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.
On The Beach
The Walkabouts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
All my pictures are falling
From the wall where I placed them yesterday
The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day
Though my problems are meaningless
That don't make them go away
I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day
I went to the radio interview, but I ended up alone at the microphone
I went to the radio interview, but I ended up alone at the microphone
Now I'm living out here on the beach
But those seagulls are still out of rach
I went to the radio interview, but I ended up alone at the microphone
Get outta town, I think I'll get outta town
Get outta town, I think I'll get outta town
I head for the stick [mumble mumble mumble]
I follow a road I don't know where it goes
Get outta town, I think I'll get outta town
'cause the world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
The song "On the Beach" by The Walkabouts is a cover of a Neil Young song of the same name. The lyrics speak of a feeling of disconnection from the world and a desire to escape. The repetition of the phrase "the world is turning, I hope it don't turn away" is a reflection of the singer's fear of being left behind or forgotten as time passes. The line "all my pictures are falling from the wall where I placed them yesterday" adds to this sense of impermanence and the fear of losing touch with the things that matter.
The singer expresses a need for human connection by stating that they "need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day" and later in the song by saying "I went to the radio interview, but I ended up alone at the microphone." Despite this need for connection, the singer also expresses a desire to escape and get away from it all, stating "get outta town, I think I'll get outta town" and following a road that they don't know where it goes.
Overall, the lyrics of "On the Beach" speak to a universal feeling of uncertainty and disconnection that is common to many people, especially during times of change or upheaval.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
The singer is expressing a desire for the world not to change or deteriorate.
All my pictures are falling from the wall where I placed them yesterday
The singer is experiencing a sense of instability or impermanence in their life, as exemplified by their pictures falling off the wall.
I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day
The singer desires social interaction, but struggles with anxiety or other issues that prevent them from seeking it.
Though my problems are meaningless, that don't make them go away
The artist acknowledges that their problems may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn't diminish their impact on their life and emotions.
I went to the radio interview, but I ended up alone at the microphone
The artist experienced disappointment or a lack of support when they were expecting something else.
Now I'm living out here on the beach, but those seagulls are still out of reach
The singer has perhaps withdrawn from society in search of solitude or communes with nature, but still finds that some things remain out of their control or influence.
Get outta town, I think I'll get outta town
The singer is expressing a desire to leave their current setting or situation behind in search of something different or better.
I head for the stick [mumble mumble mumble], I follow a road I don't know where it goes
The artist is embarking on a journey that is uncertain, perhaps both literally and metaphorically, as they don't know their destination or how they will get there.
'cause the world is turning, I hope it don't turn away
The artist repeats their opening line, emphasizing the importance of hoping for stability or consistency in a changing world.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Cattini
This is one of my 2 favourite Neil Young covers ever, the other being Psychic TV’s rendition of “Only love can break your heart “.
Absolute masterpiece.
Cjunkie
Amazing ability to make a song yours! Cudos to the Walkabouts! Love❤ from Russia.
Anna Nutherthing
Excellent cover Loved it years ago and just found it again
Anna Nutherthing
This is such a great version x
Jigsaw Partridge
Jaw-droppingly good version of this.
Nicolás García González
Thanks this great cover I knew this incredible band a long time ago.
zaqqaz22
awesome rendition..
Ralph Lindner
Brillant cover by The Walkabouts
mark ospeck
yep, absolutely
roy kyme
didn't mean to press dislike as i had already pressed like ,this is the best version of this song in my humble opinion.