- "Jesus don't cry, you can rely on me honey." "Tall buildings shake, voices escape singing sad sad songs, tuned to chords, strung down your cheeks, bitter melodies...turning your orbit around." Quite a number of Jeff Tweedy songs explore spiritually; songs like "Hell is Chrome", "Theologians", "The Ruling Class" and "Jesus, Etc." This is the only one that refers to Jesus as honey. Rolling Stone recently ranked "Yankee Hotel Foxtrox" as the 3rd best album of the 2000's decade. It's an album of great moments and "Jesus, Etc." would have to qualify as a highlight. Fans of the album should watch the documentary "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", which provides a great inside view of the band during the making of the album. "Our love is all of God's money, every one is burning sun" is my favorite lyric from this gem.
2. Buck Whylin'- Terminator X (featuring Chuck D and Sister Souljah)
- "We are at war! (come on!), black man, where is your army?" "Ain't nothing changed, stood there with Farrakhan, yes some seconds ticked but still a time bomb, blowing up they hope we shut up, what up?" Norm Rodgers (Terminator X) served as the DJ for the rap group Public Enemy from it's inception in the mid 80s through the mid 2000s. In 1991 he released "Terminator X & The Valley of the Jeep Beats" which featured his production and scratching alongside a series of guest artists. "Buck Whylin'" features none other than P.E. front man Chuck D with an assist from the soon to be controversial Sister Souljah. Like any number of great P.E. songs, "Buck Whylin'" is a musical call to arms. Years later the most notable moment from the song is Chuck D's line "...with an attitude" as it was sampled by N.W.A in the song "Real Niggaz Don't Die" from an album released just 3 weeks after Terminator X's debut.
- "Lady, your kicks of silence soft into your room, kiss me slow and softly, make me dream you you, well everybody wants to go forever, I just wanna burn up hard and bright, I just wanna be your firecreaker, maybe be your baby tonight." I had a friend that used to say "I'm here for a good time, not a long time". "Firecracker" puts that emotion to song fairly well. Chalk this up as another great song from the 2001 album "Gold". With harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, piano and organ, "Firecracker" sounds like it could have come out of a mid 60's Bob Dylan session....and that may have been the intention. I bought "Gold" on a whim after a positive review in Blender magazine. Adams quickly became one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I can remember listening to this song in my car (driving on Route 1 in Media, PA) shortly after meeting a girl and music never sounded so good. It's a great song but I'll have to credit that emotion to the girl.
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