Happy 4th of July to all of my fellow American pals here! Let's celebrate with a murder ballad. Via Chicago Credited to Jeff Tweedy alone, 'Via Chicago' is another very dark song on this album. It sounds like I can expect a few of you to have fairly negative comments about this one... As always, my two cents. This is actually another one of my favorites and I love how it is paired with 'How to Fight Loneliness' on the album. I love melancholy music and I think 'Via Chicago' is a fascinating and powerful song. The opening lyric is startling but again, music need not be autobiographical and this one definitely feels like Jeff was influenced by the novelists he was reading at the time and painting a portrait of loneliness that goes further than just loneliness and into murderous intent. The murder ballad is a legitimate form of songwriting dating back centuries. Notably, three of the first songs to top the Billboard Hot 100 back in the 1950s (an era often thought to be 'squeaky clean') were explicitly about murder--Tom Dooley by Kingston Trio, Stagger Lee by Lloyd Price and Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin. 'Via Chicago' is an exceptional murder ballad to my mind, with lyrics that definitely feel like they were written using the cut-up method and just placing words together to form interesting phonetic sounds and unique images. Crumbling ladder tears don't fall They shine down your shoulders And crawling is screw faster lash That doesn't make much literal sense, but it still paints a pretty clear portrait of pain, desperation and violence. The arrangement is another spooky one, featuring more gorgeous piano work from Mr. Bennett, a nice amount of noise to accentuate the messed up headspace of the narrator and another late-night vocal from Jeff. I find this to be a startling, disturbing, powerful song that really showcases Jeff's songwriting. It's a highlight of the album for me.
Via Chicago: Jeff Tweedy From the opening guitar strum this conjures up the sound of Being There, then, “I dreamed about killing you again last night...” and lyrically it’s far from the Wilco 1997 masterpiece. The Kot book says, “it was recorded in two distinct versions in Texas: one a somber reverie swaying in minor-key slow motion; the other a distorted guitar assault.” And then Jay and Jeff wove the two versions together “and let them fade in and out, as if fighting for supremacy in the narrator’s twisted world of dominance and submission.” I like the point Greg Kot makes about a narrator as I do not think at all that this is some autobiographical confession by Jeff Tweedy. Speaking of Jeff, he is fantastic on lead guitar as is Ken Coomer on the drums. I’m certain this would have been on my “okay, I understand this one” list in ‘99. The rawness, the distorted feedback would have been, and still is, right down my alley.
Aside for the glorious “That says I haven't gone too faaar” moment, this is not a particular favorite of mine musically, even if I do acknowledge its importance as a signature song, an aesthetic manifesto and a great live staple (not forgetting it gave its name to the excellent fan website). I adore the dylanized solo take (on Together at Last), but obviously, the Kicking Television version remains the definitive one – sure enough, they still play it in that arrangement to this day. As a studio recording, I see this as a musical (and lyrical ?) follow up to Misunderstood, and more precisely as a crucial link between the two Wilco behemoths that are Misunderstood and I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.
The blanket tefere The blanket reference reminds me of the Lucinda Williams line "Heavy blankets cover lonely girls"
I am going to give this one 5/5. A very beautiful but dark song, lyrics that are a little difficult to identify with. I think that the studio version is relatively anemic though compared to the sensational live version. Parts are complete chaos with extraordinary drumming from Kotche, feedback from Cline and with the strobing light effects it goes completely to another level. This effect apparently meant to mimic the feeling of hearing a train passing overhead in the Loop in Chicago. Then the change from extreme noise to just Jeff strumming and singing the next line. Almost feels like a hurricane has just blown through the room in a few seconds. It works perfectly and makes the song even more memorable. Live version 6/5.
The studio track of "Via Chicago" is OK, well, probably better than a mere OK, but this song, for me, is the live version. Glenn, Nels and Mikal going nuts while Jeff, John and Pat keep in the song against the maelstrom. (Not sure if I mixed up Mikal's and Pat's roles, but I think i have it right.) The first time I saw them do this, at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley around 2007 or so, just "Wow." Jaw-dropping. Glenn was Keith Moon. From that moment, total Wilcoheadom for me. I claim no special relationship with Summerteeth. Acquired it way after its release, despite a work colleague and future Solid Sound buddy telling me I really needed to listen to it.
I’ve started listening to this song not so long ago. It’s still growing on me, today it’s better than yesterday. What strikes me today: At the beginning the lyrics are concrete and understandable. As the songs goes on it’s getting more and more abstract and incomprehensable. This development is perfectly accompanied by the music, with the screaming guitar as a climax. What I liked most is the repetition of the beautiful melody and the peaceful, relaxed cadence which fits nicely with the unmoving way the narrator tells the story. @Parachute Woman It’s great you tell us about the murder ballads. I didn’t know the existence of this genre. This is another highlight of the album for me.
“Via Chicago”- I will echo what many have already stated. The live version takes this song to new heights. I never thought too much of the album version. I liked it, but it wasn’t a highlight. Then I seen them do it live and it blew me away. It was the best song of the night. The chaos starts erupting with the flashing lights and then it just stops on a dime with only a spotlight on Jeff. Wow! It can send shivers down your spine. After seeing that in person and watching all the live clips online, this has become a song I absolutely love. 4.5/5 album version and a super charged 5/5 for the live version.
Via Chicago This may well be a murder ballad .... but I am not totally convinced. A lot of the lyrical imagery seems to speak to something else. To some extent the lyrics have a kind of schizophrenic nature in parts. "I painted my name on the back of a leaf And I watched it float away The hope I had in a notebook full of white, dry pages Was all I tried to save" "I know I'll make it back One of these days and turn on your TV To watch a man with a face like mine Being chased down a busy street When he gets caught, I won't get up And I won't go to sleep" I guess it is one of those songs that has many open interpretations, but the idea in quite a bit of it seems to be about the narrator himself.... It starts off saying it is a dream, not a reality, and then goes on to speak of the visual nature of an imaginary thing. Some of the lines seem to lead me to think this is a killing of some part of the self that needs to be eliminated .... but it is a very open lyric. With all of the lyrics regarding mental illness and such on the album, perhaps the narrator is singing of wanting to kill the hurting lost soul inside, to let the real person come out..... out from under the oppression of the chemical imbalance. Particularly the - "I painted my name on the back of a leaf and watched it float away", seems to be an imagery of trying to let part of oneself float away and stop interfering ..... I really don't know, but the lyric doesn't seem straight forward enough to be merely an imagining of killing someone.... Sorry for the waffle. Thinking aloud really. Anyway I really like this song. The music starts off beautifully with a languid kind of thing going on. Then we slowly get some noise interfering in the background, like dissonant thoughts in a troubled head. The music reflects the schizophrenic nature of the lyrics to me. It almost has the chemical imbalance represented by the wash of out of place musical themes interfering with original theme. The piano is beautiful and seems like it is a rebalancing, but just when the mind gets rebalanced, back comes the feedback throwing the mind into disarray again.... I don't know if that makes any sense, but that is as best I can describe how it sort of feels to me.
True. But last year when they did the thing where fans could pick the setlist the setlist looked a bit like that era. Loved that show yeah. brought me a bit back to the kicking television era.
Via Chicago. Another song that just repeats the same three chords for the whole song, much like Misunderstood, and it goes to the same sonic places as well. This time, though, the song is tightly focused, and the lyric points forward to Jeff’s more abstract approach. As with a few other songs on this album, the drumming is superb and goes far beyond straight rock drumming. The Ken/Glen swap painted Ken as someone who couldn’t play a certain way, but songs like this prove he was no slouch. Of course when the current lineup came together, this song turned into an absolute beast live. The first time I saw Wilco live was on the Ghost tour. The actually see the band descend into chaos and then instantly flip to Jeff’s gentle folk strum is something else.
Well, given I saw a Ghost show that included Impossible Germany, I might be able to concede this point.
Always good with Nels solo. What a band. Though from Wilco The Album it went downhill for me. The Whole Love is the last one i bought. Not even gonna listen to the last 3.
Thread guide Introduction and Uncle Tupelo Mar 1995 AM I Must Be High Casino Queen Box Full Of Letters Shouldn't Be Ashamed Pick Up The Change I Thought I Held You That's Not The Issue It's Just That Simple - live Should've Been In Love - live 1995 Passenger Side - live 1996 Dash 7 - live 2010 Blue Eyed Soul Too Far Apart Outtakes Oct 1996 Being There Misunderstood Far Far Away Monday Outtasite (outta mind) Forget The Flowers Red Eyed and Blue I Got You What's The World Got In Store Hotel Arizona Say You Miss Me Sunken Treasure Someday Soon Outta Mind (Outtasite) Someone Else's Song Kingpin (Was I) In Your Dreams Why Would You Wanna Live The Lonely 1 Dreamer In My Dreams Blasting Fonda (outtake?) Live 1996 - televised version Snow Job 97 June 1998 Mermaid Ave (with Billy Bragg) California Stars Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key Birds And Ships Hoodoo Voodoo She Came Along to Me At My Window Sad And Lonely Ingrid Bergman Christ For President I Guess I Planted One By One Eisler On The Go Hesitating Beauty Another Man's Done Gone The Unwelcome Guest March 1999 Summerteeth I Can't Stand It She's A Jar A Shot In The Arm We're Just Friends I'm Always In Love Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again) Pieholden Suite How To Fight Lonliness Via Chicago
I read She’s a Jar in much the same way. These are impressionistic songs that can be read in many different ways, and likely are by the author himself. If Being There was the story of a musician’s life in the industry, Summerteeth is a dark journey into the mind of someone struggling with addiction and mental illness. Thus, while it’s couched in pop music, it really belongs alongside Yankee and Ghost. And thankfully we’ll see resolution with Sky Blue Sky.
Keep thinking out loud, Mark. With your comments in mind the 'Searching for a home' 'I'm coming home' lines at the end makes a lot more sense. He's finding his real self.
Very insightful Mark I feel this is more a literal lurid dream The opening murder intentions are a dream I don’t think our protagonist is facing his inner demons Or an underlying relationship that has a bitter side - that he really doesn’t feel he would ever act out Actually I think he is just looking for inspiration for a song The lines “Dreamed about killing you Again last night and it felt alright to me”. Is he getting less alarmed by his terrible dreams of a murder, and telling the person/lover he is dreaming harm to, or is he mentioning his dreams are coming together nicely in song? He is detailing the progression of his creative spark “The hope I had in a notebook full of white dry pages Was all I tried to save But the wind blew me back via Chicago In the middle of the night And all without fight At the crush of veils and starlight I know I'll make it back” Jeff is defining not only his lurid dream But also trying to capture its evasiveness in song “A notebook...white pages” Are they scattered to the wind or his ability to capture the moment lost? “Crush of veils and starlight” The imagery hasn’t fully been defined - it’s veiled” and the elusive aspect of capturing that dream lost - “starlight” the magical element illuminating the scene and the creative process. Transposed from a remote rural area (his dream - murder site) To the grim realities of Chicago (his waking up - urban - home) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I never thought about the chaotic playing conveyed being under the Chicago trains -passing by, very insightful. I associated it with the restfulness of sleep as he wakes up in a cold sweat not able to catch the essence of the song from dream state Thanks
One of those instances where for me, after hearing the Kicking Television version this studio version is left in the dust. Interesting track and I like the song, but its kind of like comparing Wings' studio Rock Show on Venus & Mars to the same song on Wings Over America. No comparison!!
Anyone else notice "Via Chicago's" connections to "California Stars"??? Some are weaker than others but there's enough similarities there to mention them: -"Embarcadero* skies" => California Stars (* San Francisco) -"I dreamed about killing you again last night" =>Response to "I'd give my life to lay my head tonight..." -"The hope I had in a notebook full of white, dry pages was all I tried to save" => Woody's lyrics / Mermaid Avenue. -"At the crush of veils and starlight" => veiled reference to "my starbed" -"Rest my head on a pillowy star" => "I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California stars" Unlike "She's a Jar" I actually like the narrative Jeff's depicting here. It feels like he's letting go of his past to forge something new "Via Chicago". I'm never gonna be a fan of the forced provocativeness of many of the songs on summerteeth but I will admit "I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me" is a great opening lyric that really grabs your attention... For what it's worth I'm actually a bigger fan of the studio version of "Via Chicago"; I love how the electric guitar doesn't really kick in until AFTER Jeff says "The "Doorman" says I haven't gone too far"... (Out with the old. In with the new (and beyond)). I'd go so far as to say that this might be some of Jeff's best lyrics to date. It's an autobiography masquerading as a Murder Ballad and reinforces the double meaning of many of the songs on this album.
Guys (and girls), I’m having so much fun with this thread. Thanks for all the great lyrical analysis and eye opening points of view. It’s a daily joy here, really.
Interestingly, there’s a Jeff and Jay set from 7/25/99 where they play “Down in the Willow Garden,” and at the conclusion of the song Jeff says something to the effect of, “That is an actual song about killing women, of which I have never written one.” About 4 songs later they play Via Chicago. That comment from Jeff has stuck with me for years! Was he being sarcastic? Just trying to lighten the mood after playing such a dark song? It was probably just a toss away line that meant nothing, but juxtaposed with the recent release of a song which certainly appears to be about just that? Maybe we should believe him. One of my favorite Wilco songs. Very much looking forward to today’s discussion.
