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 .
East Nashville Skyline
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watchin' TV just makes me sad
Too many people treatin' people too bad
There's no hope.
My old lady she sure gonna be mad
I just spent the last 50 bucks we had
East Nashville skyline, crossin' over to a state of mind
Leavin' all my troubles way behind that ol' Cumberland River
East Nashville skyline, discount cigarettes, liquor and wine
Anywhere, anytime, we deliver.
I'm still mad about the Slow Bar
I guess that's just the way things are
Somethin' good comes along then it's gone.
Kinda like the Phoenix Radio
We used to listen then where did it go
It went off of the air so that more Sheryl Crow could come on, come on.
East Nashville skyline, crossin' over to a state of mind
Leavin' all my troubles way behind that ol' Cumberland River
East Nashville skyline, discount cigarettes, liquor and wine
Anywhere, anytime, we deliver.
Crossin' the river to play 'em our songs
They're prolly right when they say we're all wrong
For these days.
So much for money, so much for big
Who needs the trouble man there's always a gig
At the cafe, the Radio Cafe.
East Nashville skyline, crossin' over to a state of mind
Leavin' all my troubles way behind that ol' Cumberland River
East Nashville skyline, discount cigarettes, liquor and wine
Anywhere, anytime, we deliver.
In "East Nashville Skyline," Todd Snider is lamenting the state of the world when he says that watching TV just makes him sad because of how poorly people treat each other. He then confesses to his "old lady" that he spent their last 50 dollars on bad drugs. Despite these troubles, Snider finds solace in the East Nashville skyline, which he sees as a "state of mind" that he can cross over to as he leaves all of his troubles behind, including the Cumberland River. This part of town represents a place for discount cigarettes, liquor, and wine, and is depicted as a refuge from the rest of the world.
Snider then reminisces about some of the things that he has lost in his life, such as the Slow Bar and the Phoenix Radio stations. Although he's upset that these things are gone, he takes solace in the fact that there is always another gig at the Radio Cafe, and suggests that he doesn't care much for money or fame anyways. All he really needs is the East Nashville skyline.
Overall, "East Nashville Skyline" is a song about finding peace in a troubled world. Snider sees the East Nashville skyline as a place of refuge and salvation, where he can find everything he needs to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Watchin' TV just makes me sad
I get upset when I watch TV because of the way people treat each other
Too many people treatin' people too bad
There are too many people who mistreat others, causing me sadness
There's no hope.
I feel a lack of hope in the world due to the negativity I observe
My old lady she sure gonna be mad
My partner will likely be angry with me because I spent our last $50 on poor quality drugs
On bad dope.
I spent our last $50 on drugs that turned out to be low quality
East Nashville skyline, crossin' over to a state of mind
Heading to East Nashville creates a change in my state of being
Leavin' all my troubles way behind that ol' Cumberland River
Crossing the Cumberland River leaves behind all of my worries
East Nashville skyline, discount cigarettes, liquor and wine
East Nashville has affordable cigarettes, alcohol, and wine
Anywhere, anytime, we deliver.
We can get anything we need delivered at any time in East Nashville
I'm still mad about the Slow Bar
I'm still angry about the closure of the Slow Bar
I guess that's just the way things are
I have come to accept that this is just how life unfolds
Somethin' good comes along then it's gone.
Sometimes something great happens but then it disappears
Kinda like the Phoenix Radio
Phoenix Radio is an example of something that was great but then disappeared
We used to listen then where did it go
We used to listen to Phoenix Radio but it is no longer available
It went off of the air so that more Sheryl Crow could come on, come on.
Phoenix Radio went off the air so that more mainstream artists like Sheryl Crow could receive airtime
Crossin' the river to play 'em our songs
We cross the river to play our music for the people there
They're prolly right when they say we're all wrong
The people in East Nashville may say we are doing things wrong, and they could be correct
For these days.
This is the way things are happening currently
So much for money, so much for big
Money and big things don't matter as much to us
Who needs the trouble man there's always a gig
We don't need much to get by, there are always gigs available
At the cafe, the Radio Cafe.
We often play at the cafe called the Radio Cafe
Contributed by London S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.