01 July 2007

In the Golden State


To briefly explain my profile song back at the ranch, I love John Doe. Not the crap TV show with Dominic Purcell, but the singer / songwriter.

Back in the 80s, he was with the band X -- a pseudo punk / folk outfit whose lead singer was married to Viggo Mortensen -- but since then he's been all over the board, character-acting in random films here and there (trust me, you'll recognize him) and reinventing his sound over and over.

His latest incarnation is a neo-Western poet, still in love with the Old West and its promises and mysteries, but with a sound that strangely resembles Joni Mitchell and a younger Bob Dylan. It's intoxicating. NPR recently did a story on John Doe, which you can listen to here. And for your further listening pleasure, here's an acoustic version of "Golden State," which I prefer to the studio version on my page:



I love the simple, soaring harmonies and the equally simple but moving lyrics:

You are the hole in my head
I am the pain in your neck
You are the lump in my throat
I am the aching in your heart
We are tangled, we are stolen
We are living with things that are hidden

You are something in my eye
And I am the shiver down your spine
And you are the lick of my lips
I am on the tip of your tongue
We are tangled, we are stolen
We are buried up to our necks in sand

We are luck, we are fate
We are the feeling you get in the Golden State
We are love, we are hate
We are the feeling I get when you walk away
Walk away

You are the dream in my nightmare
I am that falling sensation
You are my needles and pins
I am your hangover morning
We are tangled, we are stolen
We are living with things that are hidden

We are luck, we are fate
We are the feeling you get in the Golden State
We are love, we are hate
We are the feeling I get when you walk away
Walk away, walk away

You are the hole in my head
You are the pain in my neck
You are the lump in my throat
I am the aching in your heart

Good stuff.

3 comments:

Guillermo Mota said...

John Doe with Dominic Purcell is one of the greatest shows ever. It's up there with Quantum Leap. Thank God for the Sci-Fi channel, John Doe marathons and Scott Bakula.

John Nelson said...

I bought that CD a couple of months ago, that song is still stuck in my head, Great stuff.

Unknown said...

I heard this song a few months ago, but then again this Morning on WFUV (NY) and this time had to search it out -
Thanks for the details/lyrics and the great acoustic version - I agree, its even better this way.
Will be back to visit soon....