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.
West Won
These United States Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cleaning all the crumbs from the family table.
Aw, Cain, then says Cain:
I did it once brother, and I'd do it again.
Look out.
Dionysus, Dionysius,
Bottle of booze at the back of the bus,
You've got to sneak something
or you're bound to get bored.
Look out.?
But whoever said that the race was run?
Where were you when the west was won?
Don Quixote, Sancho Panza.
Riding down to San Antone with Santa Ana and Little Wing.
Little Wing, is that a windmill, or am I just seeing things again?
Get Gaugin!? Chief Logan!
? Desperate times call for desperate slogans.
? One for the honey.? Two for the snake oil!
? It might be true that to the victor go the spoils; look out.
Who ever said that the race was run?
Look out to the west sky, young man!
Where were you when the west was won?
Look out going East of Eden!
Oh, Abel. Aw, Abel,
it ain't that easy to keep the whole flock stable.
Oh, Cain. Then says Cain:
"Am I my brother's keeper, or just a vagabond again?"
But who ever said that the race was run?
Look out to the west sky, young man!
When the west was won well, where were you?
Look out going East of Eden!
Who ever said that the world was through?
Look out of the bus window, kid!
Where were you when the west was won?
? Look out for the Grand Illusion!
The lyrics of These United States's song West Won are a mixture of biblical and historical references. The opening lines, "Oh, Abel. Oh, Abel. Cleaning all the crumbs from the family table. Aw, Cain, then says Cain: I did it once brother, and I'd do it again. Look out," are a reference to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The lyrics hint at the tension between the brothers, and the possibility of violence.
The song then moves on to a reference to the Greek god Dionysus, who is often associated with drunkenness and revelry. The lyrics suggest that Dionysus is searching for something to keep his life interesting, hence the need to "sneak something" and "look out." The chorus "But whoever said that the race was run? Where were you when the west was won?" implies that there is still so much to achieve, even though the West has already been won.
The song then moves on to references to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, further cementing the idea of the need for adventure and exploration. The line "Little Wing, is that a windmill, or am I just seeing things again?" is a nod to the Jimi Hendrix song of the same name. The song ends with a reference to the Grand Illusion, possibly meaning that our perception of reality is not always accurate.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Abel. Oh, Abel.
Addressing Abel with urgency.
Cleaning all the crumbs from the family table.
Taking care of the small things. In this case, literally.
Aw, Cain, then says Cain:
Turning to Cain.
I did it once brother, and I'd do it again.
Justifying past actions.
Look out.
Issuing a warning.
Dionysus, Dionysius,
Referring to the Greek god of wine.
Bottle of booze at the back of the bus,
Drinking away the pain.
Says to Lord:? Lord, forgive me, Lord.
Seeking absolution.
You've got to sneak something or you're bound to get bored.
Experiencing life to the fullest.
Look out.?
Issuing a warning.
But whoever said that the race was run?
Questioning conventional wisdom.
Where were you when the west was won?
Asking where people were during pivotal moments in history.
Don Quixote, Sancho Panza.
Reference to fictional characters known for tilting at windmills.
Riding down to San Antone with Santa Ana and Little Wing.
Juxtaposing historical figures with a mythical one (Jimi Hendrix's song of the same name).
Little Wing, is that a windmill, or am I just seeing things again?
Questioning what is real and what is imagined.
Get Gaugin!? Chief Logan!
Invoking famous artists and Native American leaders.
? Desperate times call for desperate slogans.
Adapting to changing circumstances.
? One for the honey.? Two for the snake oil!
Making deals that seem too good to be true.
? It might be true that to the victor go the spoils; look out.
Warning about the consequences of winning.
Oh, Abel. Aw, Abel,
Addressing Abel again.
it ain't that easy to keep the whole flock stable.
Acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining order.
Oh, Cain. Then says Cain:
Turning to Cain again.
"Am I my brother's keeper, or just a vagabond again?"
Questioning whether one has a responsibility to others.
Who ever said that the race was run?
Repeating the earlier question.
Look out to the west sky, young man!
Issuing another warning.
When the west was won well, where were you?
Reiterating the earlier question about history.
Look out going East of Eden!
Warning about danger ahead.
Who ever said that the world was through?
Questioning whether things are really over.
Look out of the bus window, kid!
Issuing yet another warning.
Where were you when the west was won?
Repeating the earlier question about history once again.
? Look out for the Grand Illusion!
Warning about being deceived.
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.