The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris… Read Full Bio ↴The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson. Other members have been Michael Wells, Glenn Slater and Terri Moeller. The Walkabouts disbanded in 2015.

Although the Walkabouts started in Seattle, US their main base of popularity was Europe. Their blend of folk idioms and noisy experimental rock has won them lots of devoted fans; however, even with twelve studio albums and another 15 EPs, live albums and compilations released, they still remain below the radar of the public at large.

The band drew inspiration from folk and country music, particularly Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, French chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.

The Walkabouts achieved commercial success and a strong fanbase in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since early 1990s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record charts in countries such as Greece and Norway.

Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman met in 1983 when they were both working at an Alaskan fish cannery as a summer break from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1984 they moved to Seattle, and the band was born when they joined forces with Chris' two younger brothers, drummer Grant and bassist Curt. The Eckman brothers had been playing in various punk rock and pop groups during their college years, and Carla came from a folk and street singing background. The band took their name from the cult Nicolas Roeg film, Walkabout. [1]

They released their first EP, 22 Disasters, in early 1985. Curt Eckman then left the band, to be replaced by Michael Wells. Their second EP, Linda Evans/Cyclone, was released in 1987. The following year they released their first album, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens, on the PopLlama label, before being signed by Sub Pop as that label's first non-grunge band. Adding keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Slater, they released three albums on Sub Pop over the next few years - Cataract (1989), Rag & Bone (1990), and Scavenger (1991). They also toured extensively, particularly in Europe. In 1992 they left Sub Pop Seattle, but remained with Sub Pop Europe who issued three more albums, New West Motel (1993), Satisfied Mind (1993), and Setting The Woods On Fire (1994). Drummer Terri Moeller replaced Grant Eckman in 1992, when he left to care for his new born son, Dakota Eckman.[1]

Satisfied Mind was their first of several albums largely or wholly comprising songs originally written and recorded by an eclectic variety of other artists, including Nick Cave, Charlie Rich, Johnny Rivers, Patti Smith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Gene Clark. Their 1996 collection of unreleased songs, Death Valley Days, also included songs by Neil Young, Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, and in 2000 they issued Train Leaves At Eight, which broadened the approach further by including songs by European artists including Mikis Theodorakis, Goran Bregović, Jacques Brel and Neu!.[1]

In 1995 the band signed with Virgin Records in Germany and released Devil's Road (1996) - recorded in part with the Warsaw Philharmonic - and Nighttown (1997), leading to new levels of success in Europe. Michael Wells left the band for several years in 1996, rejoining in 2003. In 1999 they moved to the German record label, Glitterhouse Records (the successor to Sub Pop Europe), and released Trail of Stars (1999), Train Leaves At Eight (2000), Ended Up A Stranger (2001), Slow Days With Nina (2003) - an EP tribute to Nina Simone - and Acetylene (2005).

Eckman and Torgerson have also released albums as side projects under the name Chris & Carla and as solo artists. Eckman has worked with Willard Grant Conspiracy in recent years, on the albums Regard The End and Let It Roll, as well as with The Bambi Molesters.

Terri Moeller has also formed The Transmissionary Six with Paul Austin, formerly of Willard Grant Conspiracy.

Grand Theft Auto
The Walkabouts Lyrics

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In this town
The blood will make you rich
Yeah, in this town
The blood will make you rich

In this town
I will do you one better
I'll change the truth

When I change the weather

In this town
The blood will make you rich

And when you're down
You can buy the Jesus pose
'Cause in this town
All roads lead to this

And when you're down
I will kill it again
I'll give ya something
To forget about him

In this town
All roads lead to this

And come tonight, yeah come tonight
We'll take a ride
And come tonight, yeah come tonight
We'll see the lights

You will lead and I will follow
You will lead me, down to the hollow
You will lead me down
Grand theft auto
You will lead me down

In this town
We have got the Midas touch
Yeah in this town
The gold will make you blush
Some of it's cooling
And some of it's glitters
All of it's cold
And it gives me the shivers

In this town we've got the Midas touch

And come tonight, yeah come tonight
We'll take a ride
And come tonight, yeah come tonight
We'll see the lights

You will lead and I will follow
You will lead me, down to the hollow
You will lead me down

Grand theft auto
You will lead me down

Overall Meaning

The Walkabouts' song "Grand Theft Auto" is a commentary on the dark side of capitalism and the pursuit of wealth at any cost. The chorus repeats the line "in this town, the blood will make you rich," suggesting that greed and violence are the keys to success. The first verse introduces the concept of changing the truth, implying a willingness to manipulate facts and deceive others in order to get ahead. The second verse references the infamous "Jesus pose" often struck by rock stars in performance, suggesting that even spiritual symbols have been commodified and turned into a means of profit.

The song's bridge is a call to action, urging the listener to follow the leader and participate in the game of Grand Theft Auto, a popular video game series known for its themes of violence and criminal activity. The final verse brings the metaphor full circle, referencing the Midas touch as a symbol of wealth and power. The line "all of it's cold and it gives me the shivers" suggests that even those with immense wealth and power may feel empty inside.

Line by Line Meaning

In this town The blood will make you rich Yeah, in this town The blood will make you rich
This town thrives on violence and crime, and those who participate in it can gain wealth and power.

In this town I will do you one better I'll change the truth When I change the weather
Not only are people in this town corrupted by violence and greed, but they are also willing to manipulate reality to their advantage.

And when you're down You can buy the Jesus pose 'Cause in this town All roads lead to this
Even when someone is at their lowest point, they can still pretend to be holy or righteous, and the culture of violence will always be present and have an impact.

And when you're down I will kill it again I'll give ya something To forget about him
In times of distress, the artist is willing to assist their listener by causing a distraction from their problems through more violence or crime.

In this town All roads lead to this
No matter what happens or what paths one take, the town's culture of violence and corruption will always be present and influential.

And come tonight, yeah come tonight We'll take a ride And come tonight, yeah come tonight We'll see the lights
The singer and their listener plan to participate in the town's culture of violence and greed by going out and causing more havoc and mayhem.

You will lead and I will follow You will lead me, down to the hollow You will lead me down Grand theft auto You will lead me down
The singer trusts and follows their listener implicitly, even if it means participating in more illegal activities such as stealing cars.

In this town We have got the Midas touch Yeah in this town The gold will make you blush Some of it's cooling And some of it's glitters All of it's cold And it gives me the shivers
The culture of violence and greed in this town can be lucrative, but it also leaves the artist feeling cold and uneasy with their actions and surroundings.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTIAN ECKMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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