The band's best known lineup consisted of Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums). They were infamous for their abrasive, hard drinking lifestyles and their ragged stage performances, notorious for coming to some shows too drunk to play very well at all. Sometimes, they just performed entire sets of covers, their picks showing their debt to 70s hard rock outfits.
The sound of this band showed off what their many fans saw as the very best of independent rock n' roll. More than possibly any other band since The Rolling Stones and the the Ramones, the Replacements embodied the spirit of rock, from their raucous performances, drug addictions, charismatic and romantic frontman, and wild, sometimes basic and sometimes powerfully confessional songs. At any given time, almost any list of 'The Best Rock Albums Of All Time' will include either the album 'Let It Be' or 'Tim', sometimes both.
Their sound started off as a classic rock influenced shade of punk, mutating to a melodic hardcore sound reminiscent of local buddies Hüsker Dü. They also progressed into a relatively straightforward but heartfelt rock style, with a number of highly soulful ballads from the heart of Westerberg to round out the mix.
The band broke up in 1991. Bob Stinson, who was fired from the band in 1986 (and was subsequently replaced by Slim Dunlap), died in 1995. Westerberg and Mars both have solo careers, and Tommy Stinson formed several bands, like Perfect and Bash and Pop, and now plays bass for Guns and Roses and Soul Asylum.
In 2012, Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reformed the Replacements and recorded an EP, "Songs for Slim" as a benefit for former member Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. The band played their first show since 1991 on August 24, 2013 at RiotFest in Toronto, and has since played at several festivals since. The band also currently includes Josh Freese on drums and Dave Minehan on guitar. The band played its final show in June 2015.
Skyway
The Replacements Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my stupid hat and gloves, at night I lie awake
Wonderin' if I'll sleep
Wonderin' if we'll meet out in the street
But you take the skyway
It don't move at all like a subway
It's got bums when it's cold like any other place
Sittin' down and waitin' for a ride
Beneath the skyway
Oh, then one day, I saw you walkin' down that little one-way
Where, the place I'd catch my ride most everyday
There wasn't a damn thing I could do or say
Up in the skyway
Skyway
Skyway (sky away)
The Replacements' song "Skyway" is a melancholic tune about a person who takes the elevated skyway to commute around the city. The song opens with an image of a busy city street, and the singer of the song is wearing a "stupid hat and gloves." At night, he thinks about whether he will sleep and whether he will run into the person he is hoping to see. However, the person he is looking for is always above him, taking the skyway. The skyway is a metaphor for the divide between the station in life of the singer and the person he is hoping to connect with. It's a lonely existence, and he is waiting for his chance to meet with her.
The third stanza describes how the two finally cross paths. The singer sees her walking down the street and realizes he has missed his chance to talk to her. The song's outro repeats the phrase "skyway," emphasizing the hopelessness and isolation the singer feels. The song's melody is wistful and harmonious, and the lyrics are reflective and contemplative.
Line by Line Meaning
You take the skyway, high above the busy little one-way
You choose to take the skyway, which rises above the crowded one-way street.
In my stupid hat and gloves, at night I lie awake
I wear my foolish winter gear and stay up at night.
Wonderin' if I'll sleep
I am uncertain if I will be able to rest.
Wonderin' if we'll meet out in the street
I hope that we will run into each other while out in the city.
But you take the skyway
However, you prefer to take the elevated route.
It don't move at all like a subway
Unlike the subway, the skyway does not move at all.
It's got bums when it's cold like any other place
Like any other location during freezing weather, homeless people seek warmth in the skyway.
It's warm up inside
The skyway provides warmth inside.
Sittin' down and waitin' for a ride
People sit and wait for transportation while in the skyway.
Beneath the skyway
Underneath the elevated passageway is where people wait.
Oh, then one day, I saw you walkin' down that little one-way
Then one day, I saw you walking down that small one-way street.
Where, the place I'd catch my ride most everyday
This is where I typically catch my transportation daily.
There wasn't a damn thing I could do or say
I was powerless to do or say anything.
Up in the skyway
Meanwhile, you were up in the elevated passageway.
Skyway
Skyway
Skyway (sky away)
Skyway (fly away)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL WESTERBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Cabral
The Replacements were best known for their shambolic rock energy. “I thought there was no reason to drag these little ballads out and embarrass the group with them or make everybody sit down and play zithers,” Paul Westerberg said. “I knew that we were a live act and I was fairly adamant about keeping my stuff away from them for a while until it kind of got to the point where the quiet stuff was better stuff and I simply got tired of shouting for about four years.”
Westerberg also cited that Rolling Stones songs like “Lady Jane” and “Factory Girl” as the kind of change-of-pace material that versatile bands could handle, and “Skyway” certainly fits that bill for The Replacements. Featuring a delicate melody and subtle instrumental backing, the song tells the story of a guy who’s down on his luck and rides the subway to maneuver through his dreary existence. Meanwhile, the object of his affection passes by him high above on the skyway as he watches and falls deeper in love.
Westerberg immediately sets this girl up as an ideal that his hapless character, freezing down on the street below (“in my stupid hat and gloves”), could never hope to reach. In the second verse, he demonstrates the contrast between her gliding above and his mode of transportation: “But you take the skyway/It don’t move at all like the subway.” The narrator attempts to make his ride of choice seem more palatable, promising warmth even if it means having to move a few bums aside to grab a seat.
We don’t know how the story is going to end heading into that final verse. The gentility of the tune suggests a possible happy ending, but the vulnerability of Westerberg’s voice implies something else is in store. In the final verse, the divergent paths of the two characters briefly intersect. On the one-way street that lies between the two extremes of the subway and the skyway, she suddenly approaches him. His heartbreaking reaction: “There wasn’t a damn thing I could do or say.”
The amazing thing about the song is that it works without any knowledge of the actual Minneapolis Skyway System. It simply plays out as a tale of someone who doesn’t like himself enough to factor into the life of someone he truly loves. Thanks to The Replacements and Paul Westerberg, “Skyway” says as much about the frailty of a wounded heart as it does about the local architecture.
DadaTV
Skyway
You take the skyway, high above the busy little one-way
In my stupid hat and gloves, at night I lie awake
Wonderin' if I'll sleep
Wonderin' if we'll meet out in the streetBut you take the skyway
It don't move at all like a subway
It's got bums when it's cold like any other place
It's warm up inside
Sittin' down and waitin' for a ride
Beneath the skyway
Oh, then one day, I saw you walkin' down that little one-way
Where, the place I'd catch my ride most everyday
There wasn't a damn thing I could do or say
Up in the skywaySkyway
Skyway (sky away) Songwriters
WESTERBERG, PAUL
Russell Voigtlander
Paul, thank you for this gem, and all the other wonderful songs. Love the images you paint with your music!
Ulalumé Pavan
I bought this record back in the day, still adore it, timeless! ❤
Steve Cabral
The Replacements were best known for their shambolic rock energy. “I thought there was no reason to drag these little ballads out and embarrass the group with them or make everybody sit down and play zithers,” Paul Westerberg said. “I knew that we were a live act and I was fairly adamant about keeping my stuff away from them for a while until it kind of got to the point where the quiet stuff was better stuff and I simply got tired of shouting for about four years.”
Westerberg also cited that Rolling Stones songs like “Lady Jane” and “Factory Girl” as the kind of change-of-pace material that versatile bands could handle, and “Skyway” certainly fits that bill for The Replacements. Featuring a delicate melody and subtle instrumental backing, the song tells the story of a guy who’s down on his luck and rides the subway to maneuver through his dreary existence. Meanwhile, the object of his affection passes by him high above on the skyway as he watches and falls deeper in love.
Westerberg immediately sets this girl up as an ideal that his hapless character, freezing down on the street below (“in my stupid hat and gloves”), could never hope to reach. In the second verse, he demonstrates the contrast between her gliding above and his mode of transportation: “But you take the skyway/It don’t move at all like the subway.” The narrator attempts to make his ride of choice seem more palatable, promising warmth even if it means having to move a few bums aside to grab a seat.
We don’t know how the story is going to end heading into that final verse. The gentility of the tune suggests a possible happy ending, but the vulnerability of Westerberg’s voice implies something else is in store. In the final verse, the divergent paths of the two characters briefly intersect. On the one-way street that lies between the two extremes of the subway and the skyway, she suddenly approaches him. His heartbreaking reaction: “There wasn’t a damn thing I could do or say.”
The amazing thing about the song is that it works without any knowledge of the actual Minneapolis Skyway System. It simply plays out as a tale of someone who doesn’t like himself enough to factor into the life of someone he truly loves. Thanks to The Replacements and Paul Westerberg, “Skyway” says as much about the frailty of a wounded heart as it does about the local architecture.
moses appleby
stevieray56 they dont ever meet in the end of the song. shes where he usually is but on that occasion he had gotten the guts to go up to the skyway and missed her.
Natalie 82
I love this.
saiyrrn sparrow
I didn't read what you wrote but you seem passionate so i upvoted!
Steve Cabral
@saiyrrn sparrow LOL! Thanks, I think. :)
Bob Dobalina
Wow. Wow. Great analysis. I'm from Chicago and we have one Sky way, which it always made me think of so I use that as a visual cue and it worked for me. I used to play it thinking of my girlfriend and waiting for her to come back from college to Chicago. she did, but it didn't work out in the end and so the song always landed with me . it reminds me of that time in my life and when I listen to it I can always go back to those better times. God bless the replacements, they really put Minneapolis on the map for us. Respect going out from fellow midwestern Replacements fans in Chicago.
Aqui De Rossi
I first learned this song in 2001. And I just moved to Minneapolis. Thinking of downtown recently, some lyrics came to mind:
"You take the skyway..."
I had learned only fairly recently, and recalled that The Replacements are from Minneapolis.
"Oh..."
One of many great songs from this band.
The Warrior Rlsh
Yo I'm from Minnesota too!