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 .
Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll will never die
Hang your hair down in your eye
You'll make a million dollars
Well I was in this band goin' nowhere fast
We sent out demos but everybody passed
Moved out to Seattle to play some grunge
Washington state that is
Space needle
Eddie vedder
Mudhoney
Now to fit in fast we wear flannel shirts
We turn our amps up until it hurts
We've got bad attitudes and what's more
When we play we stare straight down at the floor
Wowee
Pretty scary
How pensive
How totally alternative
Now to fit in on the Seattle scene
You've gotta do somethin' they ain't never seen
So thinkin' up a gimmick one day
We decided to be the only band that wouldn't play a note
Under any circumstances
Silence
Music's original alternative
Root's grunge
Well we spread the word through the underground
That we were the hottest new thing in town
The record guy came out to see us one day
And just like always we didn't play
It knocked him out
He said he loved our work
He said he loved our work but he wasn't sure if he could sell a record
With nothing on it
I said tell 'em we're from Seattle
He advanced us two and a half million dollars
[Chorus]
Well they made us do a video but that wasn't tough
'cause we just filmed ourselves smashin' stuff
It was kinda weird 'cause there was no music
But MTV said they'd love to use it
The kids went wild, the kids went nuts
Rolling stone gave us a five-star review said we played with guts
We're scorin' chicks, takin' drugs
Then we got asked to play MTV unplugged
You should have seen it
We went right out there and refused to do acoustical versions of the
Electrical songs we had refused to record in the first place
Then we smashed our shit
Well we blew 'em away at the Grammy's show
By refusing to play and refusing to go
And then just when we thought fame would last forever
Along come this band that wasn't even together
Now that's alternative
Now that's alternative to alternative
I feel stupid
And contagious
Well our band got dropped and that ain't funny
'cause we're all hooked on drugs but we're outta money
So the other day I called up the band
I said boys I've taken all I can
Shave off your goatees
Pack the van
We're goin' back to Athens
The lyrics to Todd Snider's "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" describe the experience of a struggling band that decides to move to the Seattle grunge scene to try their luck. The chorus of the song is a tribute to rock and roll's lasting power, despite the constantly changing trends and fads that come and go. The verses describe the band's attempts to fit into the grunge scene, adopting flannel shirts, a moody attitude, and even refusing to play any music. Despite this gimmick, the band gains a following and eventually signs a record deal for two and a half million dollars. However, their success is short-lived, and the band breaks up after running out of money and becoming addicted to drugs.
The song is a commentary on the "grunge" movement of the early 1990s, which was characterized by its raw, unpolished sound and its DIY ethos. The lyrics poke fun at the trend by exaggerating its clichés, such as the flannel shirts and the staring-at-the-ground attitude. The song is also a critique of the music industry and its tendency to latch onto whatever is popular at the moment, without regard for artistic integrity.
Overall, "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" is a humorous and satirical take on the grunge movement and the music industry as a whole. The lyrics are witty and clever, and the song's catchy chorus has become a beloved anthem for rock fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll is eternal
Rock and roll will never die
Rock and roll is eternal
Hang your hair down in your eye
Unconventional appearance can lead to commercial success
You'll make a million dollars
You can make a lot of money with talent and gimmicks
Well I was in this band goin' nowhere fast
The artist's first band was unsuccessful
We sent out demos but everybody passed
The band's demos were rejected by everyone
Moved out to Seattle to play some grunge
The band traveled to Seattle to try to become a grunge band
Washington state that is / Space needle / Eddie vedder / Mudhoney
Seattle landmarks and bands that influenced the artist's band
Now to fit in fast we wear flannel shirts
The band changed their style to fit in with grunge culture
We turn our amps up until it hurts
The band plays their music loudly
We've got bad attitudes and what's more
The band has a rebellious attitude
When we play we stare straight down at the floor
The band is shy on stage
Now to fit in on the Seattle scene
The band tries to be like other grunge bands in Seattle
You've gotta do somethin' they ain't never seen
To be successful, a band has to be unique
We decided to be the only band that wouldn't play a note
The band's gimmick was to not play any music
Under any circumstances / Silence / Music's original alternative / Root's grunge
The band's gimmick was silence, which was original and related to grunge
The record guy came out to see us one day
A record executive saw the band's show
And just like always we didn't play
The band's gimmick was not to play music
It knocked him out
The record executive was impressed
He said he loved our work
The record executive liked the band
He said he loved our work but he wasn't sure if he could sell a record / With nothing on it
The record executive thought it would be difficult to sell an album with no music
I said tell 'em we're from Seattle / He advanced us two and a half million dollars
The band got a lot of money because they were from Seattle
Well they made us do a video but that wasn't tough
The band's music video was easy to make because there was no music
'cause we just filmed ourselves smashin' stuff
The band destroyed things to be rebellious
But MTV said they'd love to use it
MTV liked the band's music video
Rolling stone gave us a five-star review said we played with guts
A respected publication praised the band's gimmick
We're scorin' chicks, takin' drugs
The band was enjoying success
Then we got asked to play MTV unplugged
MTV asked the band to perform on Acoustic show
We went right out there and refused to do acoustical versions of the / Electrical songs we had refused to record in the first place
The band refused to play acoustic songs, despite being asked to play an acoustic show
Then we smashed our shit
The band destroyed their instruments.
Well we blew 'em away at the Grammy's show
The band was successful
By refusing to play and refusing to go
The band refused to play at or attend the Grammy's show
And then just when we thought fame would last forever
The band thought they would be famous forever
Along come this band that wasn't even together
The artist is referring to Nirvana
Now that's alternative / Now that's alternative to alternative / I feel stupid / And contagious
Nirvana changed the music landscape in a way that made the singer's band seem unimportant
Well our band got dropped and that ain't funny
The artist's band lost its record deal
'cause we're all hooked on drugs but we're outta money
The band members are addicted to drugs and do not have any money
So the other day I called up the band
The singer called the other members of his band
I said boys I've taken all I can
The singer is tired of their situation
Shave off your goatees / Pack the van / We're goin' back to Athens
The band is leaving Seattle and going back home.
[Chorus]
Rock and roll is eternal.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind