Steve Wynn (born February 21, 1960) is a songwriter based in New York (born… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Wynn (born February 21, 1960) is a songwriter based in New York (born in California). He led the influential band the Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989 and afterward began a solo career.

Before forming the Dream Syndicate, Wynn played guitar in the Davis, California-based band The Suspects, whose members included vocalist Kendra Smith (who later played bass in the Dream Syndicate) and Russ Tolman and Gavin Blair (who would form True West (band)); in 1979 they released a single, "It's Up to You" b/w "Talking Loud." Two years later, under the name 15 Minutes, he self-released another single, "Last Chance for You" b/w "That's What You Always Say" (later performed by the Dream Syndicate), which owed much to Joy Division.

Though they were popular with critics, an influence on other musicians, and signed briefly to a major label, The Dream Syndicate were never really commercially successful. They did establish, however, the fan base on which Wynn built his solo career.

Since 1990, Wynn has released a number of albums exploring various musical styles. His first solo album, Kerosene Man, included backing work by bassist Fernando Saunders (a frequent sideman of Lou Reed, to whom Wynn was often compared early in his career), drummer D.J. Bonebrake from the L.A. punk band X, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand and saxophonist Steve Berlin from Los Lobos. Peter Buck, from R.E.M., played on its follow-up, Dazzling Display, and co-wrote the title song. Backing on Melting in the Dark (1996) was provided by the Boston band Come.

Here Come the Miracles (2001) was his best-selling solo album to date, and the best-reviewed, appearing at year's end on numerous critical Top Ten lists.

In 1985, Wynn wrote a collection of songs with Dan Stuart of Green on Red, and recorded and released them as Danny and Dusty. This collaboration was revisited in 2007 for a second Danny & Dusty album. In the '90s he was a part of the indie supergroup Gutterball along with Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders and Brian Harvey and Johnny Hott of House of Freaks. In 2008 Wynn and his wife Linda Pitmon collaborated with Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5) and Peter Buck (R.E.M., The Minus 5) for a record with songs about legendary baseball players - this collaboration is known as The Baseball Project.

The double CD From a Man of Mysteries: A Steve Wynn Tribute was released by the German label Blue Rose in 2004 and features Wynn's songs performed by the likes of Concrete Blonde, the Silos, Chuck Prophet, The Minus 5 and others.

Wynn also records as Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3.

Wynn is at present more popular in Europe than in the United States. While domestic tours are rare, he continues to perform regularly overseas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wynn_%28songwriter%29

Death Valley Rain
Steve Wynn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm buying time
But I've got no place to put it
I draw the line
But that shouldn't slow me down, now should it?

Riding against the minutes
Outside the city limits
Burning deep inside me like

Death Valley rain

We come alive
When the sun goes down in the valley
We never drive
We just park it out back in the alley

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The moon it shines
And lights up the cans on the dashboard
The stars align
But we don't know exactly what for

Overall Meaning

The opening lyrics of Steve Wynn's song "Death Valley Rain" speak to the urgency and uncertainty of the singer's feelings. They are trying to push back against the passage of time, but they don't have a clear plan for how to do so. They draw a line, but it doesn't seem to have any real effect on their situation. This sense of restlessness and frustration is underscored by the use of the metaphor of burning "like Death Valley rain," which is both intense and fleeting.

As the song continues, the singer paints a portrait of a specific time and place - a desert valley after dark. Here, they feel more alive than they do in the busy city, and they find a sense of stillness and focus by "parking it out back in the alley." This contrast between the chaos of the city and the peace of the desert adds another layer of tension to the song, as the singer struggles to reconcile these two opposing forces.

Overall, "Death Valley Rain" is a song about the search for meaning and purpose in a world that often feels overwhelming and confusing. The singer wants to live life to the fullest, but they don't always know how to do so. The vivid imagery of the desert and the night sky add depth and texture to the song's exploration of these themes.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm buying time
I am delaying something that I need to do or decide upon

But I've got no place to put it
I don't have any use for this extra time I am buying

I draw the line
I have set a boundary or limit for myself

But that shouldn't slow me down, now should it?
But I shouldn't let that limit stop me from doing what I want

Riding against the minutes
Trying to hold on to or extend moments in time

Outside the city limits
In an area with less restriction or rules

Burning deep inside me like Death Valley rain
Feeling a strong desire or passion that is hard to control

We come alive
We feel more energetic and free

When the sun goes down in the valley
When the day is over and we can relax

We never drive
We don't follow any structured plan or schedule

We just park it out back in the alley
We find a quiet place to unwind away from the hustle and bustle