Site editor’s note: Here is an essay on the top 5 lyrics of Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon. Please feel free to send us an essay on your favorite lyricist- Send to jambands@jambands.com
Fallon at Bonnaroo 2010 – photo by Kevin Yatarola
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One could spend days on end dissecting the lyrics of Brian Fallon (of Jersey’s Gaslight Anthem). From his youthful angst to his gut wrenching honesty, he has mastered the art of storytelling, conjuring up memories of the likes of Dylan, Springsteen, and Waits. For starters, here are 5 of my personal favorites. For good measure I’ve included all the lyrics to each of the songs, they were just too good to leave out.
1. “Great Expectations” ( Great Expectations of course is a book by Charles Dickens and Estella is a character in the book)
Mary, this station is playing every sad song.
I remember like we were alive.
I heard and sung them all from inside of these walls.
In a prison cell, where we spent those nights.
And they burnt up the diner where I always used to find her.
Licking young boys blood from her claws.
And I learned about the blues from this kitten I knew.
Her hair was raven and her heart was like a tomb.
My heart’s like a wound.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my first wife.
Everybody leaves and I’d expect as much from you.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my old life.
Everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn’t you?
Mary, I worried and stalled every night of my life.
Better safe than making the party.
And I never had a good time, I sat my bedside, with papers and poetry about Estella.
With great expectations, we had the greatest expectations.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my first wife.
Everybody leaves and I’d expect as much from you.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my old life.
Everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn’t you?
It’s funny how the night moves.
Humming a song from 1962.
We were always waiting…always waiting.
We were always waiting for something to happen.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my first wife.
Everybody leaves and I’d expect as much from you.
I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my old life
Everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn’t you?
__________________
The Bob Seger/Night Moves reference is classic Fallon. “We were always waiting for something to happen” is a theme Fallon simgs about frequently, perhaps a nod to Bruce’s “Badlands”. “I saw tail light last night in a dream about my first wife…” is such perfect imagery/symbolism, I can’t believe Dylan didn’t use it first.
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2. “Here’s Looking at You, Kid” (The classic line from Casablanca is perfect for this title)
You can tell Gayle, if she calls, that I’m famous now for all of these rock and roll songs.
And even if that’s a lie, she should’ve given me a try.
When were kids on the field of the first day of school.
I would’ve been her fool.
And I would’ve sang out her name in those old high school halls.
You tell that to Gayle, if she calls.
And you can tell Jane, if she writes, that I’m drunk off all these stars and all these crazy hollywood nights.
That’s total deceit, but she should’ve married me.
And tell her I spent every night of my youth on the floor, bleeding out from all these wounds.
I would’ve gotten her a ride out of that town she despised.
You tell that to Janey, if she writes.
But boys will be boys and girls have those eyes that will cut you to ribbons sometimes.
And all you can do is just wait by the moon and bleed if it’s what she says you oughta do.
You remind Anna, if she asks why, that a thief stole my heart while she was making up her mind.
I heard she lives in Brooklyn with the cool, goes crazy over that New York scene on 7th Avenue.
But I used to wait at the diner, a million nights without her, praying she won’t cancel again tonight.
And the waiter served my coffee with a consolation sigh.
You remind Anna, if she asks why, tell her it’s alright.
You know it’s hard to tell you this.
Oh it’s hard to tell you this.
Here’s looking at you, Kid.
I think everyone that’s ever made it big, probably wants to tell all the girls that passed on them, that they missed the boat. I doubt anyone could put it quite like this tho, “You can tell Gayle, if she calls, that I’m famous now for all of these rock and roll songs.
And even if that’s a lie, she should’ve given me a try” Fallon is saying a final goodbye (and perhaps a FU) to the girls in his past, but very tongue in cheek, “And even if that’s a lie”, and “That’s total deceit” show Fallon doesn’t quite take himself that seriously. Also in the last verse the roll is flipped on him, and it’s his ex, Anna, not him, who “lives in Brooklyn with the cool” We all lie, boys with boys.
3. “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” (This song refernces the Tom Robbins novel from 1976, a book associated with the hippie counterculture)
I haven’t seen Sandy, Angry Johnny, or Mary
I heard they got married
Might ‘ah had a couple babies
And traded their memories
For fairview and acres
And never play no pinball
Or get out past the breakers
But not me, pretty baby,
I still love Tom Petty songs
And driving old men crazy
And all while little Eden is waiting
So you sing me slow songs
And I’ll drive you crazy
Tonight
Yeah
But all I want is you to be alright and satisfied
Brothers and sisters know that anytime or late at night
If you call I will answer, I’m open ears though tired eyes
The world closed it’s arms on us now
Can I get a witness pretty baby!
I still love Tom Petty songs
And all while little Eden is waiting
So you sing me slow songs
And I’ll drive you crazy
Tonight
Alright, alright
Alright, alright
All night, all night!
There’s a party tonight, say it’s alright
Tell your poppa you’ll be home when the good feeling dies
But not me, pretty baby
I still love Tom Petty songs
And driving old men crazy
And all while little Eden is waiting
So you sing me a slow song darlin’
I’ll drive you crazy
Tonight
Alright, alright
Alright, alright
Sing it! Hey!
All night, tonight
And I’ll drive you crazy
Tonight
__________________
From start to finish, this song is Brian Fallon gold. My take is that Sandy, Johny, and Mary are references to the characters in Bruce’s famous songs/stories. They’ve all grown up, gave up on the good times, for a settled down life. But not Fallon, he still “love(s) Tom Petty songs and driving old men crazy”. So cool.
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4. “ Miles Davis & the Cool” (Fallon often refers to Miles and “the Cool”)
Like Miles Davis, I’ve been swayed by the cool.
There’s just something about the summertime.
There’s just something about the moon.
So I’ll lay a kiss on this stone, toss it upside your window, by the roof.
Before you change your mind, Miles, bring in the cool.
Now honey, put on your red dress.
And you diamond soul shoes.
Climb on down from that window.
Climb on out of your room.
Cause I’ve never had a good thing and I’ve always had the blues.
I always heard that you always kind of wandered, Miles, strike up the Cool.
Don’t wait too long to come home.
My have the years of our youth passed on.
Don’t wait too long to come home.
I’ll leave the front light on.
The night is our own, come home.
Poor mister pitiful, I can’t turn you loose.
You move like a dream I had, woke up sweating in my room.
Your Mama’s got plans, your daddy’s aim is true.
She never understood that it ain’t no good.
Papa never heard the cool.
So now I got out my map and found me a storm.
With a flick of the wrist and the turn of the key.
You’ll just fall in my arms.
Don’t wait too long to come home.
My have the years of our youth passed on.
Don’t wait too long to come home.
I’ll leave the front light on.
The night is our own.
You don’t wait too long.
So why don’t you sing to me on this long drive home?
Let the sound of your voice sway sweet and slow.
As we go down, down, down.
From our youth to the ground.
We might always be blue.
Jackson!
So don’t wait too long to come home.
My have the years of our youth passed on.
Don’t wait too long to come home.
I will leave the front light.
[2x]
As we go down, down, down.
From our youth to the ground.
Down, down, down, down, down.
Fallon uses the term “the cool” like no one else before, to him it’s one of the nouns that just describes itself. If “Your Mama’s got plans, your daddy’s aim is true. She never understood that it ain’t no good. Papa never heard the cool.” doesn’t bring up the same emotions of THE verse in Rosallita, or if you don’t know the verse I’m talking about in Rosalitta, head straight over to ITunes and pick it up, you’re welcome.
5. “The Boxer” (Fallon often refers to himself in Boxing terms)
Got your pride and your prose
Tucked just like a Tommy gun
Somewhere in the smoke, Just in case you need it
I know you got your pride and your prose
Tucked just like a Tommy gun
Somewhere in the smoke, Just in case you needed some
I heard it’s been a ride
Rougher than the last one
But once you used to say
Oh, the harder they come
But he just swears he’s praying for a good time
And he, he said he just doesn’t miss her
I have heard you never really lose it
Do you, do you
You took it all gracefully on the chin
Knowing that the beatings had to someday end
You found the bandages inside the pen
And the stitches on the radio
There was something heavy holding you down
And there were whispers that were driving you crazy
And now you haunt the heart of this town
But I remember when I knew a boxer, baby
And your tattooed knuckles
Oh, how they grind down
Try to be a man
Tough just like your father
Try to settle down
More like calm down
Remember them songs
And the reasons we were singing for
But he said he just doesn’t miss her
He, he said it’s somewhere in his framework
And I have heard you never really lose it
Do you, do you
You took it all gracefully on the chin
Knowing that the beatings had to someday end
You found the bandages inside the pen
And the stitches on the radio
There was something heavy holding you down
And there were reasons that were driving you crazy
And now you haunt the heart of this town
But I remember when I knew a boxer, baby
And you can wait all night long
Until it all goes wrong
And you waste away your soul
And you can wait, wait, wait, wait
You took it all gracefully on the chin
Knowing that the beatings had to someday end
You found the bandages inside the pen
And the stitches on the radio
There was something heavy holding you down
And there were whispers that were driving you crazy
And now you haunt the heart of this town
Remember when I knew a boxer, baby
Remember when I knew a boxer, baby
__________________
No line better describes what Fallon has been doing w/ his first 3 albums better then, “You took it all gracefully on the chin, Knowing that the beatings had to someday end, You found the bandages inside the pen, And the stitches on the radio” He puts himself out there emotionally, often taking a “beating”, but thru his music and the music of his idols, he gets by with the upmost class.
Ryan Burke has lived in Central Jersey (East Brunswick and New Brunswick) for all of his 27 years. He graduated from Rutgers College in 2005 and recently became engaged.
