Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s “Lydia.”
Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became Unsung. “Over the years,” Cleaves explains, “as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety.” These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely.
"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." -- Entertainment Weekly
"...one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas." -- Neil Strauss, The New York Times
Quick as Dreams
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dropped your dreams down a rusted pail
A little broken china coffee cup
Could hold what′s left of what you still won't give up
Where do all your dreams go to
When it all starts to turn untrue
What is all your wishing for
When you just don′t believe
You threw your love like a skipping stone
Never had a chance, you shoulda known
Beg the fates to give it back
And you're sinking as the sky goes black
Where do all your dreams go to
When it all starts to turn untrue
What is all your praying for
When you don't believe the words
An eyelash lay upon her face
You still keep it in a secret place
Take it out and remember when
She was here then put it back again
Put it back again
A million stars in the cold black sky
Maybe one will fall for you tonight
A silver moon and diamonds high
A worthless penny when she said goodbye
Where do all your dreams go to
When it all starts to turn untrue
What is all your wishing for
When you don′t believe in dreams
Anymore
"Quick as Dreams" is a heartfelt and introspective song by Slaid Cleaves that describes the disappointment one feels when their hopes and dreams do not come true. The opening lines convey a sense of despair as the singer has lost faith in their future. They have lost everything that they once held dear and are left with broken dreams and shattered hopes. The image of hanging hopes on a crooked nail and dropping dreams down a rusted pail conveys a sense of decay and hopelessness.
The song reaches its emotional peak in the chorus where the singer questions the very nature of dreams and wishes. They wonder where all their dreams go to when reality comes crashing down. They ponder what they are praying for when they don't believe in the words they say. The song's overall message is one of loss and the slow erosion of hope, but it is also a call to find the strength to carry on in spite of these losses. The song's final verse is a poignant tribute to a lost love and a reminder to hold onto the few memories that remain.
Line by Line Meaning
You hung your hopes on a crooked nail
You relied on something unstable to hold your aspirations.
Dropped your dreams down a rusted pail
You let go of your dreams with the hopes of retrieving them later, but left them in a deteriorated condition.
A little broken china coffee cup
A fragile and shattered home for your remaining hopes.
Could hold what's left of what you still won't give up
Despite the damages, you still hold onto some of your hopes and refuse to give up.
Where do all your dreams go to
You question where your aspirations disappear to when life doesn't go as planned.
When it all starts to turn untrue
When things start to go wrong and contradict your plans.
What is all your wishing for
You question the purpose and result of your wishes when you don't believe they will come true.
When you just don't believe anymore
When you lose faith in your dreams and aspirations.
You threw your love like a skipping stone
You treated your love like an object that could easily be thrown away.
Never had a chance, you shoulda known
Your actions led to the rejection of your love, and deep down, you knew it was going to happen.
Beg the fates to give it back
You plead with the universe to return what was lost and seemingly irretrievable.
And you're sinking as the sky goes black
Your situation worsens as everything turns bleak.
An eyelash lay upon her face
A little piece of her was left behind and it remains as a reminder of your past love.
You still keep it in a secret place
You cherish the memory of your past love, keeping it hidden and private.
Take it out and remember when
You bring out the memory and reminisce.
She was here then put it back again
You return the memory to its hidden place, knowing you can't change the past.
A million stars in the cold black sky
The vastness of the universe and its potential is highlighted.
Maybe one will fall for you tonight
You still have some hope left that something good will happen tonight.
A silver moon and diamonds high
The beauty of the sky is described, highlighting the contrast with the bleakness of your situation.
A worthless penny when she said goodbye
The memory of her is bittersweet, and even a small token of the past can mean so much.
What is all your wishing for
You question the value of wishing when you no longer believe your dreams will come true.
When you don't believe in dreams anymore
When you lose faith in your aspirations and the potential for them to become reality.
Writer(s): Slaid Cleaves
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Caz Dalton
A true song too, Tommy Luther was a thoroughbred rider for 26 year before and after the Great Depression. After that he trained horses, one being "Sea Biscuit" for 26 years. Mr. Luther helped establish the Jockeys' Guild. He was buried at Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs, New York. Born July 28, 1908, died January 27, 2001. One of my favorite songs, find myself singing the chorus over and over.
Norris Bettis
Thanks for the background.
Christian Seger
same
g0g0gdzilla
Sailin' by eight feet high on horses quick as dreams... thanks
George Beehner
A True writer
Erica Soosay
I love his stuff XD
guntotinmedic
listen to born again this morning. slaid is the shit.
Fiona M
This makes me cry
George Beehner
I, over 50 can be the leader of your fan club? Just shitting but I truly enjoy your tunes.
Michael Gillespie
Great picture bud,I saw it all!