Todd Snider

American singer

Todd Daniel Snider (born 11 November 1966) is a singer-songwriter born in Portland, Oregon.

Todd Snider in 2009

Sourced edit

Song Lyrics edit

Near Truths and Hotel Rooms (2003) edit

  • You know, this war on drugs is funded by tobacco and alcohol commissions.
    It's not what drugs you're strung out on they care about so much as whose.
    People still dig drugs. I mean, y'all do, anyway. I'm over it.
    • Tension.
  • Republicans... That's what scares people these days.
    That, and uh, Democrats.
    • Tension.
  • They say the average bank robber lives within say about 20 miles of the bank that he robs
    There's this little bank not so far from here I've been watching now for a while
    Seems like lately alls I can think about is how bad I wanna go out in style
    • Statistician's Blues.
  • I'm gonna make my last stand
    This time I can't be bought
    Then again, on the other hand
    How much have you got?
    • I Can't Complain.
  • (Spoken) So I called my brother... he was living in Austin. He had these friends who were letting him stay on their couch, and I figured they might have a couch that I could stay on. So, I got this ride to Austin, Texas and got to this address my brother gave me, and this guy introduced himself as "Bonehead." And I went in and started asking around; turned out they didn't have the second couch, they just had the one couch, uh, for my brother. But they knew where there was a party, and I thought, well, that's good enough.
    • The Story of the Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern.
  • (Spoken) He came out, kinda like tonight, like I am, with just a guitar, and sang some songs. I thought, shit, I could do that.
    • The Story of the Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern, about Snider's first time seeing Jerry Jeff Walker in concert.
  • (Spoken) You get out in the desert and there's no signs. And of course it was just me and all my friends, it was all guys in the car, so we drove about another two and a half hours before we ever pulled over and asked anybody where we was. And we were on this thing called the Devil's Backbone Highway, right, so we finally pull into this place uniquely named "The Devil's Backbone Tavern." We go in, and all the guys say I gotta go in, you know. And so I go in there, and it's one of them bars, like everyone's drinking beer and there are like, say, twenty people in there and they have maybe, say, seventeen teeth total in the whole place. And I'm not a good fighter, or very good at protecting myself at all, you know! And I thought, well this could - this may not work out. So I saw behind the bar there was this one older woman; she looked like she was in her eighties and she kinda hunched over like I remember my grandma started to do, she kinda, she had curly white hair, and she's all... I thought, well, I could take her...
    • The Story of the Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern.
  • Now to fit in on the Seattle scene
    You had to show people something that they'd never seen
    So thinkin' up a gimmick one day
    We decided to be the only band that wouldn't play a note
    Under any circumstance
    We called it silence...
    Music's original alternative
    Root's grunge
    • Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.
  • With good behavior I'll be out in seven years
    Don't worry over me or shed any tears
    I've learned a lot in here and I know what a chance I blew
    The next time I won't make the same mistake
    I'll shoot the camera out too
    I'm learning all kinds of things you can do
    When you're broke
    • Broke.

East Nashville Skyline (2004) edit

  • Conservative Christian, right-wing Republican
    Straight white American males
    Gay-bashing, black-fearing
    War-fighting, tree-killing
    Regional leaders of sales
    Frat-housing, keg-tapping
    Shirt-tucking, back-slapping
    Haters of hippies like me
    Tree-hugging, peace-loving
    Pot-smoking, porn-watching
    Lazy-ass hippies like me
    • Conservative, Christian, Right-Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males.

The Devil You Know (2006) edit

  • I was looking for a job when I found this one
    Don't need the work like you need the work done
    You look like you're under pressure
    I was already looking for a job two weeks ago, when I met you, remember?
    • Looking For a Job

Peace Queer (2008) edit

  • Making money out of paper, making paper out of trees
    We’re making so much money we can hardly breathe
    • Stuck on a Corner

The Excitement Plan (2009) edit

  • By the time that he mowed the last man down
    He was high as he had ever been
    Laughing to the sounds of the world going around
    Completely unaware of the win
    And while the papers would say he was scattered that day
    He was pretty as a pitcher could be
    The day Dock Ellis of the pittsburgh pirates
    Threw a no hitter on lsd
    • America's Favorite Pastime (The Ballad of Dock Ellis).
  • A man once said that the pinnacle of success
    Was when you've finally lost interest
    In money, compliments, and publicity
    A noble enough idea I suppose
    How on Earth he does this heaven only knows
    I know I need a lot more of all three of those
    Before I'll ever have the nerve to turn up my nose
    At any money, or compliments, or publicity
    • Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number 10).
  • It's an issue for me
    I went to see this therapist
    She said just do the best you can do
    Do the best you can do
    I was hoping for something more specific
    • Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number 10).

Quotes about Todd Snider edit

  • Todd Snider is a true songwriter, with the heart and humor of John Prine, the wild unpredictability of Roger Miller, and a fresh, original spirit and freedom of imagination that's absolutely his own.
  • Todd Snider writes great songs and also is a great performer. He totally connects with every audience. Hardest act to follow since Steve Goodman.
  • Of all the young singer-songwriters out there, I think Todd Snider is the best.. by that I mean he has found a way to take his feelings and observations and turn them into songs that can get an audience...he won't quit til he gets the audience and he always gets the audience.

External links edit

 
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