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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Prince Alone in the Studio
Smog Lyrics
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It's two a.m. and all the girls are gone
The girls thought they were going to be able
To have sex with him
They wore their special underwear
Once the tracks were laid down
Prince's back turned around
Raspberry headphones on his head
Prince alone in the studio
It's three a.m.
Prince hasn't eaten in eighteen hours
Dinner's burned on the stove
But prince, he doesn't even know
Prince alone in the studio
It's four a.m.
And he finally gets that guitar track right
And it's better than anything any girl could ever give him
Because prince is alone
Prince is alone
Oh prince, you are so alone
And when it's all complete
He feels like a hunter on the street
And when it's all complete
He feels like a hunter on the street
The Smog song, "Prince Alone in the Studio," portrays the singer, Prince, as a lonely workaholic. Prince is in the studio at an ungodly hour. All the girls who thought they would spend the night with him have left. They donned their special underwear but to no avail. Prince is lost in his music, and the track that he's working on is yet to come to a close. He wears Raspberry headphones, and his focus is so intense that he hasn't realized that he now hasn't eaten in eighteen hours, and his dinner has burned on the stove.
At three a.m., Prince is still in the studio consumed by his pursuit. He is a man on a mission, and he has no time for anything else. The song paints a picture of an obsessive artist who will stop at nothing until the job is complete. The metaphor of the hunter on the street is a reference to the instinctual and primal nature of Prince's work. Prince is in pursuit of creating art that will transcend beyond anything that the girls in special underwear could offer him. As the song progresses, Prince completes his work which brings him a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.
The song's lyrics illustrate the solitary life of an artist who dedicates a significant amount of his time to his art. This song's message is that the artist's work can be isolating and consuming, but the end results can be worth it. The metaphor of the hunter on the street emphasizes the primal nature of Prince's work, which captures the importance and essence of artistry.
Line by Line Meaning
Prince alone in the studio
Prince is by himself in the recording studio
It's two a.m. and all the girls are gone
It's 2 a.m. and the girls who came to see him thought they would have sex with him but have now left
The girls thought they were going to be able to have sex with him
The girls came to see him with the expectation of having sex with him
They wore their special underwear
The girls wore specific underwear in the hopes of impressing Prince
Once the tracks were laid down
Once the music was recorded
Prince's back turned around
Prince turned his back to the people in the studio
Raspberry headphones on his head
Prince wore raspberry colored headphones on his head to listen to his music
On his ears
The headphones were covering his ears
Prince alone in the studio
Prince is still alone in the recording studio
It's three a.m.
It's now 3 a.m.
Prince hasn't eaten in eighteen hours
Prince has gone 18 hours without food
Dinner's burned on the stove
Dinner has been left on the stove for too long and has burned
But prince, he doesn't even know
Prince is too focused on his music and doesn't realize the food has burned
Prince alone in the studio
Prince is still alone in the recording studio
It's four a.m.
It's now 4 a.m.
And he finally gets that guitar track right
Prince is satisfied with the way the guitar track sounds
And it's better than anything any girl could ever give him
Prince feels more satisfied with his music than any satisfaction he could receive from a girl
Because prince is alone
Prince is by himself
Prince is alone
Prince is still by himself
Oh prince, you are so alone
The singer empathizes with Prince's loneliness
And when it's all complete
When the recording is finished
He feels like a hunter on the street
Prince feels confidence and dominance, like a predator in the street
And when it's all complete
When the recording is finished
He feels like a hunter on the street
Prince still feels empowered and confident after the recording is over
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing
Written by: STEPHAN MATHIEU, WILLIAM CALLAHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind