Faraway You - Marah

Faraway You - Marah

3:31

Kids In Philly, 2000

Written by Dave Bielanko, Serge Bielanko

After a few foghorn-like notes (from a bagpipe?), the song explodes with harmonica, organ, piano, xylophone, banjo, and other percussion. Singer Dave Bielanko's ragged voice comes in, as he relates a tale of riding a bus, watching the filthy city go by ("I seen a rain-soaked mattress / 'Neath the apartment house of death / Strewn in a vacant mess / All watered-down and wet"), when he spies someone he loves kissing another person.  He goes white as he realized how far away she is.  As arena-sized "Ohhh" backing vocals come in, the song clatters along like Steve Earle with the Pogues, or a whole band of Bruce Springsteens.  This band is new to me; how could I have missed them all this time? 

A Friend Like Me - The Interrupters

A Friend Like Me - The Interrupters

2:52

The Interrupters, 2014

Written by Aimee Allen, Jesse Bivona, Justin Bivona, Kevin Bivona and Tim Armstrong

Very much a Tim Armstrong-influenced *cough* song, this has themes of loyalty, ground well-trammeled by Rancid.  "And if you ever need a savior / I mean now not later / I tell you I am the one."  With a sing-along chorus, a bouncing ska beat, and swirling guitars, it's the female-fronted Rancid that we all have to accept since the real thing has gone dormant.

Feel You Around Me - NRBQ

Feel You Around Me - NRBQ

3:31

Tiddlywinks, 1980

Written by NRBQ

This song, which starts off its album, has a playful, simple melody that evokes children's music; it almost sounds like it's being played on toy instruments, with chimes and bells accentuating the soft vocals.  Lyrically, it's a love song in which the narrators proclaims his need for a loved one: "Everybody does something in life / I do what I'm required to do / And I can take most anything / But I couldn't last a day without you."  All his friends mock him for this apparent change in im; perhaps they find his uxorious slant to be weak-willed and drippy.  But he doesn't care; his life has been turned upside down.  It's charming and warmly relatable.

Fine To Me - Pokey LaFarge

Fine To Me - Pokey LaFarge

3:58

In the Blossom Of Their Shade, 2021

Written by Pokey LaFarge

LaFarge is an interesting character.  His musical style is blend of, and influenced by, neo-swing, Americana, swing, jazz, ragtime, and Appalachian folk — that "old, weird America," as Greil Marcus put it.  Over boogie-woogie piano, walking bass, and handclaps percussion, LaFarge talk-sings in a nasal croon about someone in his life who is "the rock I cling to when there's a riptide in the sea," and "just like superglue."  It's a slinky, rocking, strut of a song that makes you want to get up and dance.  It feels fresh and new but with a familiar, old-timey feel.

Fast As You - Dwight Yoakam

Fast As You - Dwight Yoakam

4:48

This Time, 1993

Written by Dwight Yoakam

I've always really liked Yoakam's rock sensibility, and on this track he definitely rocks, throwing in recognizable rockabilly and Elvis-era guitar licks. I often think of Yoakam's material as rock with a country voice.  The song is from the point of view of someone who has been the vulnerable and uncertain one in the relationship, and now warns that he in turn might become the one who leaves people hurt and heartbroken.  "You'll control me, oh, so boldly / Rule me till I'm free / The pain that shakes me finally makes me / Get up off of my knees."  It's a muscular blend of roots-rock and country, and a fiery declaration of defiant pride.

All I Can Do - Dolly Parton

All I Can Do - Dolly Parton

2:27

All I Can Do, 1976
Written by Dolly Parton

I close out my lengthy tribute to Dolly Parton, one of the greatest entertainers and all-around human beings, with this rollicking title cut from 1976.  In the song, the narrator discovers that she's "caught feelings," as the kids say nowadays, for someone in her life: "I wasn't looking for love when I found you / Just someone to be with and have a good time."  Should she tell her love how she feels, and take the chance on rejection?  As William Blake put it, "Never seek to tell thy love / Love that never told can be."  With handclaps, mouth organ, and sing-along  choruses, the song builds a rousing, gospel-flavored vibe that belies the uncertainty of the narrator. 

The Bargain Store - Dolly Parton

The Bargain Store - Dolly Parton

2:44
The Bargain Store, 1975

Written by Dolly Parton

The narrator of this song compares herself to used merchandise in a discount store, her past making up the old detritus and second-hand goods found in such markets.  She invites a prospective lover to offer her a new love she can trade her broken heart for, much the same way one might bargain for older goods: "Take these old used memories from the past / And these broken dreams and plans that didn't last / I'll trade them for a future, I can't use them anymore / I've wasted love but I still have some more."  Hilariously, the song was dropped from a number of some radio stations when programmers decided the line "You can easily afford the price" referred to prostitution!  Dolly sings it in a breezy style that belies the melancholy lyric.

Joshua - Dolly Parton

Joshua - Dolly Parton

3:06

Joshua, 1971

Written by Dolly Parton

This story song It's a sort of talking country, with the same quick train-track beat as "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "A Boy Named Sue."  It begins in a town where a vicious man with a mean black dog lives, with a bad reputation.  The narrator one day decides to visit him, curious to see if the rumors are true despite having no evidence to the contrary: "But I didn't think nobody could be that mean / So I took me out walking down the railroad track."  Of course he's a big bushy man with a deep voice, but not mean, and they fall in love and live happily ever after.  

Applejack - Dolly Parton

Applejack - Dolly Parton

3:25

New Harvest...First Gathering, 1977

Written by Dolly Parton

This down-home country song, accentuated by mouth harp and some authentic hillbilly gibberish as sound effects at the bridge, is about an old banjo-picker who lived in an apple orchard.  "Now old AppleJack was loved by everyone he ever knew / AppleJack picked apples but he picked the banjo too."  Fun fact: Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, the Willis Brothers, and Kitty Wells all sing back vocals on this rousing track.

Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That - Dolly Parton

Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That - Dolly Parton

2:32

White Limozeen, 1989

Written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas

Like a reverse "Jolene," this is a Parton song about a man who looks so good ("like a cowgirl's dream") he can take any lady, but it's Dolly who used to have his heart.  As with so many of songs of this ilk, the man in question's loyalty is a bit of an issue: "He's got a wandering eye and a traveling mind / Big ideas and a little behind."  This is a fun, punchy country song with plenty of verve and energy.  I love the vivid line "Why'd you come in here looking like that? / When you could stop traffic in a gunny sack / Why, you're almost giving me a heart attack."  Fun fact: master instrumentalists Béla Fleck, Jo-El Sonnier, and Ricky Skaggs all play on this track.