WILCO question

[ycartrob]

OK, enough already. Can someone please tell me what this line means?

I am an American aquarium drinker

first one to answer wins nothing but the satisfaction of knowing you changed my life.

[tomEisenbraun]

maybe a reference to how drunk he is at that moment in time? "I just drank a whole aquarium"?

towards the end of the song he makes reference to "you were so right when you said I been drinkin" -- I wouldn't think that'd be too far out of a guess as to what that means?

[laylow82]

Yeah i always  thought it was a silly metaphor on how he drinks hardcore.  

[primushead]

More than that, I've always been perplexed by

I assassin down the avenue

I mean, come on!  Assassin isn't even a verb!  Get your grammar right, Tweedy.

[Killgies]

Reminds me of going to some local clubs/bars in this area that sell you mixed drinks in Fish bowels. Never really understood though.

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

YHF seems to be the most cryptic of their albums. Although I do love it Wilco some of those lyrics do seem to be words for the sake of words.

If you ever get the chance to see a Wilco show, do it.

[Foxtrot76]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Tweedy wanted to invoke the feeling of someone being drunk. That's why a lot of the lyrics in that song make so sense (i.e: drunk rambling).

'take off your band-aid cuz I don't believe in touchdowns'?? what the hell is that?

even the music in the song has a sloppy drunkfeel to it. the clanging of percussion, the stop/start of the bass, etc.

I love this song.  :D

[whyteand82nd]

If you ever get the chance to see a Wilco show, do it.

Does watching them on PBS count?
psssh What am i saying...ofcourse not

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

If you ever get the chance to see a Wilco show, do it.

Does watching them on PBS count?
psssh What am i saying...ofcourse not

Haha nope, but they were good on ACL

[j_rud]

Could be a metaphor for American wastefulness. Look at an aquarium, its a lush environment: fish, coral, plant life, etc. All of these things make up a tiny ecosystem but all depend on the water, which is a resource they all share. When I hear this I think of the stereotypical greedy American just sucking up all the water for himself without regard for the other organisms that require it and, up until now, shared it in harmony.

As for "assassin down the avenue"...if he's doing anything "down the avenue" he's obviously moving, right? And what do you think of when you think of an assassin? Smooth, swift, fleet of foot, flowing through a crowd almost unnoticed. Gentle enough to not rouse attention but with bad intentions in his movements.

Work for it, its there.

[The Big Come Up]

I always thought the song was about drinking too much and being aware that in doing so you are alienating those closest to you. The lyrics at the beginning of the song, including the "aquarium" line, seem to suggest that the speaker has been drinking and is incoherent, but every 4th line or so seems to suggest that the speaker knows exactly what he is doing, severely hurting his most important relationship, hence, "I am Trying to Break Your Heart".

[whyteand82nd]

Wheres a good place to start wilco-wise?

[Crispy]

Wheres a good place to start wilco-wise?

I say start at the beginning:

[AMightyCaporal]

Wheres a good place to start wilco-wise?

i started with A Ghost is Born, but it toook me years later to realize how unebelievable wilco actually is

[ycartrob]

Wheres a good place to start wilco-wise?

Being There is the best place to start, then proceed in chronological order and try to keep up with who leaves the band and when (and why)

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

Just thought I'd like to brag... j_rud and I will be seeing Wilco from the 2nd row in this lovely room that seats 1200 people.

[AMightyCaporal]

Just thought I'd like to brag... j_rud and I will be seeing Wilco from the 2nd row in this lovely room that seats 1200 people.

thats awesome! i saw them in the first mezzanine row in Hammerstein, not nearly as good as your seats, tell j.rud to watch his back, otherwise i'll be sitting next to you in row 2

[j_rud]

Just thought I'd like to brag... j_rud and I will be seeing Wilco from the 2nd row in this lovely room that seats 1200 people.

thats awesome! i saw them in the first mezzanine row in Hammerstein, not nearly as good as your seats, tell j.rud to watch his back, otherwise i'll be sitting next to you in row 2

You'll have to pry my ticket from my cold, dead fingers ;D


Dan, that picture is amazing. I dont think it really sunk in until now...damn!

[AMightyCaporal]

Just thought I'd like to brag... j_rud and I will be seeing Wilco from the 2nd row in this lovely room that seats 1200 people.

thats awesome! i saw them in the first mezzanine row in Hammerstein, not nearly as good as your seats, tell j.rud to watch his back, otherwise i'll be sitting next to you in row 2

You'll have to pry my ticket from my cold, dead fingers ;D


Dan, that picture is amazing. I dont think it really sunk in until now...damn!

;D.... >:( just watch yourself!

[sweatboard]

I think it means.....

I'm not filling my lungs properly.  I'm breathing solid, and moving, but I failed to notice that I was actually gasping for air.