John Moreland (born 22June 1985) is an American singer-songwriter from Tuls… Read Full Bio ↴John Moreland (born 22June 1985) is an American singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Moreland first debuted his name as a part of the Black Gold Band from 2006-2010, with a 2006 full-band demo, 2008's Endless Oklahoma Sky, and 2009's solo demo session falling in that time span before he decided to retire the Black Gold Band name. John continues to write and record music, and in 2010 will release Things I Can't Control under his own name. Black Gold Band guitarist Wayne Wedge has returned to perform secondary guitar duties, and producer Stephen Egerton (ALL, Descendents) has been playing drums on the studio sessions. In 2010, Moreland was featured on the multi-musician studio project The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton, along with members of Drag the River, Descendents, MxPx, and many others.

SALLISAW BLUE
John Moreland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One two, one go
Arkansas River, Sallisaw Blues
This town never seen nothin' like you
They got silver spoons for American gods
I wanna be stoned, thrown American rods

I don't own anythin', you don't know shit
With your bloodshot eyes givin' my black heart fits

There's a neon sign that says ‘Big Bad Luv'
And a noose hangin' down from the heavens above

It's no use, God bless these blues
Let's get wrecked and bruised and battered
I need you, come on, burn right through
Honey, show me I'm not shattered

Down for the count, along for the ride
Sippin' cold medicine, ruinin' our lives
Slummin' I-40 with American songs
They can bury our bodies in American wrongs

It's no use, God bless these blues
Let's get wrecked and bruised and battered
I need you, come on, burn right through
Honey, show me I'm not shattered

A neon sign that says ‘Big Bad Luv'
There's a noose hangin' down from the heavens above

Overall Meaning

" Sallisaw Blue" is a song by John Moreland that captures a sense of darkness and desperation that can often exist in small towns. The opening lines of the song set the scene, talking about the Arkansas River and how this town has never seen anything like the singer. He feels out of place and like he doesn't belong, in a town where silver spoons are reserved for those who worship the American gods. The singer is seeking an escape, he wants to be stoned and thrown American rods. He's tired of trying to fit in somewhere he doesn't belong.

The singer is also struggling with personal demons. He doesn't have anything, and the people around him don't know anything about him. He's feeling defeated, with bloodshot eyes and a black heart that is hard to win over. There's a neon sign for "big bad love" looming over the town, but there's also a noose hanging down from the sky showing the dark underbelly. The song captures this sense of feeling trapped and hopeless but also needing to fight for something more.

Line by Line Meaning

One two, one go
Let's go, no time to waste

Arkansas River, Sallisaw Blues
The singer is in Sallisaw, Oklahoma by the Arkansas River feeling blue

This town never seen nothin' like you
The singer is unique to this small town and stands out from the crowd

They got silver spoons for American gods
The wealthy and powerful in America are favored and worshiped like gods

I wanna be stoned, thrown American rods
The artist desires to rebel and cause trouble in an American context

I don't own anythin', you don't know shit
The singer is broke and misunderstood

With your bloodshot eyes givin' my black heart fits
The singer is affected by the intense emotions of the other person, who seems exhausted or high

There's a neon sign that says ‘Big Bad Luv'
The environment is uninviting with a glaring sign proclaiming the presence of love (or at least a twisted version of it)

And a noose hangin' down from the heavens above
Death is ever present, looming, and possibly even divinely sanctioned

It's no use, God bless these blues
Despite the sense of hopelessness, the artist still acknowledges the value and power of the sad emotions in music

Let's get wrecked and bruised and battered
The singer seeks to indulge in destructive behavior to cope with pain

I need you, come on, burn right through
The artist relies on the other person to help them through their suffering

Honey, show me I'm not shattered
The singer wants confirmation that they are still intact, despite feeling broken

Down for the count, along for the ride
The singer is defeated, but still a willing participant

Sippin' cold medicine, ruinin' our lives
Both the singer and the other person are taking risky behaviors and substances that are detrimental to their future

Slummin' I-40 with American songs
The artist is driving on a highway, listening to American music and feeling low

They can bury our bodies in American wrongs
Even in death, there is no escaping the dark side of American culture

Writer(s): JOHN MORELAND

Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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