Wooden Wand, a.k.a. singer-songwriter James Jackson Toth, has released material under such collectives as Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice, Wooden Wand & the Sky High Band, and Wooden Wand & the Briarwood Virgins. Toth's style has drawn on a variety of both conventional and experimental folk, country and rock influences, including psych folk, acid folk, free folk, and indie. The heavily Neil Young and Crazy Horse-influenced "Briarwood," released in November 2011, is perhaps Toth's most lyrically accessible record to date.
"Briarwood" finds the New York native mining the remarkably fertile music scene in Birmingham, Alabama, including two members of early oughts indie darlings Verbena--Les Nuby, also the producer of "Briarwood," and Duquette Johnston--members of Plate Six, Through the Sparks, and Delicate Cutters. Recent Wooden Wand tours have featured a stripped-down version of the full band, including Janet Simpson-Templin, who has also recorded with Jeffrey Lewis. A second record from the Birmingham crew, "Blood Oaths for the New Blues," which Toth has described as "a Sunday morning wake-and-bake" to the Saturday night revelry of "Briarwood,"was released to critical acclaim in January of 2013.
A native New Yorker, James Jackson Toth's roots extend to Purchase College in the early 2000s, when the Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice (now members of Woods and Jex Thoth) collaboration gained attention under the genre of New Weird America, exemplified by a growing group of artists reviving and adapting the legacy of 1960s and '70s folk music. Today, critics often locate Toth's forbears within the great tradition of American songwriting, often citing Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonard Cohen.
Toth has been on such labels as Kill Rock Stars, Ecstatic Peace!, Rykodisc, Young God, and Fire. He is often considered a songwriter's songwriter; his songs have been performed or recorded by Langhorne Slim, Woods, Kerry Kennedy/Ghostwise, Owen Tromens, Akron/Family, Cloudland Canyon, Chuck Mead (BR549), Donovan Quinn, Jeff Lewis, Little Gold, and Kelly Kneiser of Glossary.
BLOOD
Wooden Wand Lyrics
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Little Paul, little Muriel
Little gnome, little Toad of (?)
Little nose, little smilin' mouth
I'm goin down
I'm goin down
They want your guardians to bow
They want your blood, and they want it now
It'll go like it always goes
Wind'll blow like it always blows
It'll snow as it often snows
Grass'll grow as it needs to grow
It'll all go down
It'll all go down
I know what hidin's all about
And what your parents disallowed
They want your blood, and they want it now
The lyrics to the Wooden Wand song “Blood” appear to be describing a scene of ordinary life, with the songwriter noticing various people and things around him or her. However, the song takes on a more ominous tone with the lyrics “I’m going down” and “They want your blood, and they want it now”. It seems that the songwriter is commenting on the power dynamics of society, where the “guardians” (likely a reference to those in positions of authority) demand loyalty and obedience from the people they are supposed to protect. The reference to a “sermon on the mound” could be a nod to the biblical Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus famously taught about love and forgiveness. However, in this song it seems that the sermon is being used to justify violence and bloodshed instead.
The repetition of lines like “It’ll all go down” and “It’ll go like it always goes” gives the impression of inevitability, as if the events described in the song are the natural order of things. While the specific circumstances of the song might not be clear, it seems to be a commentary on the way that those in power often demand sacrifices from those beneath them, even when it goes against their interests. The final lines, “I know what hiding’s all about / And what your parents disallowed” suggest that there are secrets and hidden realities beyond the surface of everyday life that the songwriter is aware of.
Line by Line Meaning
Little snow, little barrio
Refers to small things or places, nothing significant or grand.
Little Paul, little Muriel
Refers to insignificant people, or people that nobody knows.
Little gnome, little Toad of (?)
Refers to mythical or imaginary creatures, nothing dangerous or threatening.
Little nose, little smilin' mouth
Refers to the physical attributes of somebody (nose and smile), again nothing significant or threatening.
I'm goin down
The artist is in a state of decline, losing power, failing.
I heard the sermon on the mound
The singer is familiar with religious teachings and the expectations they put upon people.
They want your guardians to bow
Those in power want to subjugate those around them.
They want your blood, and they want it now
The powerful are using their influence to take from the weaker, in this case, taking blood from the people they have subjugated.
It'll go like it always goes
Things will continue as they always have, there is no change or hope for change.
Wind'll blow like it always blows
The artist is powerless to stop natural forces (like wind).
It'll snow as it often snows
Just like wind, snow is a natural force, and it will happen regardless of what humans do.
Grass'll grow as it needs to grow
Nature will continue in its natural state; the grass grows where and when it needs to.
It'll all go down
The singer envisions a future where everything collapses or falls apart.
I know what hidin's all about
The singer is experienced at hiding, either metaphorically or literally evading those who seek to harm them.
And what your parents disallowed
The singer has transgressed against societal norms, and they know what consequences come with those actions.
They want your blood, and they want it now
Reiterating the power imbalance and the strong preying on the weak, in this case, taking of blood.
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.