Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of Belleville.
Nothing
Uncle Tupelo Lyrics
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Crossing people's paths
Some they stand right in your way
Others like to watch you pass
Been trying to memorize
All the different lies
That people must tell themselves each night to justify their lives
This might be all we'll ever have
Held myself for ransom
Wandered so blind
I found the roads less travelled
To take you off my mind
And I told myself I know
Everything I do
I'm just looking for something
To lead me away from you
Don't call it nothing
This might be all you'll ever have
I know it's not enough
To make it sound like more
So I swear if there's a God
To make him sleep on the floor
Been travelling around some
Crossing people's paths
Some they stand right in your way
Others like to watch you pass
Don't call it nothing
This might be all we'll ever have
I'll ever have ever have
The song "Nothing" by Uncle Tupelo is a melancholic track that focuses on the process of self-discovery, and coming to terms with oneself, and the world around them. The lyrics describe the singer moving through life, observing people as they pass, and trying to understand why they do what they do. The singer reflects on the lies people tell themselves to justify their existence and to numb themselves to the monotony of their lives. Despite their authentic strive for meaning, the singer also states that people pass each other like strangers uninterested in each other’s’ presence.
The chorus of "Don't call it nothing, this might be all we'll ever have" reinforces the idea that life may be meaningless, but it is still all that we have. The lyrics suggest that the journey towards self-discovery may never end, and that the only thing we have to hold onto is the memories and experiences we collect along the way.
Overall, the song is a contemplative reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the struggle to find meaning in it. It highlights the importance of self-exploration and self-awareness as well as the human tendency to rationalize or numb the uncomfortable realities around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Been traveling around some
I have been moving around to different places
Crossing people's paths
I often come across strangers
Some they stand right in your way
Some strangers try to stop me from moving forward
Others like to watch you pass
While some others just watch me moving past them
Been trying to memorize
I've been attempting to commit to memory
All the different lies
All the different self-deceptions that people often use to justify their actions
That people must tell themselves each night to justify their lives
Those lies that people tell themselves every night to rationalize their existence
Don't call it nothing
This experience is not insignificant or worthless
This might be all we'll ever have
This might be the most significant thing we'll ever experience
Held myself for ransom
I've been holding myself hostage
Wandered so blind
I've been wandering aimlessly
I found the roads less travelled
I discovered unconventional paths
To take you off my mind
To forget about someone/something that has been preoccupying me
And I told myself I know
I convinced myself that I know
Everything I do
Every decision I make
I'm just looking for something
I'm just searching for anything that can provide some relief
To lead me away from you
To help me move on from something/someone that I cannot forget
I know it's not enough
I know it's insufficient
To make it sound like more
To exaggerate its importance
So I swear if there's a God
If there is a God
To make him sleep on the floor
I will make him pay for not helping me
This might be all we'll ever have
This experience might be everything that we will ever have
I'll ever have ever have
And it might be the most important thing that I'll ever experience
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER, JEFF AMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind