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.
Letter to the East Coast
John Vanderslice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was easy
Living in new haven in 1925
Was simple and kind
like you and me at the start
It's right and bright at the top
But the rook's not to blame
The tenements of new haven, 2010,
Spare me that, my friend
Being Joan Crawford at the end,
Well that was hard
You and me at the start
It's simple and pure at the top
But the rook's not to blame
For those who didn't have an endgame
The lyrics of John Vanderslice’s “Letter to the East Coast” are evocative of nostalgia and longing for simpler times, contrasted with a current reality that is considerably more complex and challenging. The opening lines speak of the ease of being Joan Crawford at 21 or living in New Haven in 1925. The past is portrayed as a place of simplicity and kindness, contrasting with the present, marked by the tenements of New Haven in 2010.
The chorus underscores the message of the song; that life is simple and pure at the beginning, but inevitably the complexity of the world catches up to us. The rook, a reference to chess, serves as a metaphor for the choices we make and the strategies we employ in life. Those who lack an “endgame,” that is, a clear goal or plan, are not the fault of the rook.
Overall, the song seems to be a bittersweet reflection on the passage of time and the loss of innocence. Though the past may seem idyllic in retrospect, the present is still worth living, even if it is not always easy.
Line by Line Meaning
Being Joan Crawford at 21
Was easy
Being a famous movie star at a young age was not that challenging
Living in new haven in 1925
Was simple and kind
Living in a peaceful city like New Haven in the past was easy and nice
like you and me at the start
It's right and bright at the top
But the rook's not to blame
For those who didn't have an endgame
Like most people, success comes easily at first, but if you don't plan for the future, you might not have a happy ending
The tenements of new haven, 2010,
Spare me that, my friend
The situation of the poor neighborhoods in the present time is not pleasant to hear
Being Joan Crawford at the end,
Well that was hard
Being a fading, old movie star was difficult for Joan Crawford
You and me at the start
It's simple and pure at the top
But the rook's not to blame
For those who didn't have an endgame
Just like at the beginning, life could be easy and innocent if we plan for the future instead of blaming others for our failures
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: John Vanderslice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind