There's just something about "Jesus, Etc." from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) that recalls Lennon-McCartney at the peak of their powers. I think it's the melody: it's so indelible, and the chord changes are so natural, that it feels like it always existed.
Wilco founder/frontman Jeff Tweedy has a knack for crafting melodies that fit like old shoes. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.
Speaking of affection, "Jesus, Etc." is a song about love, relationships, and priorities. I've always interpreted the lyrics as a postmortem to a heated argument (which seems to be a common theme in Tweedy's songs). He's trying to apologize, admitting that he was wrong, she was right. And as much as he wants to be present in the moment, promising her that he'll be reliable and (emotionally) available, he can't help but think about the next gig and that perpetual last cigarette before hitting the road again. Ultimately, he arrives at the realization that—disposing of well-intentioned promises and career demands—their love is all that really matters.
While I'm always fond of Wilco's instrumental interplay (they are still one of the tightest bands out there, 20 years on), this track is particularly well executed. Glenn Kotche's heartbeat tom-toms thump in tandem with John Stirratt's steadfast bass. Wisps of understated Wurlitzer piano, acoustic guitar, and pedal steel drift in. But it's the strings that always floor me: they're evocative but not sentimental, classical yet folky. It's also a nice touch how, from verse to verse, the strings shift from legato to tremolo to pizzicato. Actually, Tweedy discussed this with The Nation in 2002:
The track's working title was "Jesus, Don't Cry," reflecting the song's opening lyric. However, when band member/collaborator Jay Bennett wrote the name of the song on the master tapes during the album's mixing sessions, he shorthanded it to "Jesus, Etc." Tweedy liked the shortened title's innocent irreverence, so it stuck.
While I'm always fond of Wilco's instrumental interplay (they are still one of the tightest bands out there, 20 years on), this track is particularly well executed. Glenn Kotche's heartbeat tom-toms thump in tandem with John Stirratt's steadfast bass. Wisps of understated Wurlitzer piano, acoustic guitar, and pedal steel drift in. But it's the strings that always floor me: they're evocative but not sentimental, classical yet folky. It's also a nice touch how, from verse to verse, the strings shift from legato to tremolo to pizzicato. Actually, Tweedy discussed this with The Nation in 2002:
"I'm really happy with how it all panned out, because the goal was to have each section of the song commented on a little bit differently with the string texture. If you listen to it, the parts change; each is varied from the one before it. I don't know if someone who went to school for that stuff would think it's good. I just listen to it and think, ‘How did that happen?’"So what's with the title of the song, you ask?
The track's working title was "Jesus, Don't Cry," reflecting the song's opening lyric. However, when band member/collaborator Jay Bennett wrote the name of the song on the master tapes during the album's mixing sessions, he shorthanded it to "Jesus, Etc." Tweedy liked the shortened title's innocent irreverence, so it stuck.
No comments:
Post a Comment