Forsyth brought his skills as a stellar live performer to help found and make infamous nationwide the theatrical acoustic group The Asylum Street Spankers. He gave Wammo his first washboard and Christina Marrs her first guitar and ukelele. His time with the Spankers touring and recording 5 albums added to a wealth of earlier unique experiences in his life – working as a stuntman in renaissance shows, busking on the streets of New Orleans and playing on a mountain top in Nepal – which provided him musical fodder to be refined in the songs of Forsyth’s numerous solo albums. The release of his latest, Calico Girl, which features new songs as well as re-recordings of some of Guy’s most popular songs from 1999's Can You Live Without, marks the fourth album for the record label he started in 2002, Small and Nimble Records.
Guy is known today as a musician with gripping, powerful vocals as well as a master of numerous instruments. He started his musical development first with singing, and began playing harmonica at 16. Shortly thereafter he heard a very distinct and overwhelming sound on Kansas City radio that changed his life; it was Robert Johnson. After that, he borrowed a guitar, fell in love and learned to tune it with his feet from a friend who had lost both his arms in an accident. In college, he lasted a single semester at the University of Kansas, and then he found the music he had been seeking – gritty, organic folk and blues, “from a practical hands-on, gears, joints and joists level.” And he struck out to learn it.
Since then, he’s been awarded an Austin Music Award for Best Male Vocalist in 2005, as well as numerous other AMA’s over the years in categories such as Blues and Best Miscellaneous Instrument Player (singing saw), among others. Last year’s 2-disc live record, Unrepentant Schizophrenic Americana, was received very well by critics and fans alike.
In the past year, Forsyth has stepped up his touring significantly to reach fans in the Southwest, Southeast, East Coast, and Midwest United States, as well as continuing to play in Europe several times each year. Guy has been featured in a number of large festivals recently, including the Austin City Limits Music Fest in 2005 and 2007 (Austin), High Sierra Music Festival (Northern California), Los Alamos Festival (New Mexico), BBQ & Blues Festival (New York), Tonder Festival (Denmark), and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival (Belgium). He will continue broadening his tour base throughout 2008, taking his live show to new cities and festivals. His confirmed appearances upcoming this year include Chicago’s American Music Festival, the Ottowa Blues Fest, Kerrville Folk Festival and Rochester’s Bricktown Festival. Forsyth has opened for and shared the stage with musicians such as BB King, Ray Charles, Lucinda Williams, Jimmy Vaughn, Dr. John, Robert Cray, among many others.
When It All Comes Down
Guy Forsyth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bad taste in the wind.
The panhandle's burning and
The winter's blowing in.
Hard times for the stranger:
No one keeps them anymore.
No one learns their lesson,
Trees on the greenbelt turn a Lipton brown.
Justice just in letter...
No salvation from the weather...
I hope we are together when it all comes down.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down,
On the day the phones go dead,
Before the hungry come around.
When the big boys loose their manners
And the children torch the town
I hope I am with you when it all comes down.
Tell John he was right,
And carry what you can
From the city's stock of stories,
Stacked till they can't stand.
Ramona has a closet
Full of cans she keeps around.
She says she's scared of starving
When it all comes down.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down,
On the day the phones go dead,
Before the hungry come around.
When the big boys loose their manners
And the children torch the town
I hope I am with you when it all comes down.
No one cares for the fallen;
The clinics doors are locked.
No one here remembers—
Cassandra's cries are mocked.
Beating plows into pistols,
Planting brothers 'neath the ground.
A hollow harvest rises:
It all comes down.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down,
On the day the phones go dead,
Before the hungry come around.
When the big boys loose their manners
And the children torch the town
I hope I am with you when it all comes down.
I hope you understand
Why I've chosen now to call.
I know that we agreed to
Let this conversation fall.
But there's different times comin',
Hard times to be alone.
I hope that you can hear me.
I hope you find this stone.
There's just what you brought with you
And can wrap your arms around.
If the Rapture doesn't take you,
I will not forsake you.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down,
On the day the phones go dead,
Before the hungry come around.
I'll leave nothing but a letter
For those I would be found:
"I've gone to be with you when it all comes down."
The song "When It All Comes Down" by Guy Forsyth is a poignant and sobering rumination on the potential for societal collapse and the importance of human connection in the face of disaster. The lyrics paint a grim picture of a future that could be all too real for many people today. There is a sense of foreboding and anxiety in the opening lines, as the singer describes a future that is both uncertain and dangerous.
The second verse is perhaps the most powerful, as the singer expresses a desire to be with someone they care about when the worst happens. The phrase "When the big boys loose their manners and the children torch the town" is especially powerful, as it suggests a complete breakdown of social order and a descent into chaos. The singer's desire to be with someone they care about in the face of such an apocalyptic scenario is a testament to the power of human connection and the importance of compassion and support in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a different time comin',
The future holds changes and challenges.
A bad taste in the wind.
The ominous feeling of impending disaster.
The panhandle's burning and
There are already signs of trouble, like wildfires in the panhandle.
The winter's blowing in.
The weather is turning colder and harsher.
Hard times for the stranger:
Difficulties faced by those on the margins of society.
No one keeps them anymore.
No one is taking care of them or looking out for their well-being.
No one learns their lesson,
People aren't learning from past mistakes.
They just bar the door.
People are closing themselves off and not helping others.
Trees on the greenbelt turn a Lipton brown.
The drought is causing the trees to wither and turn brown.
Justice just in letter...
The justice system is not effectively enforcing the law.
No salvation from the weather...
The weather is beyond our control and can't be saved from causing harm.
I hope we are together when it all comes down.
A hope to be with loved ones during a time of crisis and uncertainty.
I hope I am with you when it all comes down,
A repeated hope to be with someone during difficult times.
On the day the phones go dead,
When communication breaks down and people cannot connect.
Before the hungry come around.
Before people who are desperate and in need resort to violence or theft.
When the big boys loose their manners
The powerful lose their restraint and act recklessly.
And the children torch the town
Young people are forced to take drastic measures to survive.
Tell John he was right,
Acknowledging the wisdom of someone named John.
And carry what you can
Take what you need to survive and protect yourself.
From the city's stock of stories,
Lessons and knowledge gained from city life experiences.
Stacked till they can't stand.
An abundance of stories, almost too much to bear.
Ramona has a closet
A specific person named Ramona who is preparing for the worst.
Full of cans she keeps around.
A stockpile of canned goods for survival.
She says she's scared of starving
A very real fear of running out of food or resources.
No one cares for the fallen;
People who are struggling or who have failed are ignored and abandoned.
The clinics doors are locked.
Access to healthcare is limited or closed off completely.
No one here remembers—
People have forgotten the past or chosen to ignore it.
Cassandra's cries are mocked.
Those who protest or warn of dangers are ridiculed or dismissed.
Beating plows into pistols,
Agriculture equipment used for survival can also be used for violence.
Planting brothers 'neath the ground.
People are killing each other in their struggles for survival.
A hollow harvest rises:
Even when one thinks they have won or succeeded, they are left with nothing meaningful.
It all comes down.
Everything will come to a head and change drastically.
I hope you understand
Expressing a hope to be understood and to connect.
Why I've chosen now to call.
Explaining the reason for communication after a period of silence.
I know that we agreed to
Acknowledging an earlier agreement or understanding.
Let this conversation fall.
Allowing a difficult conversation to end previously.
But there's different times comin',
The future will be different and difficult.
Hard times to be alone.
It will be difficult to face these hardships alone.
I hope that you can hear me.
A hope to be understood and heard by the person being spoken to.
I hope you find this stone.
A hope that the recipient of the message will find and understand the meaning of the communication.
There's just what you brought with you
People will only have what they are currently carrying with them in times of crisis.
And can wrap your arms around.
Keeping loved ones and what one values close during difficult times.
If the Rapture doesn't take you,
If one isn't saved from a potential apocalyptic event.
I will not forsake you.
A promise to remain loyal and committed to being together during hard times.
I'll leave nothing but a letter
A final message to those who may find it after the author is gone.
For those I would be found:
The message is intended for those who may search for the writer in the future.
"I've gone to be with you when it all comes down."
The author has left to be with loved ones during hard times.
Contributed by Sophie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.