Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone described by himself as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day".[1] In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on 6- and 12-string guitars.
Blue Dot
Leo Kottke Lyrics
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It was written on the walls and window shades
And though she'd act the little girl
A deceiver, don't believe her, that's her trade
Sometimes a bottle of perfume, flowers and maybe some lace
Men brought Louise 10-cent trinkets
Their intentions were easily traced
And everybody knew at times she cried
Ah but women like Louise they get by
And everybody thought it kind of sad
When they found Louise in her room
They'd always put her down below their kind
Still some cried when she died this afternoon
Louise rode home on the mail train
Somewhere to the South I heard them say
Too bad it ended so ugly
Too bad she had to go this way
And the wind is blowin' cold tonight
So goodnight, Louise, goodnight.
Leo Kottke's "Blue Dot" is a poignant and melancholic contemplation of the harsh realities of life for women living on the fringes of society. The lyrics describe the life and death of a woman named Louise who is known and judged by the men who come to visit her, leaving 10-cent trinkets in their wake. Louise is aware of her perceived innocence and uses it to her advantage by deceiving those who come to see her. Yet, despite the easy assumptions made about her by those around her, Louise is depicted as a complex and ultimately tragic figure.
The song hints at Louise's vulnerability and frequent moments of sadness. The depiction of her crying suggests that despite her efforts to manipulate men for her own gain, her life is far from easy or carefree. The desire to escape her circumstances and start anew is reflected when she is described as riding the mail train to the South. The song ends with a somber goodnight to Louise, acknowledging her death while simultaneously acknowledging that her life was almost entirely overlooked by society until her tragic end.
Overall, "Blue Dot" is a powerful meditation on the lives of those on society's fringes, and the ways in which their experiences are often ignored or seen through a distorted lens. It highlights the pervasive misogyny that can inform people's opinions of women who live outside of social norms, and the cruel treatment towards those who are vulnerable and marginalized.
Line by Line Meaning
They said that Louise was not half-bad
People spoke positively of Louise, saying she was not terrible
It was written on the walls and window shades
This sentiment was so widely accepted that it even appeared in writing on walls and window shades
And though she'd act the little girl
Despite behaving in a childish manner
A deceiver, don't believe her, that's her trade
Louise was a skilled liar and should not be trusted
Sometimes a bottle of perfume, flowers and maybe some lace
Men would sometimes bring Louise small gifts like perfume, flowers, and lace
Men brought Louise 10-cent trinkets
The gifts men gave Louise were cheap and insignificant
Their intentions were easily traced
It was clear why these men were giving her gifts - they wanted something in return
And everybody knew at times she cried
People were aware that Louise was not always happy and would sometimes cry
Ah but women like Louise they get by
Despite the hardships that come with her lifestyle, Louise was able to survive
And everybody thought it kind of sad
Most people felt sorry for Louise
When they found Louise in her room
When Louise was discovered dead in her room
They'd always put her down below their kind
People judged Louise and considered her inferior to themselves
Still some cried when she died this afternoon
Despite their negative opinions of her, some people were still moved to tears by her death
Louise rode home on the mail train
Louise's body was transported home on a mail train
Somewhere to the South I heard them say
The location of Louise's home was rumored to be in the South
Too bad it ended so ugly
It was unfortunate that Louise's life ended tragically
Too bad she had to go this way
It was regrettable that Louise died in the manner that she did
And the wind is blowin' cold tonight
The weather is unpleasant tonight
So goodnight, Louise, goodnight.
The song ends with a farewell to Louise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ARTHUR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Lardner
Thanks to you, and everybody else for the generous comments. The main reason I do videos like these is out of respect for Kottke, and to honor the enormous and invaluable contribution he has made to finger-style guitar since the 60s. Since I've been in a very fortunate position to learn more about details of Kottke's technique than others would have access to, I do these not to display my own facility for playing his pieces but in hopes that it helps others understand them better.
Kennis and Jerry
Loved it! One of my favorite Kottke tunes. Your thumb grabbing those deep base notes was impressive!
raychrl
Andy, thankyou very much for recording this. You can really hear the subtleties, character and dynamics from Leo's record in your playing. I think is it a great tribute to one of the great artists of our time for you guys (and gals) from the UWM finger-style guitar program with John Stropes to dedicate your talents to studying the techniques and making this music accessible to others.
Duane Starzyk
Wonderful, love to watch you play, I've been listening to Leo since the armadillo record. Can't say enough.
Stay the course. Thank you
fngrstyl
Good to hear from you Andy,,,, Sounds stellar as usual!!
Andrew Lardner
It's been a long time since we released the notation for "Peckerwood," though I love that piece I feel it would be difficult to remember without some practice. I do play the whole "Bigger Situation" suite though, that would be a great one to record. Thanks for the nice comments and suggestions.
Ippolito Donati
One of my favorite tune of Kottke played very very well: "amazing accuracy and feel" as someone has already written. I "suspect" it is better than mine: I'm steel studying it and your video will be very useful to me for debuging and fine-tuning my own version.
Tom Ceschin
Great to watch this be played, and a great job of playing by you (as always) Any idea of if Leo even ever plays this any more because, as you've noted, i haven't seen or heard it since the landmark album, my first introduction to Leo's works. Picked it up in '73' & 4me is the most influential album i've ever had. Prior to Leo, we had great's like Andrés Segovia and Chet Atkins to learn from. But Leo brought a new menu to the table. It's been a great feast ever since.
John B. Cook
Wonderful--one of my favorite Kottke compositions and technically challenging at that!
Andrew Lardner
Thanks John, one of my absolute favorites too. A one-off Kottke rarity.