Tyler-Ja… Read Full Bio ↴http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Silks-Music/250872983732
Tyler-James Kelly - Guitar / Lead Vox
Matthew Donnelly - Drums / vox
Jonas Parmelee - Bass / Vox
The way Jonas Parmelee of The Silks describes it, getting to work with legendary songwriter and Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg was a stiff penalty for tweaking the rock icon's work. After The Silks had finished tracking a handful of recordings at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, their manager passed the rough tracks along to Mr. Westerberg to see what he thought. He was apparently so taken with the recordings and the group that he wrote a song for them, “Colleen.” However, The Silks did a minor rewriting of the tune, which seemed to displease the college-rock master. Their punishment, Jonas says, was “getting sent out to Minneapolis to re-do the whole damn album with him.”
Not that they have any complaints about it. From the sound of things, the whole experience reads like the dream of any young scrappy band, in this case one who has a clutch of years experience under their belts and who have played shows under every imaginable circumstance.
The Silks ended up recording 12 songs in Westerberg's Flowers Studio in Uptown Minneapolis last winter, the centerpiece of which, the single “Down At The Heel,” a ballsy take at Faces-style cock-rockery (you can imagine Rod Stewart's sexed-up growl in there somewhere) sold out briskly.
For many young musicians, meeting your notoriously cranky rock ‘n roll hero would be the apex of intimidation - which could very well lead to some brick-shitting moments before actually settling in to work. But, as they recall, Westerberg showed up the first day wearing sweatpants, knew all their names already and had a big bag of warm clothes for them, it being January in Minnesota and all. Drummer Matt Donnelly remembers being struck by Westerberg's genuine affection for the songs the band brought with them and only made minor suggestions throughout, even playing backing guitar, piano and harmonica here and there. “One of the great ideas that Paul suggested we do to was tune down on half step for the song ‘Trouble,' resulting in a deeper tone that just makes the tune sound slightly sinister,” he says. Westerberg was also dead-set on getting a truly live sounding recording from the band, probably the only way the Silks should be recorded, and had the band play live; no headphones, straight through, with very minimal overdubs and editing after the fact. Says Donnelly, “We couldn't be happier with the outcome.”
The recordings sound wonderful too. I've always referred to Tyler James Kelly as a walking anachronism, some strange creature who crawled out of another city from another time wearing a years-old beard and weird pants, but what's often overlooked about The Silks' front man is that he is a tremendously accomplished songwriter and possibly the greatest guitarist in Providence right now. On barn burning tracks like the aforementioned “Down at the Heel,” Kelly plays like a man twice his age and with decades more experience, cycling through the myriad styles of playing that saturate the Silks' music with swampy slide guitar, deft and delicately finger-picked country folk and great swaggering waves of English blues and rock ‘n roll. Kelly channels dirty delta blues out of what sounds like a rusty tin can on “Mean Old Woman” as easily as the beautiful country blues of “Try All You Want,” and along with the incredible dynamics of Parmelee and Donnelly, they bring each fantastic song to barroom stomping grandeur.
The album swings with the emotional weight of a band who reportedly got kicked out of their hotel room their final night there, two police offcers sending them into the 15-below Minnesota night to presumably die, and recording sessions burdened with the knowledge that Slim Dunlap, longtime Replacements guitarist, was undergoing major surgery and whose survival was uncertain. By the time you read this, The Silks will have played Riot Fest in Chicago in support of the reunited Replace-ments, their highest profile gig to date, and will have the full length re-cord in hand, one which I highly rec-ommend, but only if you like music. The Silks debut album is only available at their live shows.
~ Eric Smith
My Girl
The Silks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The girl's got plenty good lovin'.
Ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so,
She used ta be my girl
I respect her.
When she was mine,
Ah, she wanted more than I could give,
But as long as I live,
She'll be my girl.
She used ta be my girl,
She used ta be my girl.
She had a charmin' personality,
The girl was so right for me.
She's my girl.
And if I had the chance,
I'd take her back.
As a matter of fact,
Right away, like today.
Not only good lookin',
The girl was so smart.
Ya can't beat her cookin'.
Ah, ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so
She used ta be my girl.
Deep down inside I still love her.
I place no one above her.
She's warm and sensitive.
For as long as I live
She'll be my girl.
And if I had the chance,
I'd take her back.
As a matter of fact,
right away, like today.
Oh, well.
Oh, good lovin',
The girl's got plenty good lovin'.
Ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so
She used ta be my girl, my girl.
Deep down inside,
I place no one above her.
She was mine, all mine.
She was mine.
She used ta be my girl,
She used ta be my girl.
The Silks's song My Girl is a love song about a woman who used to be the singer's girl. He describes her as having plenty of good loving and a charming personality. Although he neglected her when she was his, he still respects and loves her deeply. He admits that she wanted more than he could give her, but he still thinks she is the right girl for him. He even goes as far as saying that he would take her back right away if he had the chance. The singer also praises her intelligence and cooking skills, but it is clear that what he values most is the emotional connection they share.
The song captures the complicated emotions that often come with a past relationship. The singer acknowledges his mistakes, but also notes that he still loves the woman and thinks that they are meant to be together. It's a bittersweet expression of nostalgia and longing, with a touch of regret. The melody is upbeat and cheerful, which adds a layer of complexity to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, good loving,
This girl has plenty of love to give.
The girl's got plenty good lovin'.
She is a loving and caring person with a big heart.
Ask me how I know,
I can vouch for her loving nature because I have experienced it myself.
And I'll tell you so,
I am willing to share my own experience of her loving nature.
She used ta be my girl
I used to be in a relationship with this girl.
I respect her.
I have immense respect for her as a person.
When she was mine,
When we were together in a romantic relationship.
I used to neglect her.
I failed to give her the attention and love she deserved.
Ah, she wanted more than I could give,
She desired more from the relationship than I was capable of providing.
But as long as I live,
Despite the fact that we are not romantically involved anymore, I will always remember her fondly.
She'll be my girl.
She will always be an important person in my life.
She had a charmin' personality,
She was a charming and attractive person.
The girl was so right for me.
We were a great match for each other.
And if I had the chance,
If given the opportunity again.
I'd take her back.
I would want to be in a relationship with her again.
As a matter of fact,
In fact, without any doubt.
Right away, like today.
Immediately, as soon as possible.
Not only good lookin',
She was not just attractive physically.
The girl was so smart.
She was intelligent and clever.
Ya can't beat her cookin'.
She was an excellent cook.
Deep down inside I still love her.
I still have strong feelings of love for her.
I place no one above her.
No one can take her place in my heart.
She's warm and sensitive.
She is a loving and sensitive person.
She used ta be my girl, my girl.
She was my girlfriend in the past and will always be remembered as such.
Deep down inside,
In the innermost part of me.
She was mine, all mine.
I had a strong possession and attachment to her in the past.
She was mine.
I had a deep emotional connection with her.
She used ta be my girl,
I had a past romantic relationship with her that will always hold a special place in my heart.
She used ta be my girl.
She was my past love and partner, a relationship I will never forget.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH GAMBLE, KENNY GAMBLE, LEON HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruben Guzman
to my best homeboy rudy lopez royal counts will always be missed. mr.scooby WSV 13 Simon