Anodyne Lyrics

Jay Farrar has posted the lyrics to all of his songs (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, and solo) on his official website.

The lyrics for all of Jeff Tweedy's songs on Anodyne, as well as most of the covers, were included in the 2003 reissue. I've included them here as well since to my knowledge the official lyrics are not available on the web.


Slate

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


Acuff-Rose

Early in the morning, sometimes late at night
Sometimes I get the feeling that everything's alright
Early in the evening, sometimes in the day
Sometimes I get the feeling everything's okay

Because everything cuts against the tide
When you're by my side

Name me a song that everybody knows
And I'll bet you it belongs to Acuff-Rose
Children in the playground, the folks in the home
Anybody anywhere who's ever been alone

Because everything cuts against the tide
When I hear that sound


The Long Cut

I've been searching and you've been gone
Out looking for the shortest path to the one that you're on
And I've already seen all I wanna see

Come on, let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need

When we were younger, we were strong
We felt a lot better than the things that we'd done
Now if it's to be, if you still believe

Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
If you wanna take the long cut
We'll get there eventually

I've been searching and you've been gone
Out looking for the shortest path to the one you're on
Now if it's to be, if you still believe

Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
We've been in a deep rut
And it's been killing me
If you wanna take the long cut
We'll get there eventually

Eventually
Eventually


Give Back the Key to My Heart (by Doug Sahm)

Take my picture off the wall
It don't matter to me at all
Said I was headed for a fall
But you wanted me to crawl

Give back my TV
It don't mean that much to me
While you're giving back my things
Give me back the key to my heart

Give back the key to my heart
Give back the key to my heart
And let my love flow like a river
Straight into your heart, dear

Well, you say I was the one
To blame for the wrong that's been done
Well, you got a friend named cocaine
And to me he is to blame

He has drained life from your face
He has taken my place
While you're alone in San Antone
Give me back the key to my heart

Give back the key to my heart
Give back the key to my heart
And let my love flow like a river
Straight into your heart, dear


Chickamauga

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


New Madrid

All my daydreams are disasters
She's the one I think I love
Rivers burn and then run backwards
For her, that's enough

They all come from New York City
And they woke me up at dawn
She walked with me to the fountain
And she held onto my arm

Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back

There's a man of conviction
And although he's getting old
Mr. Browning has a prediction
And we've all been told

So come on back from New York City
Roll your trucks in at dawn
Walk with me to the fountain
And hold onto my arm

Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back


Anodyne

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


We've Been Had

There's a guitar leaning on a Marshall stack
Used to sound like the sun on the horizon
Now I think we've been had

There's a young girl screaming all the way in the back
Poor kid, she never saw it coming
Now she knows she's been had

Watching the label spinning on my turntable
There's no call waiting in my headphones
And every star that shines in the back of my mind
Is just waiting for its cover to be blown

There's an eardrum bleeding, yeah it's in my head
How could I still be so in love when I know
We've been had?

Republicans and Democrats can't give you the facts
Your parents won't tell you 'til you're grown
That every star that shines in the back of your mind
Is just waiting for its cover to be blown

Flashing the badges, just like the law of averages
Nobody likes 'em where they're from
And every star that hides on the back of the bus
Is just waiting for its cover to be blown


Fifteen Keys

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


High Water

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


No Sense in Lovin'

I don't know what you've been through
You might think that I don't care
But I do

And I've tried to understand
I've tried to understand your abuse
But you've got no excuse
And there's no use in lovin'
Anyone who hates themself

You keep coming back
So I hold you for a little while
But I always go when I can't take your sad smile
'Cause I can't stand it when you get so intense
And it's all a part of our bad inheritance
And there's no sense in lovin'
Anyone

Won't you come back for a while
You could see exactly what you've always meant to me
But you don't wanna know
You don't wanna know

And you don't know what I've been through
And if I think that you don't care
You probably do
And there's no sense in lovin'
Anyone who hates themself


Steal the Crumbs

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.



Extra songs included on the 2003 reissue


Stay True

Read the lyrics on Jay Farrar's official website.


Wherever

When you get back from wherever
Let me know whats it's like
And I'll tell you, I'll tell you
What it's like to watch you go

You say, "Hey, what's that mean?
You make it sound so simple."
And you say, "Hey, what's that mean?
Don't make it sound so simple."

So don't even try
'Cause this is your day
Even the sky might go your way
Well I'll get by
Just being okay
So you can't deny
That this is your day

When you back from
Who cares
I'd really.....
When you get back from wherever
Be sure to let me know