The quartet recorded two albums together: Let's Cut the Crap & Hook Up Later On Tonight, released on Black Dog Records in 1998, and Kids in Philly, released on Steve Earle's now-defunct E-Squared Records in 2000. Both critically acclaimed CD's were recorded and produced by the band and recording engineer Paul Smith above an auto repair garage in south Philadelphia.
Metz and Vance left the band in 2000, and were replaced by Mick Bader on drums and Joe Hooven on bass. Augmented by Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel, this version of the group toured extensively to support Kids in Philly. Marah performed the song, "Point Breeze" from Kids in Philly on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien in 2000. Bader and Hooven left Marah in 2001 and were replaced by Jon Kois (drums) and Jamie Mahon (bass) of Philadelphia psychedelic rock band The Three For Tens.
The Bielankos, with Kois and Mahon, left for Wales in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away with the Friday Night Gods with former Oasis producer Owen Morris. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002.
In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage and recorded their fourth record, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. The CD was released on Yep Rock records in 2004. The band toured this album with John Wurster (of Indie Rock-stalwarts Superchunk) on drums, Mike Brenner on lap steel, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.
In 2005, the band entered The Magic Shop recording studio in New York City to record their fifth album with the help of Henderson and two new members, Adam Garbinski and Dave Peterson. The result, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (IYDLYC), was hailed by critics as a return to form for the band.
The release of IYDLYC was complemented by the recording and release of a Christmas album, A Christmas Kind of Town, on October 18, 2005. The band, solidified as a three-guitar quintet, embarked on a year-long tour of the US and Europe to support the two albums. Highlights of the tour included Serge Bielanko's intense renditions of "Dishwasher's Dream" off of IYDLYC, as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," an original song that has never been officially released by the band.
Dave Bielanko, Serge Bielanko, and Adam Garbinski at ACL 2006.The band played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006, which was highlighted by a rousing introduction by St. Louis scenester/character Beatle Bob and a cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Marah later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15th, 2006, featuring a spirited performance from the band with Dave and Serge Bielanko jumping over the crowd barriers into the audience. The audio of this performance was released on iTunes on November 7th, 2006.
On September 21, 2006, the band's website announced the release of a live DVD of the IYDLYC tour, entitled Sooner or Later in Spain. The DVD, which was originally recorded and released as a fan bootleg, was released on November 17th, 2006.
Marah, with Christine Smith now a full time member, entered Nashville's 16 Ton Recording Studios in August 2006 to record songs for a new record. In April 2007, the group recorded and mixed additional songs at Brooklyn, New York's Excello Recording. In June, Marah announced that the new record, Angels of Destruction, would be released on January 8, 2008 and previewed the album at a concert/listening party in Philadelphia on September 8th, 2007. Angels of Destruction was preceded by a 6-song 10" EP entitled Can't Take It With You which was released in October 2007. A Christmas EP called Counting the Days was released in November 2007.
The new album was released in early January 2008 to widespread acclaim. Almost immediately afterwards, however, plans for an extensive US tour were cancelled following the departure of Garbinski, Peterson, and Henderson. A statement from Dave Bielenko stated that the current line-up could not agree on tour plans, and that to acquiesce to rhythm section would have represented a "musical regression." Bassist Johnny Pisano and drummer Joe Gorelick were hired as replacements, and in late February the band embarked on a European tour to promote the album.
In August 2008, Dave Bielanko, Smith and Pisano started recording new material at 16 Ton Studios in Nashville. Bielanko has stated his intentions of recording "a lilting beautiful folky record of acoustic guitars, tack pianos, and the stand-up bass".
Walt Whitman Bridge
Marah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got sixteen cigarettes somehow I just ain't smoked yet
Got two shoelaces and two shoes
I should toss ‘em on the telephone wire as a monument to my blues
I'm goin' down to get a coffee
Gonna mean one less buck
Maybe six will bring me luck
Gonna drink my bean and walk out smoking on the Walt Whitman Bridge
Faraway from these winter streets
On a cloudless day
Your memory
Blows away
Got a leather wallet on a chain
Got a picture of my lover's lips before they dried up under my kiss
A prayer in my heart I'm too scared to recite
Oughtta toss that stale loaf of words to the birds as a monument to my whole life
The first verse of Marah's song "Walt Whitman Bridge" presents a vivid image of the singer's poverty and despair. He has only seven dollars to his name, and the fact that he has managed to hold onto sixteen cigarettes without smoking them suggests a sense of desperation and perhaps even a glimmer of hope that things might get better. The idea of tossing his shoes onto a telephone wire as a "monument to [his] blues" is a poignant one, as it suggests a desire to memorialize his own struggle.
The second verse again highlights the singer's financial struggles, as he contemplates whether to spend one of his precious few dollars on a cup of coffee. He also mentions a "little shake" that he has kept in the fridge, which could refer to a milkshake or some other kind of treat that he has been hoarding. The lines "gonna drink my bean and walk out smoking on the Walt Whitman Bridge" suggest a sense of defiance or rebellion, as if the singer is determined to enjoy what little he has left.
The final verse introduces a new element: the singer's memories of a past love. He observes that "Faraway from these winter streets / On a cloudless day / Your memory / Blows away," suggesting a sense of distance and separation from the person he is thinking of. The leather wallet on a chain and the picture of his lover's lips add to the sense of nostalgia and longing. The final lines, in which the singer contemplates tossing a "stale loaf of words" to the birds, suggest a desire to let go of the past and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Got seven dollars to my name
I only have seven dollars left to my name, I am running low on money.
Got sixteen cigarettes somehow I just ain't smoked yet
I have sixteen cigarettes with me, but I haven't smoked them yet.
Got two shoelaces and two shoes
I have two shoes with their respective shoelaces.
I should toss ‘em on the telephone wire as a monument to my blues
I am so sad and frustrated with my life that I feel like throwing my shoes on the telephone wire as a symbol of my misery.
I'm goin' down to get a coffee
I am going to buy a cup of coffee.
Gonna mean one less buck
This purchase will cost me one dollar, which is a lot for me right now.
Maybe six will bring me luck
Perhaps drinking six cups of coffee will bring me good luck in life.
Got a little shake I kept in the fridge
I have a drink in the fridge that I made earlier and put away for later.
Gonna drink my bean and walk out smoking on the Walt Whitman Bridge
I will drink my coffee and smoke a cigarette while walking on the Walt Whitman Bridge.
Faraway from these winter streets
I want to be away from these cold and depressing streets.
On a cloudless day
It would be pleasant if the sun was shining and there were no clouds in the sky.
Your memory
I am thinking about my lost love.
Blows away
I try to remember my love, but the memory fades away.
Got a leather wallet on a chain
I own a wallet that is attached to a chain.
Got a picture of my lover's lips before they dried up under my kiss
I have a picture of my lover's lips before they became dry from lack of kisses.
A prayer in my heart I'm too scared to recite
I have a prayer in my heart, but I am too afraid to say it out loud.
Oughtta toss that stale loaf of words to the birds as a monument to my whole life
I should throw away the thoughts that have been bothering me and start afresh.
Contributed by Mia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@etpuff69
Love this song ❤️
@kevinpadraic8164
Such a perfect Philly song. Every lyric is true (though I dont know that you can actually walk out on the Walt Whitman Bridge (Ben Franklin, yes, but not as good a song name).