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 .
Precious Little Miracles
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody knows it’s true
Kids, we’ll never understand them
No matter what we do
Take the kids around here
For instance, if you will
They drive around looking for people to kill
But rather for the thrill
Oh, kids, they can be a handful
Kids, with their pants around their hipbones
Who wears their pants like that?
Come here kids, let me hitch up your britches
And while we’re at it, let’s fix that hair
So your school is a joke, and you’ll always be poor
And your pleas to the rich have been heard and ignored
Is that what all you crazy kids are so upset for?
Come on now, there’s still fun things to do here
For instance, we could go down to the park and
Pick up all the garbage that’s layin’ around
Or maybe, we could work a bunch of skits up
And perform them for the people in town
You know this life is such a joy for so many of us
We can’t take too much of your push come to shove us
What we need all you kids to do is buckle down and love us
Come on kids, buckle down and love us
Todd Snider's song "Precious Little Miracles" is a commentary on the generation gap and the frustration of older generations trying to understand and connect with younger generations. The lyrics of the song suggest that young people are enigmatic and that their actions cannot be comprehended by adults. The song talks about how young people drive around looking for people to kill not for money but rather for the thrill. Snider points out that young people wear their pants so low that they constantly need to be hitched up, and their school is a joke or they will always be poor. He asks why all these kids are so upset, suggesting that there are still fun things to do, such as picking up the garbage in the park or performing skits for people in town. The repetition of the lines "Kids, it's hard to comprehend them, everybody knows it's true...Kids, we'll never understand them, no matter what we do" reiterates the central idea of the generational gap, emphasizing the divide between young and old.
Line by Line Meaning
Kids, it’s hard to comprehend them
Children are difficult for us to fully comprehend and understand.
Everybody knows it’s true
It is a widely accepted fact.
Kids, we’ll never understand them
No matter what we do, we cannot fully understand children.
No matter what we do
Regardless of our efforts.
Take the kids around here
Consider the children in this specific area.
For instance, if you will
As an example.
They drive around looking for people to kill
These children are incredibly violent and seek out targets to harm.
Not even for the money
Their intentions are not motivated by profit.
But rather for the thrill
They are drawn to the excitement and adrenaline of these violent actions.
Oh, kids, they can be a handful
Children can be incredibly difficult to manage.
Kids, with their pants around their hipbones
Children who wear their pants low on their hips.
Who wears their pants like that?
This fashion choice is unusual and may be confusing.
Come here kids, let me hitch up your britches
Let me help you adjust your clothing.
And while we’re at it, let’s fix that hair
Additionally, let me help you with your appearance.
So your school is a joke, and you’ll always be poor
Your educational institution is inadequate, and you will likely experience financial difficulties.
And your pleas to the rich have been heard and ignored
You have appealed to the wealthy for assistance, but they have disregarded your requests.
Is that what all you crazy kids are so upset for?
Is this the source of your dissatisfaction and anger?
Come on now, there’s still fun things to do here
Despite these difficulties, there are still enjoyable activities to participate in.
For instance, we could go down to the park and
As an example, we could visit the park.
Pick up all the garbage that’s layin’ around
We could contribute to the cleanliness of the area by disposing of waste materials.
Or maybe, we could work a bunch of skits up
Alternatively, we could plan and perform a number of comedic or dramatic performances.
And perform them for the people in town
We could provide entertainment for members of the community.
You know this life is such a joy for so many of us
For many individuals, life is a delightful experience.
We can’t take too much of your push come to shove us
We cannot endure your aggressive actions.
What we need all you kids to do is buckle down and love us
What we require from all of you children is to focus and exhibit affection towards us.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TODD DANIEL SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind