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
It Is What It Is
Vic Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or caliban the natural man
Giving wild ripostes to my reflection
One ugly morning in a rage
Father threw an apple into my carapace
And like the invisible man
I'd be ineffective
No matter how enthusiastic
Amid the masses' frenzy
In this massive separation
Appearance is everything
Nothing is how it seems
And civilized society
Is calm civility
I'm the phantom of the opera
Singing beauty and at ease
Or henry darger's autobiography
And that is curt clues to my essence
Planned obsolescence
Appearance is everything
Nothing is how it seems
In a market economy
It's called marketing
And not exactly clawing my way to glory
Nor whimpering in the wind
But once positively
I'm teetering on the brink
Of an all-out breakthrough
But sometimes clear headed
Sometimes a doofus
Sometimes very cordial
And sometimes aloof
I am syrupy optimistic one moment
Then gravely pessimistic the next
Irritable as a hornet sometimes
Then agreeable as it gets
I'm not a pagan
I don't worship anything
Not gods that don't exist
Nor the sun which is oblivious
I love my ancestors
But not ritually
I don't blame them or praise them
For anything that they passed along to me
I don't need stone altars to help me hedge my bet
Against the looming blackness
It is what it is
The lyrics of Vic Chesnutt's "It Is What It Is" express a sense of self-awareness and acceptance, despite the challenges and hardships that life can bring. The opening lines compare the singer to monsters like Quasimodo or Caliban, highlighting their own sense of ugliness or otherness. However, rather than surrendering to self-loathing or bitterness, the singer instead chooses to respond with "wild ripostes," defying their own reflection and perhaps embracing their own unique identity.
The song also touches on themes of appearance and societal convention. The singer notes that "appearance is everything" and that "nothing is how it seems" in a civilized society that values calm civility. However, they also recognize the role of marketing and planned obsolescence in shaping our perceptions and desires. In the face of such forces, the singer refuses to worship false idols or resort to superstition or ritual.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a monster like quasimodo
I feel like a monster, an outcast, like Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Or caliban the natural man
or like Caliban, the misunderstood and marginalized Native character from Shakespeare's The Tempest
Giving wild ripostes to my reflection
responding aggressively to my own reflection like I am fighting with myself
One ugly morning in a rage
one morning when I was feeling particularly upset and angry
Father threw an apple into my carapace
my father threw an apple at me, hitting me with an impact as if I had a hard shell or exoskeleton
And like the invisible man
like the character in H.G. Wells' science fiction novel who is invisible
Directing traffic
trying to manage or navigate a difficult situation
I'd be ineffective
I wouldn't be able to make a difference or affect the outcome
No matter how enthusiastic
even if I tried my hardest and was very passionate
Amid the masses' frenzy
in the midst of a chaotic and frenzied group of people
In this massive separation
in a society that is divided and disconnected
Appearance is everything
what people see on the surface is often more important than what's underneath
Nothing is how it seems
things are not always as they appear
And civilized society
in a society that values manners and order
Is calm civility
people are expected to behave with politeness and restraint
I'm the phantom of the opera
like the mysterious and haunting character from the famous musical
Singing beauty and at ease
singing about beautiful things and feeling content
Or henry darger's autobiography
referring to the fictional autobiographical novel by Henry Darger
And that is curt clues to my essence
these are brief hints to understand who I am at my core
Planned obsolescence
like products that are designed to become outdated or unusable, I sometimes feel like my value is limited
In a market economy
in a society where everything is seen in terms of profit and exchange value
It's called marketing
this type of selling is called marketing, emphasizing the importance of appearance and image
And not exactly clawing my way to glory
I'm not actively fighting my way to success
Nor whimpering in the wind
nor am I feeble or complaining like a weak wind
But once positively
sometimes, in a positive moment
I'm teetering on the brink
I'm on the edge of something, about to achieve a breakthrough or experience a breakdown
But sometimes clear headed
however, there are moments when I'm thinking clearly and rationally
Sometimes a doofus
but sometimes I'm a bit foolish or clumsy
Sometimes very cordial
and sometimes I'm very warm and friendly
And sometimes aloof
but there are other times when I'm distant or unapproachable
I am syrupy optimistic one moment
at times I can be overly sweet and optimistic
Then gravely pessimistic the next
and then extremely negative and pessimistic
Irritable as a hornet sometimes
sometimes I'm in a bad mood and easily agitated
Then agreeable as it gets
but there are also times when I'm very easy-going and pleasant
I'm not a pagan
I don't follow any polytheistic or animistic religions
I don't worship anything
I don't give any object or idea undue reverence or devotion
Not gods that don't exist
I don't believe in imaginary or mythological divine beings
Nor the sun which is oblivious
I also don't worship natural phenomena that are indifferent to human existence
I love my ancestors
I have a fondness and respect for my forebears
But not ritually
but I don't perform any religious or symbolic ceremonies for them
I don't blame them or praise them
I neither hold them responsible for anything negative nor elevate them for anything positive
For anything that they passed along to me
regarding any characteristics or traits that I may have inherited from them
I don't need stone altars to help me hedge my bet
I don't require physical symbols or tokens to ensure my safety or prosperity
Against the looming blackness
against the fear and uncertainty of the unknown
It is what it is
accepting reality as it is, without denying or resisting it
Contributed by Hudson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
J Cz
A VERY HUMBLING AND LOVELY MAN, RIP VIC.
Kyle J. Osborne
when and where can i find this full performance?
Dane C.
I gotta get his complete video. Pretty please let me know when where and how.
Allgoodmusic
Vic Chesnutt and Bob Marley is Best Voice! R.I.P
Taper Jeff
Did this film ever get completed?
ComradeCrusty
teasing for 4 years is simply cruel, where is this film?!?
3ombieautopilot
Fuck we'll never get this film out
Marcos de Paula
Any word one this film being completed?