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 .
Is This Thing Working
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this thing on?
In the hallway of a high school, anywhere USA
There was a bully that would pick on a different kid
And it seemed like every day
He had this pack of back slapping buddies
And this screaming girlfriend
That would make believe in everything he'd say
Is this thing working?
Is this thing on?
Because then one day this kid
That he'd beat up a couple times before
Realized, to even his own surprise
That he probably could indeed take more
And with that he hatched an evil plan to make that devil pay
He walked up to him, in the middle of the gym
And he found the nerve to say
You gonna hit somebody, today? You gonna hit me, too
In fact, you're gonna hit me every day
Because now I'm picking on you
And as crazy as it all might sound right now
I'm not stopping until I'm through
It's too late to beg for mercy
Is this thing working?
Is this thing on?
Because that bully he just laughed and laughed
Of course, and so did all of his friends
And he beat that poor kid unmercifully
For days and days on end
Only slightly less impressively each time
To that pretty girl and all of his friends
Who would eventually, secretly
Start hoping for that kid to win
So, is this thing working?
Is this thing on?
You know, you'll never hear him say this now
Because he thinks we still don't know
But winning this battle every day
Cost our bully the war a long time ago
And of all the scars he's got to show
For every blow that kid sneaks in
The worst one is probably knowing
That tomorrow he's going to have to get up
And fight that kid again
Is this thing working?
Is this thing on?
Todd Snider's "Is This Thing Working?" tells the story of a high school bully who has a group of friends that back him up and a girlfriend who believes everything he says. One day, the bully beats up a kid who had already been picked on before. However, to everyone's surprise, the kid realizes that he can take more of a beating and decides to stand up to the bully. He walks up to the bully and, with a newfound confidence, announces that he plans to pick on him every day from now on. The bully and his friends laugh, and the beating continues, but gradually the bully begins to lose. He becomes scarred both physically and mentally, while secretly, the pretty girl and his other friends start hoping for the kid to win.
The song is a powerful reflection on the consequences of bullying and the impact it can have on both the bully and the victim. The bully is depicted as someone who is insecure and uses violence to assert his dominance. The victim, on the other hand, gains strength and resilience through adversity. Moreover, the song shows how bullying can become a self-destructive cycle, with the bully becoming trapped in a pattern of violence and the victim becoming trapped in a pattern of retaliation.
Overall, "Is This Thing Working?" is a cautionary tale about the high cost of bullying and the importance of standing up for oneself and others. The song's simple yet evocative lyrics, combined with Snider's emotive delivery, make it a powerful and thought-provoking piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this thing working?
Are we truly communicating and understanding each other?
Is this thing on?
Is anyone listening?
In the hallway of a high school, anywhere USA
This story takes place in any ordinary high school in America.
There was a bully that would pick on a different kid
The high school had a bully who would harass others.
And it seemed like every day
The bully would make mocking and abusive behavior an everyday occurrence.
He had this pack of back slapping buddies
The bully has his gang of friends who publicly support his behavior.
That would laugh and back him up all the way
These friends would laugh and encourage the bully in his wrong actions.
And this screaming girlfriend
The bully also had an overly supportive girlfriend.
That would make believe in everything he'd say
The girlfriend would believe even the bully's lies and support his unjust activities.
Because then one day this kid
One day, a victim of bullying decide to fight back.
That he'd beat up a couple times before
The bully had previously assaulted the kid.
Realized, to even his own surprise
Surprisingly, the kid realized he was capable of standing up to the bully.
That he probably could indeed take more
The kid realized he could endure more than he had believed.
And with that he hatched an evil plan to make that devil pay
The kid felt he had to hatch a plan to punish the bully.
He walked up to him, in the middle of the gym
The kid confronted the bully in the school's gym.
And he found the nerve to say
The kid was brave enough to speak up.
You gonna hit somebody, today? You gonna hit me, too
The kid demanded the bully to fight him as well.
In fact, you're gonna hit me every day
The kid made the fight official and declared the bully will hit him every day.
Because now I'm picking on you
The kid now turns the table and started to mock the bully.
And as crazy as it all might sound right now
The events that happened next may seem irrational.
I'm not stopping until I'm through
The kid was determined to persevere.
It's too late to beg for mercy
The bully can no longer ask for forgiveness.
You know, you'll never hear him say this now
The bully might not have realized it, but he lost the battle.
Because he thinks we still don't know
The bully continues to think that no one was negatively affected because of him.
But winning this battle every day
The daily battle the bully fights is ultimately eating him up.
Cost our bully the war a long time ago
The bully lost his one-sided war a long time ago and didn't even know it.
And of all the scars he's got to show
The experiences the bully faced left deep marks on him.
For every blow that kid sneaks in
Every time the victim managed to ‘sneak in' a hit, the bully felt the damage more.
The worst one is probably knowing
The worst scar the bully has is the realization that the victim had won.
That tomorrow he's going to have to get up
Every day, the bully would have to face the consequences of his action.
And fight that kid again
The fight that the bully started would continue indefinitely.
Contributed by Penelope L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yan Oley
Livestream has become a sunday tradition! Thanks todd!
maybe susie
Great song, one of my favorites!
Chris Scarfo
Great as always! When we gonna jam todd?!?
Sharon Black
It worked 💜
dakotas boutique
Alright!!!💜😽 We will be watching from the bigscreen..don't forget coffee & breakfast Saturday & Sunday. ✌️✌️
Todd Snider
⚡ The Get Together: Todd Snider Ep. 03 ⚡
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Cliff B
Todd Snider RULES!!! ✌️🕊☮️
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