Sometimes the lyrics are so clever and this is a song chalked full of them! I truly enjoy the song Having a Record Year by Eric Church's voice and the imagery I get from this song. Join me, let's explore my memories with a beat!
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**Full Transcript
Tiffany Hello Podcast land. Thank you for joining me for another episode. I know last week's was really long so if you did listen to the full episode, I really appreciate it. I just felt like Sarah had so many awesome things to contribute and explain and so I kept it all.
Today I'm gonna go over Eric Church’s song, from 2015 called Having a Record Year. And I don't know about you guys, but I am not having a record year. 2020 has been crazy. It has been full of challenges and triumphs and word of the year is probably pivot. I'm going to read the first set of lyrics and just kind of break it down, how I see it.
So it says since you turn the tables on me. I've been steady and learning lonely, keeping this turntable spinning, everything from Jones to Jennings. I just love that he references “the greats.” And that was kind of what I liked about the My Church song, is that she referenced some of “the greats” as well. You know, we all have great memories or you know certain songs from “the greats” spark certain memories. So I just love those references. He says, slowly planning my survival in a three-foot stack of vinyl and think about that. That's a yard. So a three-foot stack of vinyl. This guy's got a lot of music to listen to. And I'm sure he's got a lot of heartbreak to get over.
I know when I would have a heartache, I would pick a song and I would listen to it over and over and over again. My grandfather had made a bunk bed for me. And I remember sitting in that bunk listening to Jewel, two certain songs by her, You Were Meant for Me and Foolish Games. And when I broke up with my boyfriend, I just remember sitting up there, listen to those songs over and over again, just crying my heart out sometimes singing my heart out. And also listening to Fergie Big Girls Don't Cry. I love that song and I love her vibrato. And I just love her.
Anyway and then he says, I've been having a record year, and I'm sure he means that quite sarcastically. But also, realistically, as he really has this three foot stack of records in front of… And so he's having a record year as he's listening to all of them. And I'm sure all of the memories that come with all of those records. You know, maybe him and his wife or his girl danced to that song or maybe they fell in love to that song or you know maybe it was after a really awesome night out on the town. And that was just a highlight song for the evening. I just think about, you know, all those memories that must be flooding him and probably bumming him out too.
Next, he says I bet you thought before you left, I just sit in silence by myself and turn this house into a jail. And that's really what we do, isn't it? We get hurt by somebody, and we just kind of close off and we stay in our bed or set up permanent camp on the couch, just Netflix till our heart feels better. You know, wherever that safe space is for us we just kind of stay there and wallow in our feelings until we feel like we can face people, society again.
Okay dying slowly and a living hell. But loves got a funny way of keeping score. You're leaving lit up my scoreboard. I usually make it through side A sober. And it took me a long time to get those words “side A sober.” I had to look them up, but it really reminded me of when we used to go to my grandparent's house for the holidays. They had the Chipmunks 45 of Christmas Don't be Late. And we would always listen to that. But I remembered, Oh yeah, there was a side one and side two when it got to a certain point you had to flip that record over. So that was kind of a fun memory that came from listening to this song.
And then he says, having a record year again, all bets are off when I slipper over, one bourbon one scotch one beer. And I got to do it
[Singing]”a one bourbon, one scotch, a one beer.”
I'm not always in tune but I do love music. And again, it's just that reference. He flips it over. And now it's time to drink. You know he's in his feelings and he's gonna have a drink. But I also bet that that song, One Bourbon, One Scotch, One beer, by George Thorogood was on side two. I mean or on side, you know side B. How cool would that be if that was a reference to where that song actually was on the record? I don't have the record so I can't tell you. If you guys have the record, Hey, shoot me a DM all my social handles are in the show notes. So feel free to reach out to me and, and let me know if that song really is on the B side of that record.
And then he says he's having a record year. And that was probably one of the records that he was listening to. So he's having a record year sarcastically. He’s having a record year with all the records, and now he's having a record year with that record too.
Then the next verse says, quarter notes and Hanks halftime. And again, I would love to know if Hank's music was normally in halftime. That would make sense. And I again, just love how the lyrics fit in the rhyming sense but the lyrics fit as far as a record and music that Hank had. You'll have to let me know… are pounded in this heart of mine. Song to song I pass the time with the speakers on 10. And I love that because when I'm upset. And when I'm really happy. My music goes loud. And I am singing out those lyrics, at the top of my lungs.
Next To You says you're good and gone keeps me up all night, along with the Songs in The Key of Life. So I had to look that up. That's actually Stevie Wonder, and I was surprised because the songs are very upbeat. So I wouldn't expect that in the song about you know his girls left him and he's bummed out. But, I suppose if you have a three-foot stack of records they can't be all where they bum you out, right? Some of them have to be upbeat. And then also, you know, maybe he's trying to cheer himself up. Maybe he puts a couple of happy songs on after One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. Probably not just one of each. But he's partying at home, you know all alone and he's got the records poor ol boys having kind of a little bit of a pity party, but rightfully so. She's left him, she's out there doing God knows what as he says in his lyrics. You're out there now doing God knows how, and I'm stuck here, having a record year he's kind of feeling sad for himself. He's got another reference to his crappy year. You know being a little bit sarcastic. I'm stuck here having a record year.
Okay, and this is probably my favorite, favorite verse of this song. You're leaving left me going crazy. I'm counting on a needle to save me. I drop it in the groove, and we go round and round and down in a spiral. When I first listened to this I was like oh my gosh this guy's doing drugs. But that's not the case, he's listening to songs on records. And he's, he's counting on that music to save them. So when I did that Marren Morris review of My Church, it's that religious experience that you have when you're listening to music and it just kind of makes everything else melt away. And you can navigate through whatever issues are kind of bumming you out at the time. And I would say, I've never counted on a needle to save me. Probably cuz I don't have a record player. I missed my calling as a comedian. Wouldn't you say? No, I mean, I've definitely like counted on music to get me through something. Because music does that it just heals our souls and makes us feel better, or makes us forget about the crud for a little while. Yeah, so he's talking about the needle on the record player he drops it in a groove. And how cool because records actually have grooves and it goes round and round, just like a record. But I think he's referencing how their relationship probably went round around in a downward spiral. And then obviously she ended up leaving.
He says I guess I really ought to call and thank you, I discovered Redheaded Stranger got down with old James Brown and found New Grass Revival. If you find your way back, I owe you a beer, for my record year. He's going through all these records and he ends up finding, you know, maybe a style of music that he likes or an artist that he likes. I'm embarrassed to say it, but I didn't know Redheaded Stranger, it’s Willie Nelson's album. So that was kind of fun I love doing some of these song reviews because I do get to learn about music in general, and other artists so that was really kind of cool.
And then he says, you know that he's having a record year again. And I just think it's kind of funny or applicable to texting, right? We have to be careful how we shoot that text to somebody because you never know how the other person is receiving it. He could mean he's having a record year like he's having the best year of his life. He could mean he's having a record year like he's listening to all the records in that three-foot stack of vinyl. Or he could mean, oh yeah, I'm really having a record year, like most of us in 2020. And again, I would just kind of like to know what you guys thought when you first heard it. Did you think he was having an awesome year? Did you think he was having a crappy year? You know we listen to those songs, the first time, and we think we know what the song is about until you hear for the fifth or sixth time and you go oh wait a minute, this guy's not having a very good year. So just kind of curious how you heard it the first time.
Thank you so much for joining me and I just really, this is one of those songs that has always kind of stuck with me. I love that I get this vibe, you know like that cowboy with his hat down. He's got a toothpick coming out of the side of his mouth, his old lady just left him, thinking about having a drink or, you know what, what the hell I'm gonna put a record on. So he puts a record on, he kind of gets into the groove of it. He stumbles over the counter to make another drink. He's flipping it over, or decide B or I guess he's already been on side B, going through those memories and thinking man, “Son of a gun. She's gone.” You know, light filtering through, dust being exposed for the light that's filtering through just a really cool. You know, sad ol boy and his low ball of whiskey and memories.
I hope you guys can kind of envision it the same way, and look forward to talking to you guys again next week. Thanks so much for joining me!
