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 .
Waco Moon
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quit too late, you're gonna die too soon
Woman with a needle and silver spoon
Holed up singing the devil's tune
Playing the blues,
Paying your dues,
Speeding your young life away
The first thing New Year's Day
I can't say I felt so sad
The truth is, I think I'm mad
At the selfish way you left your dad
When you know what a hard-luck time he's had
Sleeping through
A dream come true
You just threw all that talent away
I never will get over what I heard about you
The first thing New Year's Day
Ooh, slipping away
Ooh, New Year's Day
I threw the phone against the wall
Falling apart when I got the call
Went out walking with the weight of it all
That's when it hit me like a waterfall
I'm playing the blues,
Paying my dues,
Speeding my young life away.
I never will get over what I heard about you
The first thing New Year's Day.
Ooh, slipping away
Ooh, New Year's Day
Yellow rose, Waco moon
Quit too late, you die too soon
To the bitter end, tried and true,
Goodbye old friend, we'll be missing you
The song "Waco Moon" by Todd Snider is a tribute to a friend who died from a drug overdose. The first verse describes the friend's addiction and the destructive path she is on. The second verse reflects on the singer's emotions after hearing about her tragic death, including anger and sadness. The chorus repeats the line "slipping away" and "New Year's Day," emphasizing the suddenness of the friend's death and the impact it had.
The imagery of the yellow rose and Waco moon add a sense of local flavor to the song. Waco, Texas is where the friend in the song is from, and the yellow rose is the state flower of Texas. The reference to the devil's tune suggests a connection between drug addiction and a pact with the devil, highlighting the tragic consequences of addiction. The final verse is a goodbye to the friend and a recognition of the talent and potential that was lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Yellow rose, Waco moon
Saying goodbye to someone who has passed away in Waco, Texas under the big moon.
Quit too late, you're gonna die too soon
Unfortunately, you quit all of your dreams and died earlier than you should have
Woman with a needle and silver spoon
A woman who is addicted to drugs and was born privileged with a silver spoon.
Holed up singing the devil's tune
The woman is withdrawing and singing songs portraying addiction and the Devil.
Playing the blues,
Paying your dues,
Speeding your young life away
I never will get over what I heard about you
The first thing New Year's Day
You were always singing for people, and paying your dues to achieve your dreams, but then addiction caught up with you leading to you losing your life. The news shook me, and it was the first thing I learned on New Year's Day.
I can't say I felt so sad
The truth is, I think I'm mad
At the selfish way you left your dad
When you know what a hard-luck time he's had
I am having a hard time comprehending your recklessness, and thinking about how it affected your father, who has been through tough times already.
Sleeping through
A dream come true
You just threw all that talent away
I never will get over what I heard about you
The first thing New Year's Day
You were asleep, while your dream was coming true, and you ended up throwing your natural talent away. This news will always stay with me, the first thing I heard on New Year's Day.
Ooh, slipping away
Ooh, New Year's Day
It is slipping away, and the first day of a new year only adds to the weight of the situation.
I threw the phone against the wall
Falling apart when I got the call
Went out walking with the weight of it all
That's when it hit me like a waterfall
Upon receiving the news, I couldn't take it, and threw the phone in despair. I was falling apart, and the weight of the situation consumed me. When I went out walking, I was suddenly hit with emotions like a waterfall.
Goodbye old friend, we'll be missing you
Saying farewell to a friend and mourning their loss.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TODD DANIEL SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicholas Wynne
Best of Todd....still shakes me to the core! Love this song
Oliver
this song is a masterpiece. this performance is one for the books.
John Cobb
Couldn't agree more!
david paul
What a rich history of talent. Billy lost a couple fingers when he was young. Lost his son eddy who
was a country guitar master. Todd had a heart attack on stage that almost took his life. Every time
I see this performance you can hear and see the loss endured by him. Beautiful.
stringbender57
What an incredible song. Simply beautiful. It leaves me speechless. RIP Eddy.
Daniel Leyes
He is holding back tears at times...a remarkable performance.
mrminerva2
He is amazing if for no other reason than you can really hear the emotion in his tone, and how it still affects him.
RobertsAdventure
First time I heard this song it stopped me dead in my tracks. Still does. Great recording, you can tell how hard it still hits him but he keeps singing.
everyoneisjosh
This is maybe the most heartbreaking performance I've ever seen. I usually hold it together until the end, when he quotes "Old Chunk of Coal." Then I just completely lose it. Just devestating.
tired caballero
Chunk of coal reprise is the waterfall for me too. Very well done, Todd