US' debut album, A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden, was recorded by Elliott and producer David Strackany (known as Paleo)[8] in Elgin, IL, Iowa City, IA, and Washington, D.C.. The album features musical cameos by a large supporting cast[9]—notably, Saadat Awan, Dan D'Avella, Dave Hahn, and early TUS collaborator Mark Charles, now of Vandaveer.[10] Picture was mixed and mastered by Chad Clark of Beauty Pill and T.J. Lipple of Aloha at Inner Ear Studios[11] in Arlington, VA, and released on March 4, 2008. Track 'First Sight' had its UK debut on BBC Radio 6 on July 14, 2008,[12] and the album as a whole enjoyed favorable reviews from The Austin Chronicle, Alternative Press, The Village Voice, and others.[13]
Crimes, the group's second album, was recorded in Lexington, KY at Shangri-La Studios, 6 weeks after the release of Picture. It was produced and mixed by Duane Lundy, with co-production by Rob Gordon and These United States (by then composed of Elliott and full-time band members Charles, Cosenza, Craig, and Hnatow), and released on September 23, 2008.[14] Paste Magazine,[15] Pitchfork Media,[16] National Public Radio,[17] and others praised the album despite (and in many cases because of) its sonic departure from the group's debut. These United States recorded live sessions and interviews for All Things Considered,[18] Daytrotter,[19] and WOXY.com,[20] as Crimes reached No. 30 on the College Music Journal Top 200 radio chart in late 2008.
In February 2009, TUS recorded its third album, Everything Touches Everything, at Inner Ear Studios, with T.J. Lipple this time taking on the role of producer. Released September 1 of that year, the album proved TUS' most energetic and upbeat to date. SPIN Magazine sang its praises ('captures the overwhelming jolt of simply being alive...swings between a sleazy leer and a dreamy purr...deftly blurring the line between carnal and cosmic'),[21] as Jon Pareles of The New York Times weighed in on the band's live show ('superb...equally at home with quiet, morose tales and galloping punky-tonk adventures...a rambunctious alt-country band with story-songs that are both tangled and aphoristic').[22] Influential DJ and music writer Bruce Warren, of public radio station WXPN, called These United States 'one of indie-rock's -- no, make that American rock's -- best kept secrets.'[23]
For its fourth full-length album, TUS worked at Sound Mine Recording in rural eastern Pennsylvania.[24] The resulting 10 tracks, produced by Dan Wise and TUS' Justin Craig, and featuring vocals by Dawn Landes, were released on July 20, 2010, as What Lasts.[25] The accompanying album tour included supporting dates with Fruit Bats, Deer Tick, Langhorne Slim, and Bonnie Prince Billy, and continuing acclaim from The New York Times,[26] Pop Matters,[27] and The Washington Post.[28] Among its 180 live performances of the year were stops at Seattle's KEXP;[29] Daytrotter's Barn On the 4th[30] with The Walkmen, Dawes, and Justin Townes Earle; La Blogotheque's Take-Away Show;[31] and NPR's World Cafe[32] and Mountain Stage.[33]
2011 saw These United States scale back its frenetic touring pace to just 100 shows and festivals, as the band spent more time writing and recording in studios in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. In 2012, the group will release its 5th full-length album—the eponymously titled "These United States"—featuring contributions from Deer Tick, Phosphorescent, Langhorne Slim, Frontier Ruckus, The Mynabirds, Cotton Jones, Revival, Ben Sollee, Backwords, and Jukebox the Ghost, and co-produced at Shangri-La Studios by Duane Lundy, Justin Craig, and Jesse Elliott.
So High So Low So Wide So Long
These United States Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But at least it's sure said the old man
Well i believe it's the sweetest two words
I have ever heard
And i've been around
Since God made dirt
And said i could dig it or man i could buy it
But there's no way possible that i can deny it
I ran alone from the hungry lions
And now i'm so high i can't get over it
With my heart so low i can't get under it
And the sky so wide i'll never get around it
And so i'm yelling into nothing just to hear
The echo of the sound of it
I need to get some new ground into my feet
I spent all the precious metals that i dug from
The streets
Oh little song all thats left of me
My gold is gone but i've got the receipts
And i'm gonna read them from the mountaintop
Talk tales of busted bandits
Cobweb corner shops
And each one patrols (?) a pot of gold
Tooth broke
Like sisyphus at the hillside tollboth
I feel for jonah
I too am a lonely butcher
Trying to carve a lil piece out of this whale's great big future and still
I'm just as high but i can't get over it
With my heart so low i can't get under it
And the sky so wide i'll never get around it
And so yelling into the nothing just to hear the echo of the sound of the rock
So heavy
You can barely even move it
And this life's so thick that
You can hardly swim on through it
And flames so fast
You gotta go on sitting in it
Just as long as you know
You must get on with it
I feel for jonah
I too am a lonely butcher.
These United States's song "So High So Low So Wide So Long" is a poetic expression of human experience of the journey of life. The song starts with an old man saying that "so long sad" is the sweetest two words he has ever heard. Sadness and pain that have been harboring within the soul of the singer seem to find expression in these two words. The singer, however, reflects on his own experience of life, how he has been around ever since "God made dirt." He acknowledges that life offers a choice between digging it or buying it, but he is unable to deny the fact that he has seen it all. He talks about his encounter with lions and how he overcame them.
The lyrics convey a sense that the singer is torn between the high and low moments of life. He is so high that he can't get over it, meaning that he is elated, but at the same time, his heart is so low he can't get under it, indicating that he is overwhelmed with pain and sorrow. The sky is so wide that he will never get around it, implying that life's journey is infinite, and one can never have all the answers. The singer, feeling lost and disconnected, yells into nothingness to hear the sound of his echo, hoping for a sign or clue that might help him navigate his journey.
The song is filled with metaphors, allusions and references to stories such as Jonah and the Whale and Sisyphus at the hillside tollboth. The singer recognizes that life is full of struggles, but as long as one knows that they must get on with it, they will find a way to persevere. In conclusion, "So High So Low So Wide So Long" is a deeply contemplative and introspective song that encourages the listener to reflect on their own journey of life and find comfort in the fact that they are not alone in their search for meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
So long sad
Starting the song on a melancholic note, the lyrics introduce the sense of sadness that pervades throughout the song.
But at least it's sure said the old man
An old man finds solace in the certainty that comes with the finality of change, presenting a counterpoint to the earlier sadness.
Well i believe it's the sweetest two words
The singer expresses his personal belief that the words 'so long' hold a sweetness that is unmatched by any other phrase.
I have ever heard
The singer confirms that this is a personal belief, and not a universal truth.
And i've been around
The singer establishes his credibility, implying that he has had enough life experience to know what he's talking about.
Since God made dirt
Using a vivid metaphor, the singer reinforces the idea that he has been around for a long time.
And said i could dig it or man i could buy it
By referring to God's words, the singer invokes a sense of inevitability and cosmic order. The metaphor of 'digging' and 'buying' suggests the two opposing ways of attaining wealth.
But there's no way possible that i can deny it
The singer concedes the undeniable truth that saying goodbye can be sweet, despite the associated sadness.
Indisputable science
By referring to goodbyes as 'indisputable science,' the singer elevates the idea to a universal truth.
I ran alone from the hungry lions
Closing the verse on a mysterious note, the singer leaves it open to interpretation whether he is speaking literally or figuratively.
And now i'm so high i can't get over it
The singer transitions from the metaphor of a journey to that of a feeling, expressing a heightened emotional state.
With my heart so low i can't get under it
The simultaneous contrast of 'high' and 'low' in this line creates a sense of emotional turmoil, further emphasizing the ups and downs of life.
And the sky so wide i'll never get around it
Using the vast expanse of the sky as a metaphor, the singer highlights the infinite nature of life's challenges and experiences.
And so i'm yelling into nothing just to hear
The singer highlights the sense of loneliness that accompanies the vastness of the world and the self.
The echo of the sound of it
The 'sound of it' can refer to the singer's own voice, or to life's experiences themselves. The 'echo' represents the sense of wanting validation, to know that one is not alone.
I need to get some new ground into my feet
The singer expresses a desire for change and new experiences, suggesting a restless spirit.
I spent all the precious metals that i dug from
Using the metaphor of precious metals, the singer laments having spent all of their wealth and resources without gaining anything lasting or meaningful.
The streets
The streets can represent both literal streets, as well as metaphorical ones (such as the path of life) that the singer may have wandered down.
Oh little song all thats left of me
The singer uses a metaphor of a 'little song' to represent the remaining vestiges of their identity, which may have been stripped away through hardship and life experiences.
My gold is gone but i've got the receipts
The singer acknowledges the lack of tangible wealth in their life, but holds onto the memories and remains of it.
And i'm gonna read them from the mountaintop
The singer finds joy and pride in their memories and identity, viewing them as something to be celebrated from a 'mountaintop' of success or discovery.
Talk tales of busted bandits
The singer introduces the theme of stories and folklore, suggesting a fascination with narratives and mythology.
Cobweb corner shops
The location of the shops implies neglect and decay, further emphasizing the theme of fleeting material wealth.
And each one patrols a pot of gold
By framing the individual shops and their wealth as a 'pot of gold,' the singer likens them to leprechauns and other mythological figures who hoard wealth.
Tooth broke
The imagery of a broken tooth implies a sense of pain and loss, further emphasizing the theme of hardship and decay.
Like sisyphus at the hillside tollboth
Making a reference to the myth of Sisyphus, the singer likens himself to the doomed figure who must continuously push a boulder uphill, providing a sense of struggle and futility.
Just as high but i can't get over it
Repeating the opening line of the chorus, the singer again emphasizes the sense of emotional turmoil and contrast.
And flames so fast
The sudden introduction of 'flames' in this line provides a jarring contrast to the earlier imagery of sky and echoes, heightening the sense of urgency and danger.
You gotta go on sitting in it
The singer suggests that sometimes, one must simply endure and suffer in order to survive life's challenges and turmoil.
Just as long as you know
The singer acknowledges that this is a difficult thing to do, but suggests that as long as one has self-awareness and understanding, they can persevere.
You must get on with it
The closing line of the song presents a sense of stoicism and determination in the face of life's difficulties and uncertainties.
I feel for jonah
Referencing another Biblical figure, the singer suggests a long tradition of individuals facing their own set of challenges and hardships.
I too am a lonely butcher
The singer likens themselves to a butcher, a profession that involves cutting and carving. This could represent the act of carving out one's own identity and place in the world.
Contributed by Eva E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.