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 .
The Highland Street Incident
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't even know how long I've been awake anymore
But I know what we're out of and you do too
Look around we're down to nothing but me and you
We sold everything we stole and everything we had
It's not that bad though
It's not that bad
That's only going to be a couple weeks from now
You know what I'm thinking cause you're thinking it too
It was harder to imagine than it was to do
In spite of all of your worry last night went okay
That man just threw his money up and ran away
Did we get arrested? No we did not
We didn't shoot anyone, we didn't get shot
We didn't hurt anyone, at least not a lot
And we got what we wanted
We got what we wanted
You're right I could kill somebody, I don't care
But that's not the way it's gonna go tonight I swear
We'll just walk on up to Highland Street behind the bar
In the back through the alley where they park the cars
It will go down just as easy as it did last night
We'll be back here in an hour hidin' out of sight
Did we get arrested? No we did not
We didn't shoot anyone, we didn't get shot
We didn't hurt anyone, at least not a lot
And we got what we wanted
Hey stand right here behind me buddy this is the place
Hold this blue bandanna up to cover your face
Yes this is loaded but it's only for security
I won't be shootin' anyone that isn't shootin' at me
Shut up I think I hear somebody coming man
Shut up I think shh
Run man run
Run man run
We'll get out of this together when your cousin gets out
That is only gonna be a couple weeks from now
Run man run
"The Highland Street Incident" by Todd Snider is a vivid, narrative story that follows the thoughts of two men as they plan their next robbery. They have already sold all their previous stolen items and are down to their last resort: robbing again. The dialogue between the two men is tinged with a sense of desperation and resignation to their fate. The song gives the listener a peek into the world of desperate criminals who are caught in a seemingly endless cycle of crime and poverty. The imagery used in the song paints a picture of the dingy streets, alleys, and bars where these criminals frequent.
The first verse sets the tone for the song and establishes the relationship between the two men. The second verse reveals that they have a plan in place for their next heist and that it went well the last time around. The third and final verse is the climax of the song as the two men try to rob a place, but something goes wrong, and they have to run. The repeated line "run man run" at the end of the song suggests that they are on the run from the police and that they will continue to lead a life of crime until they are caught.
Line by Line Meaning
Some guy said to some other guy behind closed doors
An anonymous conversation happened behind closed doors between two people.
I don't even know how long I've been awake anymore
One of them has been up for a long time due to the heist they pulled off the night before.
But I know what we're out of and you do too
They're out of everything they stole or had and need to restock.
Look around we're down to nothing but me and you
They're in this together and have no one else to rely on.
We sold everything we stole and everything we had
They sold off everything they had from their previous heist.
It's not that bad though
Despite being out of everything, they don't think it's that bad.
We will be buying our shit back when your cousin gets out
They plan to restock their belongings with their next heist when their accomplice/cousin gets out of jail soon.
That's only going to be a couple weeks from now
Their cousin's release is soon so they need to plan another heist.
You know what I'm thinking cause you're thinking it too
They both know they need to plan another heist to get what they need.
It was harder to imagine than it was to do
Despite any doubts, they were able to successfully pull off the last heist.
In spite of all of your worry last night went okay
Despite one person worrying, the heist went well the previous night.
That man just threw his money up and ran away
They robbed someone and the victim just complied and ran away.
Did we get arrested? No we did not
They didn't get caught for their previous heist.
We didn't shoot anyone, we didn't get shot
No one was killed or hurt in the previous heist.
We didn't hurt anyone, at least not a lot
Although there may have been some harm caused, they didn't inflict serious damage.
And we got what we wanted
Despite any risks, they were able to get what they wanted for the previous heist.
You're right I could kill somebody, I don't care
One of them has the potential to kill someone, but it's not their plan for tonight's heist.
But that's not the way it's gonna go tonight I swear
They don't plan on hurting anyone tonight.
We'll just walk on up to Highland Street behind the bar
Their next heist will take place in the back of a bar on Highland Street.
In the back through the alley where they park the cars
They'll use the alley where cars are parked to get to the back of the bar.
It will go down just as easy as it did last night
They're confident that their next heist will be as easy as their previous one.
We'll be back here in an hour hidin' out of sight
They plan on returning to their hideout in an hour to lay low.
Hey stand right here behind me buddy this is the place
They arrive at the location for their next heist and one person asks the other to stand behind them.
Hold this blue bandanna up to cover your face
One person hands the other a blue bandanna to use as a mask for the heist.
Yes this is loaded but it's only for security
One of them has a loaded weapon but they plan on only using it for protection.
I won't be shootin' anyone that isn't shootin' at me
They're not planning on being violent unless someone else is violent towards them.
Shut up I think I hear somebody coming man
They hear someone coming and must remain quiet and hidden.
Run man run
They realize something went wrong and need to escape quickly.
We'll get out of this together when your cousin gets out
They plan on getting out of trouble together once their cousin is released from jail.
That is only gonna be a couple weeks from now
They can't wait too long for their cousin's release so that they can plan another heist.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: TODD DANIEL SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind