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
Strange New World
Steve Wynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mixing Scotch with gasoline
The stench was bad, the juice was clean
You shoulda heard just what I seen
Lightning flashed and split the sky
Thunder rolled from way up high
Blacked out and hit the ground
Moving fast, moving clean
Stepping lightly like a dream
Hairs on end, toes curl
It's a strange new world
Like Rip Van Winkle I was amazed
Cuz 20 years was only 20 days
I was connected to everyone
They knew me and what I'd done
Way on top but I don't know why
Lord knows I didn't try
The King of Swing, The Duke of Earl
It's a strange new world
I fee alive, I feel free
Evolution got a hold on me
Moving on but standing still
Watch me fly from the windowsill
Taking speed just like I should
Getting while it's good
Got the clams, got the pearl
It's a strange new world
In "Strange New World," Steve Wynn appears to be recounting the events of a strange and transformative experience that occurred during a trip to New Orleans. The songwriter sets the scene with vivid and surreal imagery: he was mixing Scotch with gasoline amidst a stench that was bad but a juice that was clean, and he heard things he'd never heard before. Next, he describes a thunderstorm that suddenly hit and knocked him out. When he came to, he found himself in a world that was different than the one he knew before.
Wynn emphasizes the sense of disorientation he must have felt in this "strange new world." Time had inexplicably shifted, with 20 years passing in just 20 days. He feels more connected to others than he ever has before, despite his status as "The King of Swing, The Duke of Earl." Throughout the song, there is a sense of heightened awareness of the world, a kind of euphoric transcendence that comes at the intersection of danger and the unknown. It seems that the storm that knocked him out and sent him into this strange new world might have also awoken something deep within him, and left him forever transformed.
Overall, "Strange New World" is a powerful evocation of the transformative power of a truly mind-expanding experience, both the good and the bad that come with stepping outside of one's comfort zone.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was down in New Orleans
At one point in time, I found myself in the city of New Orleans
Mixing Scotch with gasoline
I was experimenting mixing whiskey with a highly flammable liquid called gasoline
The stench was bad, the juice was clean
Despite the unpleasant smell, the liquid was distilled to a high degree of purity
You shoulda heard just what I seen
I witnessed something incredible that would be beyond what words could describe
Lightning flashed and split the sky
In an instant, there was a lightning strike that illuminated the night sky
Thunder rolled from way up high
And a loud rumbling sound followed shortly after, as if from the heavens
Blacked out and hit the ground
The sudden shock of the lightning knocked me out, causing me to collapse
When I awoke this is what I found
Upon regaining consciousness, this is what I discovered
Moving fast, moving clean
I am now operating with speed and efficiency
Stepping lightly like a dream
My movements are graceful and effortless
Hairs on end, toes curl
I'm experiencing a rush of adrenaline that's causing the hair on my body to stand and my toes to curl
It's a strange new world
This is a wholly unfamiliar experience to me
Like Rip Van Winkle I was amazed
I'm reminded of Rip Van Winkle, who also experienced a surreal sense of awe
Cuz 20 years was only 20 days
I feel as though I've lived two decades in the span of twenty-four hours
I was connected to everyone
Suddenly, I find myself deeply connected to everyone around me
They knew me and what I'd done
They seemed to have a deep understanding of who I was and everything I've accomplished
Way on top but I don't know why
I mysteriously find myself on top of the world without even trying
Lord knows I didn't try
I didn't make any conscious effort or plan to get to this position
The King of Swing, The Duke of Earl
I'm now being referred to as a musical superstar
It's a strange new world
This reality is profoundly different from anything I've experienced before
I feel alive, I feel free
I now feel an overwhelming sense of vitality and liberation
Evolution got a hold on me
It's as if evolution has grabbed hold of my very being and is propelling me forward
Moving on but standing still
I'm moving forward while feeling grounded and stable
Watch me fly from the windowsill
I'm soaring through the air from an unexpected place
Taking speed just like I should
I feel like I'm making all the right decisions and taking things at the perfect pace
Getting while it's good
I'm taking advantage of the moment while it lasts
Got the clams, got the pearl
I have everything I could ever want or need
It's a strange new world
This world is utterly bizarre and peculiar, but exciting all the same
Contributed by Amelia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.