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 .
tension
Todd Snider Lyrics
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Tension
Tension is all that I know
I got tension out in traffic, I got tension in my office
I got tension, and it's everywhere that I go
After the bad guy killed off all the under-developed characters,
The good guy put a bullet right through his head
Justice is irrelevant; violent problems need violent solutions
'cause in America we like our bad guys dead
It's called box office, baby. It's bigger than the damn Stones.
Tension
Tension
Tension is all that I know
I tension in my health food, tension in my exercise
I got tension, and it's everywhere that I go
Well, they roped off all of my problems and pointed their fingers at addiction
'cause they know if you're doing the pointing, nobody's looking at you
But you know this war on drugs is funded by the tobacco and alcohol commissions
It's not what drugs you're strung out on they care about as much as whose.
You see, people still love drugs.
They're bigger, hell, they're bigger than Rush Limbaugh
Tension
Tension
Tension, it's all that I know
I got tension in my classroom, I got tension in my courtroom
I got tension and it's everywhere that I go
When rock'n'roll first came around, the preachers all went crazy
But soon that wasn't enough to bring people in the door
So now they jump on any scandal that they can to try and save me
'cause they know I don't buy that crap about the devil's music anymore
Abortion, that's what scares people these days.
And fear, fear is bigger than Elvis Aaron Presley.
The song "Tension" by Todd Snider depicts the social and political issues of the period of its release. The song talks about the tension that has influenced the day-to-day life of American people. From the problems he encounters in his office, traffic, health food to exercise problems, tension is everywhere. The song provides commentary on issues such as violence, drugs, and abortion. It portrays a narrative that challenges the traditional approach of Americans towards violent problems, the war on drugs, and the fear of abortion. Snider suggests that people tend to overlook the root cause of these problems and instead concentrate on the fallout.
The second verse of the song talks about how the media creates a glorified image of violence. The lyrics depict the glorification of violence in American cinema, portraying a scenario where violent problems are resolved only through violent means. The song points out that box office is more significant than the morality of the message that these films portray. Additionally, the third verse of the song talks about the religious side of society. It portrays a scenario where religious leaders changed their approach to rock music over the years. The song suggests that the preachers who were once angered at rock music now look for scandals to get people into the church. Lastly, the song mentions that the fear of abortion is more significant among Americans than the fear of Elvis Presley.
Line by Line Meaning
Tension
The state of mental or emotional strain due to demanding situations or circumstances
Tension is all that I know
The singer's life is filled with stress and anxiety
I got tension out in traffic, I got tension in my office
The singer experiences stress in everyday situations and work
I got tension, and it's everywhere that I go
The artist cannot escape their stress
After the bad guy killed off all the under-developed characters,
Reference to a movie plot
The good guy put a bullet right through his head
The singer of the movie exacted violent revenge on the antagonist
The screenwriter stood up and told us all the loose ends had been tied
The plot of the movie is wrapped up neatly
Justice is irrelevant; violent problems need violent solutions
The movie promotes the idea that violence is an appropriate response to problems
'cause in America we like our bad guys dead
America glorifies violence and enjoys seeing violent endings to movies
It's called box office, baby. It's bigger than the damn Stones.
The movie industry values profits above all else
I tension in my health food, tension in my exercise
The singer even experiences stress while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle
Well, they roped off all of my problems and pointed their fingers at addiction
The artist's problems have been simplified and blamed on addiction without looking at the underlying causes
'cause they know if you're doing the pointing, nobody's looking at you
Others blame addiction to deflect from their own issues
But you know this war on drugs is funded by the tobacco and alcohol commissions
The singer believes the focus on the war on drugs is misplaced as tobacco and alcohol are equally harmful and influential
It's not what drugs you're strung out on they care about as much as who's
The focus is on people who are using drugs, rather than the larger issues surrounding drug use
You see, people still love drugs.
Despite the efforts to combat drug use, it remains prevalent in society
They're bigger, hell, they're bigger than Rush Limbaugh
The issue of drug use is larger and more important than any one person, even a popular political commentator
I got tension in my classroom, I got tension in my courtroom
The singer experiences stress in their professional life
When rock'n'roll first came around, the preachers all went crazy
Reference to the past reaction to rock music
But soon that wasn't enough to bring people in the door
Preachers needed to find new ways to attract followers
So now they jump on any scandal that they can to try and save me
Preachers use any scandal to try and bring people back to religion
'cause they know I don't buy that crap about the devil's music anymore
The artist is no longer convinced that rock music is sinful
Abortion, that's what scares people these days.
Abortion is now a more polarizing issue than rock music
And fear, fear is bigger than Elvis Aaron Presley.
Fear is a powerful motivator, even more so than a cultural icon like Elvis Presley
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brettwillis1252
I was relatively late to Todd. Although I do remember seeing Alright Guy on 120minutes back in 94ish & liked it, but anyways. I really got acquainted with him in 2010. Seen him every year since. Traveled as far as 700 miles to see him actually. Was able to meet him in 2017, super cool guy. Regardless of all that, what I want to say is Thank You Todd, you have changed my life. Nothing but love my brother!!!!
@markdumas
I used to listen to Todd Snider in Memphis when I was 17-18 yrs old drinking in a bar. Been a fan since. That was 1988 or so.
@marthastephens2179
Saw him every Wed night on open Mike nights them at Daily Planet. Still love him. Never miss a show here .
@CHIKNSKIN
This man kept me sane over the past two years while having a helacious drive each day. THANKS TODD
@annalefebre8448
Todd Snider Rules!!
@debelt
Todd please put this concert on a CD, it' ll sell a ton and I won't have to listen to it a thousand times on YouTube.
@dbeater1
the man is a genius..bless his soul.
@davidf.9763
I have seen Todd five times and the last was a few years ago at the Lensic in Santa Fe with his hero Jerry Jeff Walker. Unbelievably awesome show and even Jerry admitted that Todd knew his music better than he did. Todd is great observer of the human condition....
@lisakolb5643
Now I REALLY love this guy! Bob Marley ref got me!
@ryanemmons9778
Great song. Wish I could see him live