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).
Mesabi
Tom Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the Great Lake waves are pounding?
There must be some way out of there
You might end up lost or drowning
And the polkas at the Polish dance hall
And the carnivals of spring
And the rock and roll on an upright piano
Didn't the kid make the high school rafters ring?
Every night on the radio
From those airwaves blasting
All the way up from Nogales, Mexico
And the duck-tail boys in St. Cloud
Polished up their chords of fame
And the armory show
Where Buddy Holly sang 'The Learning of the Game'
Some things never change, on the Mesabi Iron Range
Where that wild north country rain screams
"Please don't make me do the work my father did"
Bethlehem of the troubadour kid
Have you ever heard that desert wind blow
'Cross the City of the Angels?
I was the kid playing football
In that Catholic school deep down in Mexican town
Richie Valens sang, 'La Bamba'
It's 80 miles to Tijuana
I stole my parent's car one night
Never found the dark-eyed ladies in the cowboy songs
Just a kid listening
To my Uncle George's record player
While the great vinyl wheel spun
Round its holy prayer
And steel guitars in the Telecaster bars
Of the San Joaquin towns
And 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright'
From the wild Mesabi Holy Ground
Some things never change
It's still the learning of the game
You might end up on Fifth and Main, kid
Please don't make me go out like my father did
I wanna sing like the troubadour kid
Tom Russell's song Mesabi is a nostalgic journey through the memories of a troubadour who has traveled the country, reminiscing about the places and sounds that shaped him. The song's opening lines ask if the listener has ever seen Duluth during a storm, and sets the tone for the rest of the song's exploration of the Midwest and the West Coast. From there, the troubadour muses on the polkas and carnivals of his youth, the rock and roll that he and his peers made on upright pianos, and the influence of Howlin' Wolf on his musical style.
The song shifts to the singer's teenage years, where he played football at a Catholic school in Mexican Town in Los Angeles. He recalls hearing Richie Valens' "La Bamba" and stealing his parents' car to drive to Tijuana, searching for the dark-eyed ladies of cowboy songs. While the troubadour admits he did not find them, he discovered steel guitars and Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" in San Joaquin towns. The song ends with the troubadour wanting to sing like the "troubadour kid"; his father’s work is heavy on his heart and he fears living the same life, while embracing the spirit of a musical drifter.
Russell's lyrics create a vivid sense of place and time, using references to specific towns, venues, and songs to evoke the musical traditions and cultural landscapes of the Midwest and West Coast. The song also touches on broader themes of youth, nostalgia, and the search for one's place in the world. Overall, Mesabi celebrates the power of music to connect people across time and space and to provide a sense of home no matter where life takes us.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever seen Duluth?
Have you ever witnessed the wonders of Duluth?
When the Great Lake waves are pounding?
Have you seen the fury of the Great Lakes waves?
There must be some way out of there
It's hard to escape Duluth's water's rage.
You might end up lost or drowning
You may suffer up to death at the mercy of these tides.
And the polkas at the Polish dance hall
There's no dearth of dance forms, even Polish polkas are entertained here.
And the carnivals of spring
Spring fetes are another subject of celebration.
And the rock and roll on an upright piano
Rock and roll on an upright piano is a common thing here.
Didn't the kid make the high school rafters ring?
The kid who had the potential to hit high notes during high school chorus practice.
The kid who heard Howlin' Wolf
The kid who fondly recalls listening to Howling Wolf
Every night on the radio
During his daily radio sessions
From those airwaves blasting
The songs' radiowaves also had a heavy impact on the kid
All the way up from Nogales, Mexico
Even the songs from Mexico were listening in the icy northern regions
And the duck-tail boys in St. Cloud
Relating to the dapper hairstyle, even boys in St. Cloud sport this.
Polished up their chords of fame
They diligently practiced to make their guitar chords perfect to become famous.
And the armory show
Featuring Buddy Holly, an exhilarating show was hosted in the Armory
Where Buddy Holly sang 'The Learning of the Game'
Here, Buddy Holly performed 'The Learning of the Game'
Some things never change, on the Mesabi Iron Range
Mesabi Iron Range is a place where some things never change.
Where that wild north country rain screams
Even the rain screams wildly in these uninhabitable regions.
"Please don't make me do the work my father did"
"I don't want to repeat my father's struggles."
Bethlehem of the troubadour kid
Bethlehem town serves as an inspiration to the kid troubadour.
Have you ever heard that desert wind blow
Have you ever felt the breeze of the desert?
'Cross the City of the Angels?
Across the City of the Angels?
I was the kid playing football
I was the kid enjoying football
In that Catholic school deep down in Mexican town
I was studying in a Catholic school in a small Mexican locale
Richie Valens sang, 'La Bamba'
During this time, Richie Valens produced the famous 'La Bamba'
It's 80 miles to Tijuana
80 miles away is the bustling, vibrant state of Tijuana
I stole my parent's car one night
There was a night when I took my parent's car without permission
Never found the dark-eyed ladies in the cowboy songs
Though I never found the romantic melody coming to life like it does in a cowboy's song
Just a kid listening
I was just a kid, listening
To my Uncle George's record player
I listened to my Uncle George's record player
While the great vinyl wheel spun
As the colossal, round disc spun
Round its holy prayer
Playing holier music on this cool record player
And steel guitars in the Telecaster bars
The Telecaster bar witnessed the performance of many steel guitarists
Of the San Joaquin towns
These towns in the area of San Joaquin were known centers for guitar tapping.
And 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright'
The song 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright'
From the wild Mesabi Holy Ground
This ground in the Mesabi region was forever wild and holy
Some things never change
Some things in life never transform
It's still the learning of the game
The process of learning and self-improvement remains the same.
You might end up on Fifth and Main, kid
You could just go up to Fifth and main, kid.
"Please don't make me go out like my father did"
"I don't want to share my father's fate"
I wanna sing like the troubadour kid
I wish I can sing like the troubadour kid.
Writer(s): Tom Russell Copyright: Frontera Music
Contributed by Allison O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Asa Daniels
Have you ever seen Duluth?
When the Great Lake waves are pounding?
There must be some way out of there
You might end up lost or drowning
And the polkas at the Polish dance hall
And the carnivals of spring
And the rock and roll on an upright piano
Didn't the kid make the high school rafters ring?
The kid who heard Howlin' Wolf
Every night on the radio
From those airwaves blasting
All the way up from Nogales, Mexico
And the duck-tail boys in St. Cloud
Polished up their chords of fame
And the armory show
Where Buddy Holly sang 'The Learning of the Game'
Some things never change, on the Mesabi Iron Range
Where that wild north country rain screams
"Please don't make me do the work my father did"
Bethlehem of the troubadour kid
Have you ever heard that desert wind blow
'Cross the City of the Angels?
I was the kid playing football
In that Catholic school deep down in Mexican town
Richie Valens sang, 'La Bamba'
It's 80 miles to Tijuana
I stole my parent's car one night
Never found the dark-eyed ladies in the cowboy songs
Just a kid listening
To my Uncle George's record player
While the great vinyl wheel spun
Round its holy prayer
And steel guitars in the Telecaster bars
Of the San Joaquin towns
And 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright'
From the wild Mesabi Holy Ground
Some things never change
It's still the learning of the game
You might end up on Fifth and Main, kid
Please don't make me go out like my father did
I wanna sing like the troubadour kid
Sue K
As a Duluthian who loves my city, I love this song. It feels like home!
Andy Parsons
How does he keep writing better and better songs. I love this album.
Patrick Murphy
One of the worlds finest songwriters
Asa Daniels
Have you ever seen Duluth?
When the Great Lake waves are pounding?
There must be some way out of there
You might end up lost or drowning
And the polkas at the Polish dance hall
And the carnivals of spring
And the rock and roll on an upright piano
Didn't the kid make the high school rafters ring?
The kid who heard Howlin' Wolf
Every night on the radio
From those airwaves blasting
All the way up from Nogales, Mexico
And the duck-tail boys in St. Cloud
Polished up their chords of fame
And the armory show
Where Buddy Holly sang 'The Learning of the Game'
Some things never change, on the Mesabi Iron Range
Where that wild north country rain screams
"Please don't make me do the work my father did"
Bethlehem of the troubadour kid
Have you ever heard that desert wind blow
'Cross the City of the Angels?
I was the kid playing football
In that Catholic school deep down in Mexican town
Richie Valens sang, 'La Bamba'
It's 80 miles to Tijuana
I stole my parent's car one night
Never found the dark-eyed ladies in the cowboy songs
Just a kid listening
To my Uncle George's record player
While the great vinyl wheel spun
Round its holy prayer
And steel guitars in the Telecaster bars
Of the San Joaquin towns
And 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright'
From the wild Mesabi Holy Ground
Some things never change
It's still the learning of the game
You might end up on Fifth and Main, kid
Please don't make me go out like my father did
I wanna sing like the troubadour kid
owen davis
To a heart alive to human sorrow, add passion like a river; then add graceful wisdom; yes, add eyes that see what we can't help but miss; stir in some laughter a creature of the night might recognise; finally put in a thousand memories made of ends and beginnings, you just may have, then, a song by Tom Russell, not unlike Mesabi itself, or the others on this great album!
cashfanman
@theauntybabs;agreed there is not a lot of us about.Long live the genius that is Tom Russell.
Brian Meyrick
I been to Duluth .... it has a great resemblance to Newport, Wales :-) x
J Lee
♥️
onitram1
Kathleen, You're sweet. Just tell him hello from a fellow Downey boy! If you get a chance, you might request Doug Sahm's Dynamite Woman. Dave does a great version (you can find a vid. of him @ Doug's memorial here on the 'tube) -Take care hon. :)
katson6
@onitram1 Marty!......I'm good and what a pleasant surprise for me to find you here! Holidays are over with thank goodness. I hope yours were good to you as well. Seeing Dave Alvin this Friday. Any requests? Can I pick something up for you at the show?