In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Alkali
Tom Russell Lyrics
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You've been lost in the desert 25 years or more
Ah yer whiskey streams And yer gold field dreams
Well Lady Luck won't let you dark her door
And they tell me your a ghost of a man Lord,
I believe it's true
And they say you had a woman once
But she turned her back on you
You old gold minin' hobo
Dry well desert rat Alkali
Put the bacon on to fry
Well, the sun's comin' up and the mule's waitin' for his grain
Just a one room shack By the Santa Fe track
It's an old lick of earth
That's screamin' for a drop of rain
And there's a time for work
And a time for play
And a time for lyin' down
And the road might lead to the rainbow's end
A dusty old desert town
You old gold minin' hobo
Dry well desert rat Alkali
Alkali, there's a buzzard in the sky
And he's a-countin' his chances on a-pickin' your skinflint bones
Ah, raise your hand
Throw a curse on the land
They're gonna find you one day
Lyin' 'neath an unmarked stone
Well the desert is a lonely place
For a man to lose his head
They tell me when you start to talkin' to yourself
Lord, you might as well be dead
You old gold minin' hobo
Dry well desert rat Alkali
Alkali Alkali
You old gold minin' hobo
Dry well desert rat Alkali
Alkali Alkali
You old gold minin' hobo
Dry well desert rat Alkali
The song “Alkali” by Tom Russell Band is a poignant ballad about a desperate gold miner who has been lost in the desert for 25 years. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is haunted by his past and is struggling to find any semblance of hope in his current situation. He has no luck with his dreams of finding gold or love, and it appears that he has lost touch with reality.
The opening verse, “Here’s mud in yer eye, you’ve been lost in the desert 25 years or more,” sets the tone for the song. The miner is in a bleak and hopeless situation, and the repetition of the phrase “Alkali” throughout the song emphasizes the lifeless and barren nature of the desert in which he is trapped. The reference to Lady Luck highlights the miner’s reliance on chance, as well as his sense of desperation.
The chorus of the song, “You old gold minin’ hobo, dry well desert rat Alkali,” emphasizes the man’s status as an outsider. He is a loner, disconnected from society and doomed to a solitary existence in the desert. The song paints a bleak picture of a man who is lost in every sense of the word, haunted by his past and unable to find hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's mud in yer eye
A celebratory drink to honor the person
You've been lost in the desert 25 years or more
The person has been wandering aimlessly in the desert for a long time
Ah yer whiskey streams And yer gold field dreams
The person's desire for whiskey and finding gold mines
Well Lady Luck won't let you dark her door
The person has no luck in finding what they desire
And they tell me your a ghost of a man Lord,
People talk about the person as if they are already dead
I believe it's true
The singer agrees with the statement made by others
And they say you had a woman once
The person had a woman in the past
But she turned her back on you
The woman left the person
You old gold minin' hobo
The person is an old hobo who looks for gold mines
Dry well desert rat Alkali
The person is a dry well desert rat named Alkali
Put the bacon on to fry
Cooking bacon for breakfast
Well, the sun's comin' up and the mule's waitin' for his grain
It's morning and the mule is waiting to be fed
Just a one room shack By the Santa Fe track
The person lives in a small one-room shack by the train tracks in Santa Fe
It's an old lick of earth That's screamin' for a drop of rain
The land is very dry and in desperate need of rain
And there's a time for work And a time for play
There's a time for everything
And a time for lyin' down
There's a time to rest
And the road might lead to the rainbow's end A dusty old desert town
The journey may lead to a better place, but for now it's just a dusty old desert town
Alkali, there's a buzzard in the sky
Alkali, there's a buzzard flying overhead
And he's a-countin' his chances on a-pickin' your skinflint bones
The buzzard is waiting for the person to die so he can eat their bones
Ah, raise your hand Throw a curse on the land
A plea to do something to change the person's luck
They're gonna find you one day Lyin' 'neath an unmarked stone
“They” will eventually find the person dead and buried without a grave marker
Well the desert is a lonely place For a man to lose his head
The desert is not a good place for a person to lose their mind
They tell me when you start to talkin' to yourself Lord, you might as well be dead
When people start talking to themselves, it's an indication that they are losing their mind
Alkali Alkali You old gold minin' hobo Dry well desert rat Alkali
Repeating the name and labels of the person to emphasize who they are
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: THOMAS GEORGE RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind