Saturday, January 07, 2006

iowa

Does anybody else ever get obsessed with one song, for no apparent reason, and just end up playing it over and over again? I do, all the time. I've noticed that generally, if I listen to the song a few months later, it does very little for me. Why is that? It seems mysterious to me that you could feel like something is totally strinking a chord with you and then later feel completely ambivalent. I suppose it says something about the nature of personal growth or change or whatever. Anyway, this is my current obsessive song. I particularly like this person's interpretation of the chorus:-) Perhaps it's standard or something, but I don't think it's how I would have done it.

Dar Williams, "Iowa"

I've never had a way with women, but the hills of Iowa make me wish that I could,
And I've never found a way to say I love you, but if the chance came by, oh I, I would,
But way back where I come from, we never mean to bother,
We don't like to make our passions other peoples concern,
And we walk in the world of safe people, and at night we walk into our houses and burn.

Iowa oh ooo oh, Iowa oh ooooh ooo oh I-Iowa

How I long to fall just a little bit, to dance out of the lines and stray from the light,
But I fear that to fall in love with you is to fall from a great and gruesome height.
So I asked a friend about it, on a bad day, her husband had just left her,
She sat down on the chair he left behind, she said,
"What is love, where did it get me? Whoever thought of love is no friend of mine."

Ioway oh ooo oh, Iowa oh ooooh ooo oh I-Iowa

Once I had everything, I gave it up for the shoulder of your driveway and the words I've never felt.
And so for you, I came this far across the tracks, ten miles above the limit, and with no seatbelt, and I'd do it again,
For tonight I went running through the screen doors of discretion,
For I woke up from a nightmare that I could not stand to see,
You were a-wandering out on the hills of Iowa and you were not thinking of me.

Ioway oh ooo oh, Iowa oh ooooh ooo oh I-Iowa
Ioway oh ooo oh, Iowa oh ooooh ooo oh I-Iowa

2 comments:

a said...

I know, isn't it weird? It makes me think of Meredith, because she's the only person I know in Iowa and she was just brimming with Iowa pride. But that's not, I think, why I like the song. I'm glad I'm not th only one, though :-)

Anonymous said...

it reminds me of you actually (the song, not Iowa), especially the driving 10 miles above the limit with no seat belt lyric. that seems like something you would boast about :) you rebel.
anna