear movements
And this could be the shining hour
This moment could be significant
Based on all those mad beliefs
Based on insane convictions
In money, oil and angel powder
In wealth, petroleum, and divine essence
In the new age magazine
In a publication associated with the New Age movement
I propose a toast
I suggest a toast
To the memory of the horse
In remembrance of the horse
Who carried King Tut
Who transported King Tut
And his gold
And his treasures
Into the sun
In the direction of the sun
He collapsed last summer
He fell last summer
From a heat stroke
Due to a medical condition caused by heat
Somewhere in the East Village
Somewhere in the East Village neighborhood
Oh it kills me to think
It saddens me to consider
That I'm no longer living
That I'm no longer alive
Just looking for excuses to drink
Only seeking reasons to consume alcohol
So lift up your glass
So raise your drink
And you Ouija board
And you, board used to communicate with spirits
'Cause I'm fading, fading Fading fast
Because I'm quickly running out of time
And this could be the shining hour
This moment could be significant
Based on all those mad beliefs
Based on insane convictions
In money, oil and angel powder
In wealth, petroleum, and divine essence
In the new age magazine
In a publication associated with the New Age movement
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Grant Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PaleLightfalling
that superb line , ' But it's all in good spirits' , quite literally an unforgettable tune )))