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 .
T.V. Guide
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
News lady tells me that it's cold outside
Man gets his carjacked, graveyard gets ransacked
Everybody knows that there ain't no place to hide
Late night drive-by, there's blood on the sidewalk
Rain's gonna wash out that stain someday
That stupid kid should have known this ain't no cakewalk
Ain't that freedom for you
Ain't that freedom for you
Freedom American style
Hot car rollin' down an empty highway
The keys were in it man it serves the owner right
The youg girl attacked in the woods off the parkway
She should have known not to jog alone at night
Drugs rule downtown, gangs rule midtown
You're on your own when they both collide
I keep my doors locked with bars on my window
Got an alarm in my car, keep my kids inside
Ain't that freedom for you
Ain't that freedom for you
Freedom American style
More tough news on the late night TV
News lady tells me that it's cold outside
Man gets his carjacked, graveyard gets ransacked
Everybody knows that there ain't no place to hide
I keep my arms around whatever I've got
It's an alright world but you know I watch myself
I'm virtually free to do whatever I want
But I try to remember so is everybody else
Ain't that freedom for you
Ain't that freedom for you
Freedom American style
Ain't that freedom for you
Freedom American style
In Todd Snider's song T.V. Guide, the artist paints a bleak picture of the state of America with the lyrics of the song focusing on the violence and chaos that seems to reign over the country. The opening lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song, as the news lady tells him that it's cold outside and there is more tough news on the late night TV. As he goes on to describe his environment, he depicts a world where carjackings, graveyards being ransacked, and drive-bys are the norm. He emphasizes the lack of safety and the fear that permeates the streets, as he sings "Everybody knows that there ain't no place to hide."
Snider also comments on the issue of personal responsibility in American society. He acknowledges the dangers of the world around him, but at the same time, he emphasizes that people need to take responsibility for their own safety. He mentions keeping the doors locked, having bars on the windows, and an alarm in his car to keep his family safe. Snider is pointing to the idea that freedom comes with a cost, and Americans need to take responsibility in order to navigate this society safely.
Overall, T.V. Guide is a social commentary on the state of America in the late 20th century. Snider highlights issues of violence, personal responsibility, and the cost of freedom. By painting a bleak picture of the world around him, Snider emphasizes the need for Americans to be vigilant and to take steps to keep their loved ones safe.
Line by Line Meaning
More tough news on the late night TV
The news on late night TV is usually full of bad news
News lady tells me that it's cold outside
The weather outside is cold
Man gets his carjacked, graveyard gets ransacked
There are a lot of crimes happening such as carjacking and vandalism
Everybody knows that there ain't no place to hide
Nowhere is safe anymore
Late night drive-by, there's blood on the sidewalk
There was a shooting on the street at night and someone was hurt
Rain's gonna wash out that stain someday
The blood on the ground will eventually be washed away by the rain
That stupid kid should have known this ain't no cakewalk
The young person who got hurt should have known that life is not easy
You can't just wear your bandana that way
The way someone dresses can attract unwanted attention and danger
Ain't that freedom for you
This is an ironic phrase indicating that freedom comes with its own price
Hot car rollin' down an empty highway
A car is being driven fast down a deserted highway
The keys were in it man it serves the owner right
The owner shouldn't have left the keys in their car
The young girl attacked in the woods off the parkway
A young girl was attacked in a wooded area off the highway
She should have known not to jog alone at night
It's not safe for a young girl to jog alone at night
Drugs rule downtown, gangs rule midtown
There are a lot of drugs and gangs in the city
You're on your own when they both collide
When drugs and gangs meet, it's a dangerous situation with no help available
I keep my doors locked with bars on my window
The artist takes precautions to be safe at home
Got an alarm in my car, keep my kids inside
The artist takes precautions outside of the house to be safe and protect their family
Ain't that freedom for you
This is an ironic phrase indicating that freedom comes with its own price
I keep my arms around whatever I've got
The singer tries to hold onto what they have
It's an alright world but you know I watch myself
The world is okay, but one must be careful
I'm virtually free to do whatever I want
The artist can do what they want, for the most part
But I try to remember so is everybody else
The artist considers that everyone else is also free to do what they want
Freedom American style
This is a satirical phrase indicating that freedom in America comes with its own set of problems
Ain't that freedom for you
This is an ironic phrase indicating that freedom comes with its own price
Freedom American style
This is a satirical phrase indicating that freedom in America comes with its own set of problems
Writer(s): TODD SNIDER
Contributed by Andrew Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.