Satchel's roots lay in the band Brad, which was originally put together as a one-shot side project for Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard. It was essentially an excuse for a group of friends to unwind and make music for the sheer fun of it. After releasing the album Shame in 1992, Gossard returned to Pearl Jam, while drummer Regan Hagar and singer Smith decided to form a permanent band. After hooking up with guitarist John Hoag and bassist Cory Kane, the newly named Satchel (originally called Bliss) secured a record deal with Epic Records. Their debut, EDC, was released in 1994, and was an unfortunately overlooked masterpiece. The band toured relentlessly, and soon bassist Kane exited, with his replacement being Mike Berg. The album didn't sell in vast quantities as hoped, so the band regrouped and began writing their next one.
Stone Gossard was signed on to co-produce their next album, and the resulting The Family (released in 1996) was a surprisingly mellower affair than the debut. Satchel again embarked on a long tour, and again their album went unnoticed (even an opening slot on an Afghan Whigs tour didn't help). By tour's end, Gossard expressed interest in re-forming Brad with Smith and Hagar, and in contrast to Brad's debut, this time they would tour. The group accepted, and Hoag promptly quit Satchel. Brad's superb Interiors received glowing reviews upon its spring 1997 release. And although the album wasn't a smash, the group obtained a loyal fan base, who made the tour a sold-out success. Brad bassist Jeremy Toback was unable to tour (even though he played on the record), so Satchel bassist Berg stepped in for the duration. This left the future of Satchel up in the air, along with Hoag's exit and the fact that many fans felt Brad should become a permanent band, putting out albums and touring on a regular basis.
Biography by Greg Prato
Hollywood
Satchel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk on your breath
I'd hope you'd remember
Every word I said
Yea, some by the way have died
And that's trouble with art
Playin' in affairs of the heart
And Hollywood
Where are they now?
All of your friends have fallen by the wayside, my dear
They've all gone home
Whenever I lay down
Hoping to remember anything
To prove that she was ever around
I feel that I would fall into
A failed haze, for all
But out here they don't want me
Back at home they don't want you
Out here I have found
Where the trees are green
(Tell you what we've seen in the meantime…)
The lyrics of Satchel's song Hollywood are a reflection on the fragile and transient nature of fame and relationships. The opening lines speak of walking on someone's breath, a metaphor for being in their presence, and hoping that they remember every word the singer said. However, the next line reveals that some of those people have died, highlighting the fragility of life and how art can become entangled in affairs of the heart. The chorus references the temperamental nature of Hollywood, a place where people's fortunes can rise and fall with alarming speed. It's a place where friends can quickly become former friends, fallen by the wayside.
The second verse continues the theme of transience and the difficulty of holding onto memories. The singer hopes to remember anything that will prove that "she" was ever around, but it seems the memories are fading. The line "out here they don't want me, back at home they don't want you" suggests a sense of displacement and not quite fitting in anywhere. However, the final lines offer a glimmer of hope. The singer has found a place where the trees are green, and they have seen something in the meantime that is not revealed.
Overall, Satchel's Hollywood evokes a sense of wistful nostalgia and the harsh reality of the entertainment world's fickle nature. The song's reflective tone is underscored by a gentle melody that suits the introspective lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever I Walk on your breath
Whenever I am near you, the memories of my words linger in the air
I'd hope you'd remember Every word I said
I wish you still remember everything I once said to you
Yea, some by the way have died And that's trouble with art
Some of those who inspired me have passed away, and that's the struggle with being an artist
Playin' in affairs of the heart And Hollywood
Being involved in romantic relationships in the entertainment industry is both exciting and risky
Is so temperamental, my dear
This industry is so unpredictable and unstable, my love
Where are they now?
I wonder where all the people you used to hang out with are now
All of your friends have fallen by the wayside, my dear They've all gone home
All your acquaintances have left you behind and went back to their homes
Whenever I lay down Hoping to remember anything To prove that she was ever around
Sometimes when I lay down, I try hard to recall anything to convince myself that she was once here with me
I feel that I would fall into A failed haze, for all But out here they don't want me Back at home they don't want you
I fear that I would fall into a state of confusion for nothing if I try to remember everything, plus people out here don't appreciate me and people back home don't appreciate you
Out here I have found Where the trees are green (Tell you what we've seen in the meantime…)
In this industry, I have found places where everything is lush and promising. (I will update you on what I've been up to.)
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., O/B/O APRA AMCOS, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: OLIVER JAO SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
david d gray
"Hollywood" is an amazingly constructed dream simulator. You only hear music like this in your dreams....I've listened to the song about 500 times, one of my favorite, ever.
fantazjusz33
Beautifully and very accurately said. I've always treated this song in a different (almost non-musical) category of listening experience.
TheLisbon96
If someone told me to choose one song, one single song, in all the great music that i've known through out my life... this would be it.
CB
RIP Shawn, just heard the news today, gutted
TheLisbon96
Good choice too!
jamescraybaby
And it would be a very good choice too!....once in a lifetime!...talking heads!...that would be mine!