Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, utilizing sub-standard instruments and recording equipment. His reason for using the lo-fi approach was not so much an aesthetic choice, rather it came from his lack of knowledge of recording studios, and fear of giving up control to professional engineers.
His later work saw him overcoming his fear of studios and producers, and in this period he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O'Rourke and musicians from the circles around Drag City, as well as collaborating with the similar-minded Neil Hagerty.
His songs are based on simple, repetitive structures, strikingly characterized by his baritone vocal. His lyrics are often centered around themes of spiritual searching and the complexity of emotions, with the use of subtlety and dark irony in the classic sense. There is also a broad swathe of joy throughout Callahan's work (and a singular obsession with horses that he shares with Will Oldham and Mark Linkous). He is a keen storyteller using simple words to project large and deeply echoing tales.
Callahan's love life has been documented with vigor in numerous hipster publications, including his romantic relationship with Chan Marshall (Cat Power), who allegedly penned "To Be a Good Woman" in tribute to Callahan while referencing his song "To Be Of Use." It has recently been rumored that Callahan is now involved with Drag City labelmate Joanna Newsom.
Callahan is widely seen as one of the important figures of American rock in the '90s. He currently resides in Austin, TX.
On his 2007 album "Woke on a Whaleheart" he dropped the name Smog and used his real name, Bill Callahan.
There are other artists with the same name:
2. Smog was a psychedelic rock band from Perù, wich in 1971 released the single Time for the Blues
3. Sludge/doom metal from Nuremberg, Germany
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4. Black metal from Kraków, Poland
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Held
Smog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let myself be held
Like a big old baby
I surrender to your charity
I lay back in the tall grass
And let the ants cover me
I let the jets fly, I'm wishing for their destruction
For the first time in my life
I am moving away, moving away, moving away
From within the reach of me
And all the wild being held like a big old baby
The lyrics to Smog's song "Held" express a significant moment of surrender and vulnerability. The singer confesses that, for the first time in their life, they've allowed themselves to be held by another person, akin to being held as a baby. This metaphorical return to infant hood represents a relinquishing of control and a surrender to whatever the other person's "charity" may be. The singer continues to describe how they lay in the tall grass, allowing ants to crawl over them, symbolizing a further surrender of control and desire for oblivion. The singer then takes an abrupt turn and states that they are "wishing for destruction," showing a nihilistic attitude towards life. This pessimism is heightened by the description of being "born to black in a perfect blue sky," suggesting an inherent bleakness in the world.
The second half of the song continues the idea of moving away from oneself. The singer states that they are moving away from within the reach of themselves, suggesting that the act of being held has allowed them to disconnect from their ego and identity. They describe this as a "wild" feeling, as if being held energizes and excites them. Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of resignation to fate and a desire to give oneself over to something bigger.
Line by Line Meaning
For the first time in my life
This is a new experience for me
I let myself be held
I allowed someone to comfort me
Like a big old baby
I felt vulnerable and helpless
I surrender to your charity
I am accepting your kindness and generosity
I lay back in the tall grass
I was in a relaxed state
And let the ants cover me
I allowed myself to be consumed by nature
I let the jets fly, I'm wishing for their destruction
I am experiencing conflicting emotions, wanting to destroy the things that bring comfort and convenience
Born to black in a perfect blue sky
I feel like an outsider in a perfect world
For the first time in my life
This is a new experience for me
I am moving away, moving away, moving away
I am distancing myself emotionally
From within the reach of me
I am distancing myself from my own emotions
And all the wild being held like a big old baby
I am experiencing a contradiction of wanting to be embraced and nurtured while also wanting to break free from confinement
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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