Around 1985, Chesnutt moved to Athens and joined the band, The La-Di-Da's. After leaving that group he began performing solo on a regular basis at the 40 Watt Club; it was there that he was spotted by Michael Stipe of R.E.M.; Stipe produced Chesnutt's first two albums, Little (1990) and West of Rome (1991).
In 1992 Chesnutt was the subject of a PBS documentary, Speed Racer. He also had a small role in the 1996 Billy Bob Thornton movie Sling Blade which he later described self-mockingly as a poor performance.
In 1996, Chesnutt was exposed to a wider audience with the release of the tribute album Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, the proceeds from which went to the Sweet Relief Fund. The album consisted of Chesnutt covers by famous musicians including Garbage, The Smashing Pumpkins (with Red Red Meat), Madonna, R.E.M. and Live.
He recorded several times with other groups and artists. Most notably he made two albums with fellow Athens, GA recording artist Widespread Panic, under the name of brute. Chesnutt's album The Salesman and Bernadette (1998) was recorded with alt-country group Lambchop as the backing band. The album Merriment was a collaborative effort between Chesnutt and Kelly and Nikki Keneipp, with Vic writing and singing the songs, and the Keneipps playing the music. The 2005 album Ghetto Bells features famed guitarist Bill Frisell, whom Chesnutt met in 2004 at the renowned Century of Song concert series at the German festival RuhrTriennale. Chesnutt's wife, Tina Chesnutt, frequently plays bass on his albums. His niece, and fellow songwriter, Liz Durrett also appeared on the Ghetto Bells album.
Chesnutt's first four albums were released on the independent Texas Hotel label. He then recorded About to Choke (1996) for Capitol, which was his first and only major record label recording. The Salesman and Bernadette (1998) was on PolyGram; Merriment (2000) was on the Backburner Records label; spinART was the label for the self performed and recorded Left to His Own Devices (2001). Vic then found a new home at the New West Records label, who have released two albums for him so far. In 2004 New West also re-released the early Texas Hotel recordings, including expanded liner notes and extra tracks.
In the winter of 2006, he recorded his newest album, North Star Deserter at the Hotel2Tango in Montreal. It was released on September 11, 2007 by Constellation Records. The record includes contributions from Constellation artists Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. The album was produced by documentary filmmaker Jem Cohen. He also appeared as a guest musician on Cowboy Junkies' 2007 album Trinity Revisited, a 20th anniversary edition of their classic album The Trinity Session.
On Dec 25th 2009, Vic Chesnutt died after falling into a coma following a suicide attempt.
Official Website: Vic Chesnutt
Everything I Say
Vic Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since i saw it last
It's rubble now
Well so much for the past
Everything that i say
Does me this'a way
Everything,
Does me this'a way
Some call her a thief
And some people call her a prophet
But her courage is brief
Brief as little, little miss muffet
Everything that i say
Does me this'a way
Everything,
Every little thing i say
Does me this'a way
She wanted to
Be an inventor
But nothing new
Was all she could muster
The opening lines of Vic Chesnutt's song "Everything I Say" describe a scene of destruction: a barn that has fallen down since the last time the singer saw it. This serves as a metaphor for the passing of time, and the fleeting nature of memory and nostalgia. The line "so much for the past" acknowledges the fact that things change and decay over time, and that we can never truly recapture or relive the experiences of our youth or our past.
The chorus of the song is a repeated refrain that speaks to the emotional impact that the singer's words have on him. "Everything that I say does me this way" suggests that the singer is deeply affected by his own thoughts and words, perhaps to the point of feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by them. The repetition of this line reinforces the idea that our inner monologues can be a constant source of stress and anxiety.
The second half of the song contains some enigmatic lyrics that can be read in a number of different ways. The line "Some call her a thief and some people call her a prophet" could refer to a person or a concept, and suggests that different people have different perceptions of the same thing. The line "her courage is brief, brief as little, little Miss Muffet" adds to the ambiguity, and could be interpreted as a comment on the fleeting nature of bravery, or as a reference to the nursery rhyme character who was easily frightened.
Overall, "Everything I Say" is a song that explores the themes of memory, time, and self-reflection. It suggests that our thoughts and words can have a profound impact on our emotional state, and reminds us that even the most solid-seeming structures can crumble and decay over time.
Line by Line Meaning
The barn fell down
The building I once knew has collapsed
Since i saw it last
From the time I last saw it until now
It's rubble now
All that's left are crumbled remains
Well so much for the past
It's a disappointment to recall what's gone
Everything that i say
Every single word that comes out of my mouth
Does me this'a way
It affects me in a certain manner
Everything,
Every single thing
Every little thing i say
Even the seemingly unimportant statements
Some call her a thief
She's accused of being a criminal by some
And some people call her a prophet
Others consider her a visionary
But her courage is brief
Despite her reputation, her bravery is short-lived
Brief as little, little miss muffet
It fades just as fast as the children's rhyme character's courage
She wanted to
She had a desire to
Be an inventor
Create something innovative
But nothing new
She couldn't come up with anything original
Was all she could muster
It was the best she could do
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VIC CHESNUTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-vm1zj4nk2s
Thank you for making this amazing moment available to those of us Vic devotees who never saw him in person. It is a pure blessing
@TheFlatulator
This may be the greatest video on youtube.
@baphomick
This may be the truest comment on youtube.
@cornholio812
baphomick Right up there with PiL's POPTONES, on The Old Grey Whistle Test!
@dildoit
Itz growing and growing on me. A stronger and stronger tree
@dildoit
Flatulator what kinda name is that. I have to follow u now;-) flat u later!
@vladyslavselin9325
You god damn right
@norahollin1921
Hearing this song rips into my soul with deep grief...Thank you for your beautiful life and extraordinary talent...Miss you,greatly....
@stefbarone
One of the most powerful performances EVER. Amazing, wonderful Vic.
@christophersmith9613
I'm so fortunate to have seen Vic Chesnutt several times. He was completely on another level than his musical peers. Incredible.