Though his name is sometimes assumed to be a pseudonym due to its similarity to German composer Kurt Weill, it is in fact his birth name, as given by his parents Donna and Charles Vile.
Vile began his musical career in 2003 creating lo-fi home recordings with frequent collaborator Adam Granduciel. The duo subsequently formed the indie rock band The War on Drugs in 2005. Vile departed following the release of their debut studio album, Wagonwheel Blues, in 2008.
Vile's music has been likened to Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and Tom Petty. His first album for Matador, titled Childish Prodigy was released in October 2009. Prior to signing with Matador, Vile released two albums, God Is Saying This To You and Constant Hitmaker, on Mexican Summer and Woodsist, respectively. He plays both solo shows as well as shows with a backing band called The Violators.
Smoke Ring For My Halo, released in March of 2011, is Kurt Vile's fourth album and second official release for Matador Records. Uncut placed the album at number 14 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011" and garnered Vile the iTunes #Rewind2011 Singer/Songwriter Album of the Year. Vile followed up the widely acclaimed album with the six-song EP release, So Outta Reach, in November of the same year. The EP was composed of tracks originating from the same sessions that birthed Smoke Ring for My Halo. So Outta Reach includes the single 'The Creature', acknowledged as one of Vile's best, and a driving rock cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Downbound Train'.
On Tour
Kurt Vile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord of the flies
Aw, hey, who cares?
What's a guitar?
Watch out for this one
He'll stab you in the back for fun
I'm just playin'
I know you, man
Watch out for this one
He'll pump you full of lead for turnin' your head wrong
I would know
I see through everyone, even my own self now
I wanna write my whole life down
Burn it there to the ground
I wanna sing at the top of my lungs
For fun, scream annoyingly
'Cause that's just me
Being me
Being free
Watch out for this one
He'll pump you full of lead for turnin' your head wrong
I would know
'Cause I can see through him and them and
On tour
Lord of the flies
I'm just playin'
I got it made
Most of the time
I wanna beat on the drum so hard
'Til it bleeds blood
Pull out the heart
'Til it don't start again
Hey, yeah
The song "On Tour" by Kurt Vile seems to be a reflection of the experiences and thoughts that go through the mind of a musician while on tour. The opening lines, "On tour, lord of the flies, aw, hey, who cares?" suggest a sense of freedom that comes with being on tour, similar to how the characters in William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" experience freedom when they are stranded on an uninhabited island. The singer is carefree and not too bothered about what is going on around him, appearing to be content with his situation.
However, as the song progresses, there are continuous warnings to "watch out for this one", implying that there are dangerous characters lurking around on tour. In a tense environment where people are away from home, it's easy for trouble to arise. The singer seems to straddle two worlds, one where he's carefree and the other where he's aware of the darker side of life. This is evident in the lines "I see through everyone, even my own self now", which suggests a deeper awareness of the people around him and the motives behind their actions.
The song ends with the singer expressing his desire to be free, to "beat on the drum so hard 'til it bleeds blood" and "pull out the heart 'til it don't start again". It is the desire to push oneself to the limit and experience pure freedom that is the underlying theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
On tour
Travelling around for performances
Lord of the flies
In charge, leading the way
Aw, hey, who cares?
A dismissive attitude towards a situation or question
What's a guitar?
A rhetorical question expressing indifference towards playing music
Watch out for this one
Be cautious about a specific person
He'll stab you in the back for fun
This person can be malicious and hurt you for their own enjoyment
I'm just playin'
Not to take what was just said seriously, as it was a joke
I know you, man
Assurance of a good relationship with someone
Most of the time
Acknowledging that things are not always perfect, but generally good
He'll pump you full of lead for turnin' your head wrong
This person is violent and will use a gun if you do something they do not like
I would know
Speaking from personal experience with this person
I see through everyone, even my own self now
Having a clear understanding of people's true intentions, including their own
I wanna write my whole life down
Desire to document every aspect of life
Burn it there to the ground
Destroying previous ways of living
I wanna sing at the top of my lungs
Expressing oneself loudly and proudly
For fun, scream annoyingly
Screaming for the sake of it, without a specific purpose
'Cause that's just me
This is simply who I am as a person
Being me
Embracing one's true identity
Being free
Feeling unburdened by external pressures
I got it made
Having a comfortable and enjoyable situation
I wanna beat on the drum so hard
A desire to create music with intensity
'Til it bleeds blood
Putting so much effort into playing music that it is as if the instrument is bleeding
Pull out the heart
Taking out the emotion and energy of a song
'Til it don't start again
Playing music so hard that it becomes unrecognizable and different from the original version
Hey, yeah
An expression of excitement or energy
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Kurt Samuel Vile
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gren Marton
on Wheelhouse
Sometimes I talk too much but I gotta get it out
But I don’t wanna talk, I only wanna listen
My baby talks soft, my ears are always ringing now
Humming a sad song when I’m alone
But you gotta be alone to figure things out sometimes
Be alone, when even in a crowd of friends and not so
Sometimes of whom you just can’t distinguish but
Thank god for the former, yeah
Some bow down a hundred times a day or more
To find a way, to get back down to the temple one day
Find the temple, to bask in the glory of
Roll around on a floor of furry carpet then
Sleep soundly for the first time in forever and
Breathing deep inside
There’s a desert down below the earth’s core
A hidden staircase in the house that you reside in
A little something from the cupboard over there
A little medicine, it’s a medication situation
Some bow down a hundred times a day or more
To find a way, to get back down to the temple one day
Find the temple, to bask in the glory of
Roll around on a floor of furry carpet then
Sleep soundly for the first time in forever and
Breathing deep inside