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).
Sterling Hayden
Tom Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One of those backwater Dutch canals
A bottle of Johnny Walker between his legs
Drunk but articulate as hell
He was saying, "Yeah, I ratted on people
During the McCarthy hearings, huh, you haven't the foggiest notion
Of the contempt I have for myself, maybe that's why we drink, eh?
Sterling Hayden on a three-masted schooner
Kidnapped his kids and sailed 'round the globe
But a man can sail around in one big circle
And not escape his wounded sailor's soul
So heave her up the main sail, boys
Heave her up and away we'll go
We're bound for the bay where the white whale plays
In the midnight straits of Jericho
And if ever I return, Pretty Peggy O
All your cities I will burn, yes, I would
With your cardboard sea and your paper moon
O'er the penny arcade called Hollywood
He ran guns through the German lines in World War II
The Viking God stood six-feet-five
Played in 'Johnny Guitar and The Asphalt Jungle'
'The Killing' and 'The Long Goodbye'
I saw him once on the Johnny Carson show
Late in his troubled career
He said, "Just give me a room over lookin' the Hudson
With a mattress and a typewriter and I'll write you
A helluva novel, my dears"
So here's to all the tough guy actors
And the false gods who made 'em
And wherever he sails tonight on the Seven Seas
May the Lord sail with Sterling Hayden
The song "Sterling Hayden" by Tom Russell tells the story of the famous American actor and sailor, Sterling Hayden. The lyrics describe two moments in Hayden's life where he is reflecting on past mistakes and made vulnerable by his drinking. The first verse takes place on a barge in Amsterdam, where Hayden confesses to having "ratted out" people during the McCarthy hearings, expressing his deep shame for betraying friends and colleagues during the Red Scare of the 1950s. He uses his drinking as a coping mechanism, suggesting that something has "shipwrecked the heart", leaving him adrift and lost.
The second verse describes Hayden's attempt to escape his troubled past by sailing around the globe with his children, but despite his physical journey, he finds he cannot escape the emotional wounds of his past. The chorus imagines Hayden setting sail once again, this time in search of a mythical white whale in the midnight straits of Jericho, echoing the themes of escape and redemption in his life. The final verse references Hayden's storied career as an actor, his service in WWII, and his late-life appearance on the Johnny Carson show where he expressed a desire to write a great novel. The song closes with a hopeful wish for Hayden's journey, that he may find peace and comfort wherever he sails, with the blessing of the Lord himself.
Overall, the song offers a poignant and complex portrayal of a complex man who struggled with regret, addiction and a search for meaning and redemption in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sterling Hayden on a barge in Amsterdam
Sterling Hayden found himself on a barge in Amsterdam
One of those backwater Dutch canals
It was one of the lesser known canals in Holland
A bottle of Johnny Walker between his legs
He had a bottle of Johnny Walker resting on his lap
Drunk but articulate as hell
Despite being intoxicated, he was still able to speak intelligently
He was saying, "Yeah, I ratted on people
He admitted to betraying others during the McCarthy hearings
During the McCarthy hearings, huh, you haven't the foggiest notion
He implied the listener had no idea what the McCarthy hearings were like
Of the contempt I have for myself, maybe that's why we drink, eh?
He suggested that self-loathing may be the reason he drinks
Some damn thing, shipwrecks the heart, huh? Yah"
He mused that some unknown force can devastate a person emotionally
Sterling Hayden on a three-masted schooner
Sterling Hayden found himself on a three-masted schooner
Kidnapped his kids and sailed 'round the globe
He took his children and traveled around the world
But a man can sail around in one big circle
He realized one can travel but still not escape their issues
And not escape his wounded sailor's soul
His emotional scars followed him wherever he went
So heave her up the main sail, boys
He instructed the crew to raise the main sail
Heave her up and away we'll go
The ship will go faster once the mainsail is raised
We're bound for the bay where the white whale plays
They were sailing to the bay where the white whale is known to live
In the midnight straits of Jericho
The bay was located in the straits of Jericho
And if ever I return, Pretty Peggy O
He spoke to someone named Pretty Peggy O, whom he may return to one day
All your cities I will burn, yes, I would
He joked that he would be a mischief-maker if he ever returned
With your cardboard sea and your paper moon
He sarcastically described Hollywood as having fake scenery
O'er the penny arcade called Hollywood
He belittled Hollywood as a mere entertainment hub
He ran guns through the German lines in World War II
He was a gun runner during WWII
The Viking God stood six-feet-five
He was described as tall and powerful like a Viking God
Played in 'Johnny Guitar and The Asphalt Jungle'
He acted in films like 'Johnny Guitar and The Asphalt Jungle'
'The Killing' and 'The Long Goodbye'
He was also in 'The Killing' and 'The Long Goodbye'
I saw him once on the Johnny Carson show
The singer saw him interact with Johnny Carson on TV
Late in his troubled career
It was later on in his problematic career
He said, "Just give me a room over lookin' the Hudson
Sterling Hayden requested a room overlooking the Hudson river
With a mattress and a typewriter and I'll write you
He claimed he would be able to create something wondrous with just a bed and typewriter
A helluva novel, my dears"
He promised to write an exceptional novel
So here's to all the tough guy actors
He honored all the macho actors in Hollywood
And the false gods who made 'em
He acknowledged that actors had unrealistic expectations placed on them
And wherever he sails tonight on the Seven Seas
He is lost in the vast oceans
May the Lord sail with Sterling Hayden
May God guide Sterling Hayden on his travels
Contributed by Emma S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.