Best known for his wry humor, Snider has been a fixture on the Americana, alt-country, and folk scene since his debut on MCA, entitled Songs for the Daily Planet, named for the bar where Snider used to play regularly in Memphis. On that album were the minor hits "Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues", a folk song about the early '90's grunge scene, featuring a band that "refused to play", and "Alright Guy", which later became the title cut of Gary Allan's 2001 album.
He released two more albums for MCA, Step Right Up and Viva Satellite, the latter often sparking colorful debate amongst fans for its comparisons to Tom Petty. He moved to John Prine's Oh Boy Records where he made Happy to Be Here, New Connection, Near Truths and Hotel Rooms, and East Nashville Skyline. That Was Me: The Best of Todd Snider 1994–1998 was released on the Hip-O label in August 2005.
Todd Snider's next studio album, The Devil You Know, was released in August 2006. It marked Snider's return to a major label, as he is now recording for New Door Records, a subsidiary of Universal Records.
The Devil You Know was named to several critics' year-end "best" lists, including a No. 33 ranking in Rolling Stone magazine's top 50 albums of the year, a No. 25 ranking by No Depression magazine, and No. 14 by Blender magazine.
Snider's songs "Late Last Night" and "I Believe You" have been recorded by the Oklahoma country-rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed. He co-wrote the song "Barbie Doll" with country star Jack Ingram.
Snider's new album, Peace Queer, is set to be released on October 14th, 2008, and will be available as a free download from Oct. 11 to Oct. 31 at http://www.toddsnider.net/store/product/1/Peace-Queer .
Comin' Down
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don’t wanna open that door
I don’t wanna turn that key
I don’t wanna worry no more
About what you do to me.
I don’t wanna face this world
Look out below, look out below
Look out below, comin’ down.
I was on my way up town
I nearly had it all worked out
Now these big guns are knocking me down
To the same old shadows of doubt.
I don’t wanna see no light
I don’t wanna hear no sound
Look out below, look out below
Look out below, comin’ down.
Nothin’s gonna catch me
Nothin’ but sky
Somebody help me
Teach me to fly, teach me to fly.
Shakin’ like a rain soaked dog
Looking for a place to hide
Alone in this empty room
I can see how I feel inside.
I guess you can’t hide too far
From somethin’ that you carry around
Look out below, look out below
Look out below, comin’ down.
Look out below, look out below
Look out below, I'm comin’ down, I'm comin’ down, I'm comin' down.
In Todd Snider's song "Comin' Down," the singer expresses a deep sense of anxiety and fear about facing the world and the pain that his lover has caused him. He does not want to open the door or turn the key that will allow him to face reality and the consequences of his actions. He is struggling to find his way back up after feeling like he had everything worked out, only to be knocked back down by the doubts and shadows that haunt him. He feels alone and shaken, like a rain-soaked dog looking for a place to hide. The repeating chorus of "Look out below, look out below, comin' down" emphasizes the singer's sense of descending into despair and hopelessness.
The song has a melancholic feel, with its slow tempo and repeated chords. The repetition of the chorus adds to the sense of being stuck in a rut, unable to move forward and break free of the singer's negative thoughts and emotions. The line "Teach me to fly, teach me to fly" expresses a desire to escape the pain and find a way to rise above it, but the singer seems unsure how to do so. The song's imagery of rain and emptiness reinforces the singer's feeling of being stuck in a downpour of negative emotions and lost in an empty space.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t wanna open that door
I don't want to face the problems that lie ahead
I don’t wanna turn that key
I don't want to make any decisions that I might regret
I don’t wanna worry no more
I don't want to be stressed out by what you might do to me
About what you do to me.
I don't want to be affected by your actions anymore
I don’t wanna face this world
I don't feel prepared to deal with the challenges of life
'Til I can turn it around
Until I am able to control my own fate
Look out below, look out below
Be careful, things are about to take a turn for the worse
Look out below, comin’ down.
The situation is deteriorating rapidly
I was on my way up town
I was experiencing some success
I nearly had it all worked out
I was close to achieving my goals
Now these big guns are knocking me down
Powerful forces are thwarting my progress
To the same old shadows of doubt.
I'm back where I started, plagued by uncertainty and insecurity
I don’t wanna see no light
I don't want to face reality
I don’t wanna hear no sound
I don't want to be exposed to any more bad news
Nothin’s gonna catch me
I feel like I'm beyond help
Nothin’ but sky
I'm starting to feel hopeless
Somebody help me
I'm in desperate need of assistance
Teach me to fly, teach me to fly.
I need to learn how to rise above my problems
Shakin’ like a rain soaked dog
I feel scared and vulnerable
Looking for a place to hide
I'm searching for a way to escape my problems
Alone in this empty room
I feel isolated and abandoned
I can see how I feel inside.
I can't escape my emotions
I guess you can’t hide too far
There's no running away from your problems forever
From somethin’ that you carry around
You can't escape the baggage that you carry with you
Look out below, look out below
The situation is getting worse
Look out below, comin’ down.
Things are about to hit rock bottom
Look out below, look out below
Be warned, the end is near
I'm comin’ down, I'm comin’ down, I'm comin' down.
I'm falling apart and there's nothing I can do to stop it
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.