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
Wishbones
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to understand
Why the world tries to grind you down
Make a ghost out of a man
Your date of grace is due
And you've pawned everything you own
I guess some dreams just don't come true
Nothin left but skin & wishbones
Each year the world gets lonelier
And uglier with sin
You'll never see those blue skies
Through young eyes again
You've prayed to every god you've found
Just to wind up all alone
Your friends are gone, your mama's dead
Nothin left but skin and wishbones
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Everything's gonna be all right
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Cough and cry, lay down an die
Grab an end, hold on tight
Bottles and bones in the night
You'll never go back home
You old wishbone
Can't eat can't sleep can't think
Not knowing where to go
This is real life brother
This ain't no reality show
If sufferring is human
Well I guess we're not alone
You'll survive on next to nothing
But you won't live on skin and wishbones
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Everything's gonna be all right
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Cough and cry, lay down an die
Make a wish upon a star tonight
Everything's gonna be all right
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Cough and cry, lay down an die
Grab an end, hold on tight
Bottles and bones in the night
You'll never go back home
You old wishbone
The song "Wishbones" by Slaid Cleaves is a poignant expression of broken dreams and a hard life. The lyrics tell the story of a man who is struggling to survive in a world that is trying to grind him down. He has pawned everything he owns to stay afloat and yet he still has nothing left but his skin and wishbones. Despite praying to every god he has found, he feels utterly alone, with his friends gone and his mother dead.
The second verse of the song speaks to the bleakness of the world and how it gets lonelier and uglier with sin. The man sings wistfully of never seeing blue skies through young eyes again. The chorus provides a bit of relief, with the suggestion to spin a bottle cap and throw a shot back. But even this small pleasure is tinged with sadness, as the man coughs and cries and ultimately lays down and dies.
The final verse of the song acknowledges the grim reality of life, where one can't eat, can't sleep, and can't think. The man knows that this is real life and not a reality show. But despite the suffering, he clings to the hope that everything will be alright by making a wish upon a star. The closing lines of the song echo the refrain of "grab an end, hold on tight," suggesting that even when all else is lost, we must still hold on.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day after
The monotony of life is overwhelming.
Trying to understand
Despite trying, it's difficult to comprehend the reasons behind life's difficulties.
Why the world tries to grind you down
Life is tough, and it can feel like the world is trying to break you.
Make a ghost out of a man
The harsh reality of life can cause one to feel like they are losing themselves.
Your date of grace is due
The time for good fortune and prosperity has run its course.
And you've pawned everything you own
Desperation has taken over, and material possessions have been sold to survive.
I guess some dreams just don't come true
Even with great effort, some aspirations may never be fulfilled.
Nothin left but skin & wishbones
Having given up everything else, one is left with only their bare necessities.
Each year the world gets lonelier
As time goes by, the feeling of isolation and solitude becomes more intense.
And uglier with sin
The evil in the world seems to be growing, making life difficult to bear.
You'll never see those blue skies
The optimism and innocence of youth is gone, replaced by a more pessimistic world view.
Through young eyes again
No longer able to view the world with the child-like wonder and optimism of youth.
You've prayed to every god you've found
In desperation, all possible means of help or guidance have been sought.
Just to wind up all alone
Despite efforts, the sense of isolation remains.
Your friends are gone, your mama's dead
The support systems that once existed are lost, adding to the feeling of loneliness.
Spin the bottle cap, throw a shot back
Engaging in risky or self-destructive behavior in an attempt to cope with life's challenges.
Everything's gonna be all right
A hopefulness that things will improve, even if temporary relief is found.
Cough and cry, lay down an die
The physical toll of poor choices or hardships, resulting in a depressive state of giving up.
Grab an end, hold on tight
Grasping at anything to cling to, hoping to find some sense of stability or relief from life's struggles.
Bottles and bones in the night
Metaphorical symbols of life's struggles and hardships, felt acutely during the darkness of night.
You'll never go back home
The past is gone, and the comforts of home are out of reach.
You old wishbone
A term of affectionate sadness for the frailty of one's current state.
Can't eat can't sleep can't think
Life's difficulties make it impossible to engage in even the basic necessities of life.
Not knowing where to go
The overwhelming feeling of aimlessness and lack of direction in life.
This is real life brother
The harsh reality of life can't be avoided or ignored.
This ain't no reality show
The difficulties of life can't be escaped or changed like they might be in a fictionalized version of reality.
If sufferring is human
The experience of suffering is common to all humans.
Well I guess we're not alone
Knowing that others are also experiencing similar hardships can provide a small measure of comfort.
You'll survive on next to nothing
Despite the difficulty, one can persevere through the harsh realities of life.
But you won't live on skin and wishbones
While survival is possible with very little, a full and meaningful life requires more than just the basics of existence.
Make a wish upon a star tonight
The glimmer of hope remains, even in times of hardship.
Grab an end, hold on tight
Hang on to hope and perseverance in order to survive life's struggles.
Contributed by Dominic M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.