I'll have you know I was thrown out of the finest music schools in North America. Subscribe to my channel to see me, and various fools I jam with, attempt to play songs that should not be attempted.
Of course, all of this begs the question: how do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Answer: From the NJ Turnpike take Exit 16E to the Lincoln Tunnel then follow the signs to 10th St & West 57th, you big dummy.
Philosophical questionn: can we ever make peace? (or is it inevitable that we are haunted by our transgressions, and the echo of anger, or fighting forever?)
My claim to fame was at big country 's penultimate gig in Belfast before Stuart died. I jumped up on stage and the roadies tried to chuck me and a few others off the stage. Stuart waved them away and I ended up playing air guitar, on my knees beside him during 'Fields of fire'
RIP Stuart ….sadly missed I don’t believe ppl want to commit suicide just they want the pain to stop and feel it’s THE only way it will 😭… this I know from experience of what I suffer daily …..scary thing is one day the demons may win 😭
The intro is in a certain time signature. Then when the lyrics starts is another time signature. And then when the lyrics goes to "On your left and on your right...." is another time signature. And finally the outro is yet another time signature.
Hey Brother we reach. That would be amazing, drop me a link when it's done! I dunno if these are the original chords, but it seemed to work: Intro (single note E plays throughout song) F#m C#m F#m7 C#m9 F#m C#m7 Bm7 DMaj7 Headin out to Eden Yeah... Brother F#m C#m7 Bm7 A/C# D Headin out to Eden. No more trouble in my body or my mind Bm7 A/C# D Gonna live like a king On whatever I find Bm A G6 Eat all the fruit and Throw away the rind (no chord) Yeah Brother Yeah
The short answer: too lazy. The long answer: I learned to play Rhodes in high school on a beat up old thing that had action like pounding railroad spikes. I got used to playing it hard so I never really thought of upgrading to a more sensitive touch. Might try it though, since I picked up a 2nd Rhodes that's begging for some work...
I actually prefer your version to the original demo. "Second time", I mean, it's got to be about his second marriage to that gold digging hairdresser, right ? The one that drove him to his miserable end. The lyrics showed he had such hope in their marriage too. Very sad. I wish you and Stuart's daughter, Kirsten would do a collaboration. I think your voices would be very compatible.
Huge thanks! I'm a fan of Kirsten's music and love the BC covers she's done. It would be real honor. About this song, there's a really interesting dual meaning (as with many of Stuart's songs). On the surface it's definitely about a second love.... but is he talking about the Nashville wife, or could it be him wishing he could relive his 1st family over again? More than anything I love the cryptic 3rd verse (which I didn't include in this version) where a storm comes and washes the "beast" clean. There was definitely a lot of hope in his words like you said, hope for redemption and salvation. It makes his ending even more tragic.
How could a secondary school educated, 24 year old man even conceive of such beautiful words and put them together like that. They would stand alone as poetry. Just as alot of his songs would. Fantastic job by the way. I hope you will continue to breath new life into Stuart's songs.
For real though! Remind me to do a vid that picks apart every line, every phrase, because he drops so many interesting references you'd need a stack of history books to decipher it all. I'm certain that "Pull straws with holy men" must refer to the ancient practice of drawing straws to determine land ownership (stealing), as well as "paint all the atlas pink" referring to the infamous "Rose Coloured Map" whereby huge swaths of African territories were arbitrarily snatched. I believe this song is Stuart's rebuke of imperialist politicians & kings throughout history. But it's done in such a poetic way it hits us on a personal level. I had no idea he was only secondary school educated! It also shocked the heck outta me to learn that Stuart was musically "illiterate" meaning all of his talent was completely natural.
Your arrangements and beautiful voice really bring forth attention to Stuart's words, which are otherwise kind of vying for attention with his blazing tunes. But you stripped away the music, and laid bare the emotion, and gave new meaning to his lyrics in ways I hadn't considered before.
Thanks so much! Stuart's lyrics really deserve more attention, but with such a great band it's like trying to single out 1 instrument in a symphony. His words have a lot of unexpected depth, even hints of vulnerability ("Mine can never be the hands that make the dream come true") which are cleverly hidden under the band's power. Glad this gave you food for thought!
Just clicked on your page again this morning Wow dude.. Hats off brotha...! Respect. Love that recording wall.... Wish I lived closer I'd love to have some fun in a studio like this.
Had the pleasure of seeing Big country 25 times live. Sublime! Mark, Tony, Bruce and Stuart were individually magnificent musicians, as a collective were sublime. The big man I consider was one of the great front men, a lyricist and poet the likes of which we will never witness again. For those that followed the boys, keep listening, keep playing, and keep the music alive. Rip big man……
Amazing 25? I never got a chance to see them, but every live video I've seen shows them at the peak of musicianship. You're right, each one was a master of his instrument and the sum was even greater than the parts. Add the most insightful and poetic lyrics on top and you have a legend that will never die. Seeing them live must've been the thrill of a lifetime!
I met Stuart after a Big Country gig in Aberdeen, we talked about football, me a Aberdeen fan and Stuart Dunfermline. He invited me to his pub there a few months later, and he instantly recognized me and we sat and talked about football and Scotland chances in the World Cup over a few pints. I asked him to sign my Scared to Dance album by the Skids, which he did and I remember him reading the cover notes and said he was proud of the album. Good man Stuart.
The image of Stuart drinking three bottles of wine and hanging himself still haunts me to this day. The hate for himself trumped the adulation and love he had from fans around the world. It’s hard for me to get my head around it. Perhaps in a .27 alcohol content rage he wanted to end it but a sober Stuart I’d like to think not. Did he ever make it into rehab? Surely the band tried to assist in this area?
It doesn't make any sense does it? Well from what I've read, he did get in touch with his Alcoholics Anonymous coach. He called his coach from that pub Fadó in Atlanta; that's how we know Stuart was there. So he was trying. But I believe there were too many forces against him, both external and internal ("Too Many Ghosts"). According to Tony Butler's book, the band respected each others' space & stayed out of Stuart's personal life. Tony writes that he did stage a sort of intervention-of-one with Stuart on the last European tour, but I gather that didn't change much. My guess is toward the end Stuart was looking to his new wife Melanie as his only emotional support, and when she filed for divorce, well... that's the day the cross shattered.
@@ZeroChannelZero thanks for filling in the gaps. It’s good to hear that he did have some support and that Tony attempted an intervention. Tragic is an understatement. 😩
Okay I am late to this, I have always loved In a Big Country and been in awe of his songwriting but this song Shattered Crosses is next level. I really am at a loss that his demons had taken over and wouldn't let him go. I have learned over the years those fighting demons could easily be someone like you and me. Someone who has plenty of those who love them and support them but it doesn't stop the demons. He was taken from us all way too soon. For U2 to speak about him like that and knowing how great they are that says an absolute ton about how great Stuart was.
Totally agree that Shattered Cross takes things to a different level. Somewhere on YT there's an interview with Stuart from the later years floating around (I think it's the one where he's lying in the grass) where he talks about how his early lyrics were clouded by his lack of confidence in opening up, whereas the later material was more of him wearing his heart on his sleeve so to speak. I think both approaches are great, but to me Shattered Cross seems more personal & confessional (like "Too Many Ghosts" from the same time). I think we were just beginning to hear what Stuart had to say about himself when it all ended. You're right, he was taken from us way too soon.
thank you. Art is the capture of emotion in space and time. This guy has the ability to reach inside to draw out our belief for a beautiful reason to................I cry.
"Art is the capture of emotion in space and time." What a fantastic way of putting it. Stuart really had that rare ability; his songs each capture a very specific emotion that continues to resonate in each of us.
“I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.” Kvothe I write for a living. If there is ever an audiobook that captures Stuart’s life, you will narrate it. I do not find it strange that the logo of Big Country was a compass. Life does not give us a compass to navigate by, and some of us navigate through it aimlessly. “I watch the way the crow flies, I know it always seems so easy, But if I see it in a grey sky, Can I be sure about the way it leads me? Some days I just don’t worry; I let it walk through me, Some days I call upon the very depths of me.” Who do you talk to when you see the world through eyes that most cannot see? You are to be commended.
Thanks for that great comment, PR! Hell yeah I'd be honored to narrate a story about Stuart. Are you planning to write one? I recently finished Tony Butler's "Then Came the Great Divide" which I really enjoyed, and I'm halfway thru Glen Allen's "In A Big Country". Both books are mostly fact-oriented historical accounts which is cool, but I always wondered what if some talented writer would give us something more on the poetic side, symbolic & even a bit abstract, that captures what Stuart was all about. Your obervation about the BC compass is a perfect example...what does it mean? What did it mean to Stuart? Stuart himself wrote in mysterious ways, never quite spelling it out but giving us enough clues to find our bearings. Anyway, get to writing my friend.
@@ZeroChannelZero I want to read the Glenn Allen book first. I got that idea from the comments in Good Reads. That work may not have covered Adamson as a person. Who was he to those who knew him best? PR
Wish I could remember... There's a 2nd Rhodes I want to do the same way but can't remember where I got the cool tolex. If anyone out there knows please chime in!
Isn't that something?? I've listened to a lot of bands' songs over & over, their impact changes over the years, but BC's music always brings me back to the 1st time.
Like contributor John pirie,I'm also from East Kilbride,near Glasgow.Loved this guys music,I was owner of The Crossing,Steeltown and the Seer.Met him twice,once in Dunfermline,once in Glasgow.An engaging and humble guy.Under rated and disrespected by music snobs imo.One of Scotland's greatest talents.
I have been listening to punk since 1977, and hence I picked up the first Skids album when it was released. Later I became more involved in american hardcore, but until today I always had a thing for the old british punk as well. But it was mainly punk, I listened to. Together with a lot of classical music, that my grandfather had me listen to. Big Country was one of the not-really-punk bands I fell in love with. Maybe it was because of Stuart's years with the Skids, maybe it was the honesty in his songs, maybe it was something else. I saw Big Country a couple of times when they played in the Netherlands in the early 80's. Everytime it was so lively, but everytime Stuart had to do this cover "the tracks of my tears" by Smokey Robinson. And he became all serious. It's been about 40 years, but when I close my eyes I can still hear him plea: "so take a good look at my face". I was suffering from a major depression in those days. I also tried to drown it in alcohol. But it was thanks to music, and the liveliness of Big Country in general that helped me recover. This makes it so cynical for me what Stuart finally did. Last saturday (march 11th 2023) I saw Big Country again. It was brilliant. They just went on, even without Stuart. And why not? I lost 3 of my bandmates, but also kept playing. Simon did a great job. And the band sounded like thay had not grown older. Still powerful and honest. But I still felt a track of a tear... at certain moments I could barely contain myself. Especially when they played "Inwards" as an encore. When growing up as a hardcore kid I shared stages with many of my heroes. Supporting bands like D.O.A., T.S.O.L., Crucifix, M.D.C., Toxic Reasons, F.U.'s, etc etc. And some of the members even became real friends. But it hurts I never got to meet the greatest englishman, irishman and scotsman that ever lived, being Joe Strummer, Philip Chevron and Stuart Adamson. And I just can't accept their deaths, just like those three of my best mates that were in my band.
Thanks for sharing that, HH. It must've been amazing to catch BC live and feel the power in person. That's really interesting about Tracks of My Tears, I have the version included on the B-side of Wonderland and it always struck me as a strange pick. But you're right, in hindsight we can see what the lyrics meant to Stuart. As drummer Mark B said after Stuart's death: "Only in hindsight I’ve started looking at lyrics ... This guy was saying it all along." But I think that's also why Stuarts music resonates with so many people who know the darkness, like you said about the music & liveliness of BC helping you recover from your lowest point. It was Stuart's lyrical awareness of misery + the band's musical optimism = the magic cure. The tragedy is that the music that helped so many people couldn't help the music maker.
I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered But you can't stay here with every single hope you had shattered I'm not expecting to grow flowers in a desert But I can live and breathe And see the sun in wintertime Stuart Adamson - 11 April 1958 - 16 December 2001
I believe Stuart had a serious Alcohol addiction that he could never conquer. If you listen to his words on stage he says, " I wanna sing a song for you about Temptation, Redemption and Loss". It's not hard to figure out what he's talking about there. The demons were just to strong to overcome. RIP Stuart, you don't have to fight anymore.
Stuart was sober for 10 yrs. I don't believe his 2nd marriage was good for him & his family also thought it got to him. He wouldn't have done it sober.
Every picture I have seen of him, he has a sad, lost distant look in his eyes. My thinking is he had this issue long before he every got into music and maybe he grew up a sad, lonely child. People often carry these traits into their adulthood and then when things go awry, they are incapable of working through their issues and he felt overwhelmed.
I have loved Stuart's music since I was at school 40 odd years ago. As a Scot, the songs speak to me on a genetic level, to the point that when my wife and I were looking for a new house 20 years ago and we came for the first time to the house I am typing in now, I turned at the door and looked out on the view of the Cairngorms, and heard "Eiledon" loud and clear in my head. I chose this place to call my own The only grace I've ever known I never tire of legends grown We dream too much and time has flown Eiledon, I will be there Eiledon, my dream is there So let me fill my children's hearts With heoroes tales and hope it starts A fire in them so deeds are done I chose this place, I raised my children here and Stuart helped me fill their hearts. A couple of months ago I had the great pleasure to see his daughter play a gig in my local village, and thanked her for keeping his music alive and told her my tale
Thanks for that, I think you summed up a lot of the reason why Stuart's music continues to resonate. It conveys a feeling of strength & pride that's baked into the landscape itself. Strength like that will outlive kings, flags & political parties, even humankind itself. I've never seen Scotland but everything I've heard about it tells me that the land is coursing with that energy. And I can't think of many songwriters who could handle the job of putting it into words & music like Stuart did.
