After mk Ultra broke up in 1999, Vanderslice wasted little time building a solo reputation. In 2000, he gained national media attention over his single Bill Gates Must Die after concocting an elaborate hoax in which Microsoft supposedly threatened legal action over supposed trademark violations (the disc had a similar etching to a Windows installation disc).
Subsequent albums, Time Travel is Lonely, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, Cellar Door, Pixel Revolt and Emerald City have gained critical acclaim for their melodic quality and sophisticated narrative lyrical content. Vanderslice has spent much of the last few years on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan.
Vanderslice also founded a recording studio in 1997 called Tiny Telephone. Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Tiny Telephone has carved out a niche as the last all-analog recording studio in the Bay Area, and has a policy of setting recording rates under market prices. Bands who have used Vanderslice's studio include Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River and Spoon.
Vanderslice is a proponent of using analog instruments and recording equipment to produce a richer, more raw sound which he has sometimes called "dirty hi-fi". He has collaborated closely with Scott Solter in the production of his recent albums, with Pixel Revolt being notably shaped by Solter.
Vanderslice was a contributing producer on the Spoon album, Gimme Fiction, and has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats. He is strongly influenced by film and is a fan of David Lynch, whose work is referenced in his song "Promising Actress". His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel to Public Enemy. He is an avid photography hobbyist. He has incorporated the poetry of William Blake and Robert Lowell into his music.
Several songs on the album Pixel Revolt referenced the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent global political situation. This is also true of Vanderslice's most recent album, Emerald City.
Heated Pool and Bar
John Vanderslice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hunting down the rebels
Over fields of bright and shiny coca
Over the jungle floor
One-handing a 32
He says: “Bring her down low now, I'm ready to go.”
Rain down bullets in flight, white light,
Barefoot boys run for your lives.”
But you can't be nice
You put your gun to their head
And you pull back the pin
And you can't be good
My friend is based in afghanistan
He goes from cave to cave and pulls the trigger
At the first sight of a man
It's total anarchy
Shooting tracer bullets at night
A high and holy patrol into poppy fields
But you can't be good
You hold up the bloody knife
And let it shine in the sun
You gotta be everywhere
I'm a guard in guantanamo
I bring the prisoners in
The hoods come off and torture slowly begins
The screams I've overheard
It'd fuck up a weaker man
But I'm cold, I'm so untouchable
And you can't be nice
I got a flak jacket
On my soul with me tonight
And you can't be good
The song “Heated Pool and Bar” by John Vanderslice is a political statement about the war culture where people are sent to invade other countries and inflict violence upon the locals. The lyrics describe three separate characters who are involved in different war scenarios. The first character, who is the singer's cousin, is in Columbia as a soldier, hunting down the rebels who are defending their country's resources of coca. The singer describes how his cousin is one-handing a .32 gun, looking for the chance to shoot the rebels. The singer tells the story of how his cousin shoots “kids in camouflage,” calling them “barefoot boys” and raining down bullets upon them. The phrase “white light” could be a metaphor for the bright light that flashes through someone's mind when they die, suggesting how ruthless and merciless is the war.
The second character is the singer's friend, based in Afghanistan. He is described as going “from cave to cave and pulls the trigger at the first sight of a man.” The singer suggests that this character has no regard for human life as he is “shooting tracer bullets at night” on a “high and holy patrol into poppy fields.” The singer implies that the character has lost his sense of morality, and he is now killing without any concern for the situation. According to the singer, these characters who kill without compassion, carelessly shooting their bullets, cannot be good to society.
The third character is the singer himself, who is a guard in Guantanamo Bay. He brings prisoners in and witnesses the torture, which is described as “slowly begins” and creates screams that could mess up a weaker man. Despite witnessing human suffering, the singer claims he has become “cold” and “untouchable.” In the end, the lyrics show that there is no place for goodness, compassion or morality in this culture of war, and those engaged in it are tainted for life.
Line by Line Meaning
My cousin is in columbia
My cousin is currently in Colombia.
Hunting down the rebels
He is actively searching for the rebels.
Over fields of bright and shiny coca
He is hunting over fields where coca is grown.
Over the jungle floor
He is traversing the jungle on foot.
One-handing a 32
He has a firearm in one hand, specifically a .32-caliber pistol.
He says: “Bring her down low now, I'm ready to go.”
He instructs someone to lower something (potentially a helicopter) so he can get on and leave.
“I hunt kids in camouflage
He is targeting and attacking child soldiers who are wearing camouflage gear.
Rain down bullets in flight, white light,
He is firing bullets from above, which may give off a bright flash as they are shot.
Barefoot boys run for your lives.”
The children he is attacking are running away in fear without any shoes on.
But you can't be nice
In this context, one cannot afford to be merciful or compassionate.
You put your gun to their head
He surveys his victims and pulls the trigger when he has them in his sights.
And you pull back the pin
He readies his pistol to fire by pulling back the trigger mechanism.
And you can't be good
One cannot afford to be honorable or compassionate in this situation.
My friend is based in afghanistan
The singer has a friend who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.
He goes from cave to cave and pulls the trigger
The singer's friend is hunting down insurgents who are hiding in caves and targeting them by shooting his firearm.
At the first sight of a man
He is attacking anyone he sees without any hesitation.
It's total anarchy
The situation is completely chaotic and out of control.
Shooting tracer bullets at night
He is firing special rounds that can be seen by eye at night, likely to attract the attention of his fellow soldiers.
A high and holy patrol into poppy fields
He and his fellow soldiers are going on a mission to protect or destroy poppy fields, which are used to make opium for drugs.
You hold up the bloody knife
In this scenario, the artist's friend is using a knife to kill insurgents and is covered in their blood.
And let it shine in the sun
He is proud of what he has done and is showing off his knife to others.
You gotta be everywhere
In order to succeed in this conflict, one must be involved in every aspect of it.
I'm a guard in guantanamo
The singer is a guard who works at the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which is used to house prisoners of war captured during the War on Terror.
I bring the prisoners in
The artist is responsible for escorting prisoners into the detention center.
The hoods come off and torture slowly begins
Once the prisoners arrive, their hoods are removed and interrogation and torture practices begin.
The screams I've overheard
The singer has heard the screams of the prisoners during interrogation and torture.
It'd fuck up a weaker man
Hearing such screams would be overwhelming or traumatizing for anyone who is not strong enough to endure it.
But I'm cold, I'm so untouchable
The artist has become desensitized to the violence and trauma they regularly encounter.
I got a flak jacket
The artist is wearing a special protective vest that can shield them from some types of damage.
On my soul with me tonight
The singer is carrying the weight of their actions with them, despite their physical protection.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: John Vanderslice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind