Nickel Creek is an American progressive acoustic music trio formed in 1989 … Read Full Bio ↴Nickel Creek is an American progressive acoustic music trio formed in 1989 and consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Following an extended hiatus from 2007 (during which there were numerous solo projects from the band members), Nickel Creek reformed in 2014 with a new album and subsequent tour. The band released six albums between 1993 and 2006, winning a 2003 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

The two families, the Watkinses and the Thiles, met after Sean Watkins and Chris Thile had mandolin lessons with the same music instructor, John Moore. Sara Watkins studied with Moore's bandmate, Dennis Caplinger. The band name came from a song by Byron Berline, who was Sara Watkins' fiddle instructor.

Nickel Creek's first performance was at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad, California in 1989 with Scott Thile, Chris's father, playing string bass. Sean Watkins was only twelve years old at the time. At the start Chris Thile played guitar and Sean Watkins played mandolin but later they decided to switch instruments. The band played many bluegrass festivals throughout the 1990s, and the band members were home-schooled to accommodate their tour schedule. Nickel Creek's first two albums were Little Cowpoke (1993) and Here to There (1997).

The group received two Grammy nominations: Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for the song "Ode to a Butterfly". The trio was nominated at the CMA Awards for Best Vocal Group and the Horizon Award and were named one of the "Five Music Innovators of the Millennium" by TIME Magazine in May 2000. Nickel Creek's "The Lighthouse's Tale" video was nominated for a CMT "Flameworthy Video Award" for Group/Duo Video of the Year.

In 2002 the band released their fourth album, This Side, produced by Alison Krauss. It was a departure from their previous releases which were purely bluegrass. Although the core influence of bluegrass remained, other genres such as indie rock and folk rock were present in their music included cover songs Spit on a Stranger by Pavement, and Should've Known Better by Carrie Newcomer.

In 2005 the band released their fifth album, Why Should the Fire Die? with more rock and pop influences. The album debuted and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard bluegrass chart.

In late summer 2006, via Billboard and their official website, Nickel Creek announced that at the end of the year they would no longer be recording as a group and their tour, scheduled through 2007, would be their last for an indefinite period of time so band members could expand their musical horizons.

The band had plans to record its final performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in November 2007 but the idea was later "scrapped".

The band released a new album in the spring of 2014. They also played a handful of live shows and festival dates, including a concert at the Ryman Auditorium, the last venue the band played when it played its last show.

Taxman
Nickel Creek Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman

Yeah, I'm the taxman

If you drive a car
I'll tax the street
If you try to sit
I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold
I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk
I'll tax your feet
Taxman

Taxman

Don't ask me what I want it for
Ha, ha, Mr. Wilson
If you don't want to pay some more
Ha, ha, Mr. Heath

I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Overall Meaning

Nickel Creek's song "Taxman" is a cover of the original song by The Beatles, released in 1966. The lyrics are a commentary on the situation in Britain at the time, where high taxes were a topic of concern. The song is written from the perspective of the taxman, who sees himself as an all-powerful figure with the ability to tax anything and everything, with the implication that this is unfair and oppressive.

The opening lines, "Let me tell you how it will be, there's one for you, nineteen for me, 'cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman," clearly state the taxman's position of power and greed. The next lines, "Should five per cent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all, 'cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman," show that he is willing to appear benevolent by not taking everything, but the reality is that he is still taking a large percentage.

The subsequent lines, "If you drive a car, I'll tax the street, if you take a walk, I'll tax your feet," highlight the absurdity of the taxman's power and his willingness to tax anything and everything. The chorus, "Taxman, taxman," solidifies the repeated message that the taxman is always present, always taking. The final lines, "Don't ask me what I want it for, ha, ha, Mr. Wilson, if you don't want to pay some more, ha, ha, Mr. Heath, I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman," caps off the song by alluding to the real-life politicians, the then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson and former Prime Minister Edward Heath, and their inability to do anything about the taxman's power.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me tell you how it will be
I will explain how tax collection works.

There's one for you, nineteen for me
I will take 95% of your income as taxes.

'Cause I'm the taxman
I am the person who collects taxes.

Yeah, I'm the taxman
I am emphasizing my role as the tax collector.

Should five percent appear too small
If the 5% tax rate seems insufficient to me,

Be thankful I don't take it all
Appreciate the fact that I am not charging you 100% of your income as tax.

'Cause I'm the taxman
I am the person who collects taxes.

Yeah, I'm the taxman
I am emphasizing my role as the tax collector.

If you drive a car
When you own a car and drive on the street,

I'll tax the street
I will charge you a road tax for using public infrastructure built by taxpayers.

If you try to sit
When you sit in your house,

I'll tax your seat
I will charge you a property tax for owning the house.

If you get too cold
When you use heating in your home,

I'll tax the heat
I will charge you a utility tax for using energy.

If you take a walk
When you walk on the street,

I'll tax your feet
I will charge you a pedestrian tax for using public infrastructure built by taxpayers.

Taxman
I am the person who collects taxes.

Don't ask me what I want it for
Do not question me on where the collected taxes go.

Ha, ha, Mr. Wilson
I am laughing at someone who possibly questioned where tax money goes.

If you don't want to pay some more
If you are not willing to pay additional taxes,

Ha, ha, Mr. Heath
I am laughing at someone who is against taxation.

I'm the taxman
I am the person who collects taxes.

Yeah, I'm the taxman
I am emphasizing my role as the tax collector.

Contributed by Alexis D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jdw.karasu

31w

This has always been my favorite cover of Taxman. Just brilliant by Sara, Sean and Chris.

I've always thought the title should be corrected to Taxman / Ode to a Butterfly / Lithium:

0:04: Taxman (Beatles)
2:57: Ode to a Butterfly
5:45: Interlude - Lithium (Nirvana)
6:42: Reprise - Ode to a Butterfly

You can see Chris counting down the switch from Taxman to Ode to a Butterfly. The transitions from Ode to Lithium and back are exceptional, especially the one back to Ode.

It is a wonderful showcase of Ode showing how it fits perfectly next to and linking with two iconic rock classics. These three have always been so talented.