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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In the Pines
Smog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Went down that Georgia line
The engine went by at six o'clock
And the cab went by at nine
In the pines
In the pines
The sun never shines
When the north wind blows
Well I asked the captain
For the time of day
He said he
Threw his watch away
A long steel rail
And a short cross tie
And I'm on my
Way back home
In the pines
In the pines
The sun never shines
And we shiver
When the north wind blows
Little girl
Little girl
What have I done
That makes you treat me this way
Well you have caused
Me to weep
You caused me to moan
You caused me to leave my home
In the pines
In the pines
The sun never shines
And we shiver
When the north wind blows
Smog's song In the Pines is a haunting and melancholic ballad that tells a story of heartache, loneliness and despair. The opening lines, "The longest train I ever saw, Went down that Georgia line" sets the melancholic mood of the song. The next few lines, "The engine went by at six o'clock, And the cab went by at nine", paints a vivid picture of a desolate, lonely rail road track. The repeated refrain "In the pines, In the pines, The sun never shines, And we shiver When the north wind blows" reinforces this sense of bleakness.
As the song progresses, we come across the singer who speaks to the captain asking for the time of day. The captain responds by saying that he threw his watch away. This further underscores the themes of despair and hopelessness. The next section of the song introduces the image of a "long steel rail and a short cross tie" suggesting that the singer is leaving behind their past and moving on. But this sentiment of hope is quickly dispelled and we are taken back to the same refrain of "In the pines, In the pines, The sun never shines, And we shiver When the north wind blows".
The final section of the song introduces a little girl who is the cause of the singer's heartache. The lines, "What have I done, That makes you treat me this way, Well you have caused, Me to weep, You caused me to moan, You caused me to leave my home" further reinforce the pain and sadness of the singer. The repetition of "In the pines, In the pines, The sun never shines, And we shiver When the north wind blows" suggests that despite leaving their past behind, the singer is still consumed by their sense of loneliness and despair, which seems to be a never-ending cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
The longest train I ever saw
I once witnessed a train that extended for miles
Went down that Georgia line
It was traveling along the railway tracks in the state of Georgia
The engine went by at six o'clock
The locomotive passed me at six in the evening
And the cab went by at nine
Three hours later, the passenger car of the train passed by
In the pines
I find myself among the pine trees
In the pines
Surrounded by these tall trees
The sun never shines
It remains dark under the thick canopy of pine needles
And we shiver
Coldness creeps deep into our bones
When the north wind blows
Each gust of wind feels like an icy blast from the north
Well I asked the captain
I approached the captain of a ship I was aboard
For the time of day
I asked him for the current time
He said he
The captain responded by saying that he
Threw his watch away
had discarded his watch and no longer kept track of time
A long steel rail
A lengthy metal track
And a short cross tie
Supported by short wooden beams
And I'm on my
I am currently on my way
Way back home
I am returning to my place of residence
Little girl
My love interest, addressed affectionately
Little girl
A term of endearment repeated
What have I done
What action did I take
That makes you treat me this way
That causes you to treat me negatively
Well you have caused
Your actions have led to
Me to weep
My tears to fall
You caused me to moan
My pain to become audible through sounds of distress
You caused me to leave my home
I had to abandon my place of residence because of you
In the pines
Back in the dark woods
In the pines
Once again, surrounded by these trees
The sun never shines
Perpetual darkness beneath the evergreen canopy
And we shiver
Feeling a chill down to our core
When the north wind blows
The wind pierces through our skin like a knife from the north
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN RIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind