#30: Leaving Chicago February 25th, 2008
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What happens when I’m listening to Atmosphere and Aesop Rock at the same time as I’m reading my own proto-song journal scrawl from 2005? Lyrics like this. I’m super-excited to have finally finished this thing I started nearly three years ago, especially since it’s now been nearly two and a half years since I really did leave Chicago.
The advertisement I mention in the song was real, by the way. (And so was my reaction.) The actual copy was “hundred thousandollaraire”, but that shit just doesn’t scan.
I just left work now, and it’s well past dark out,
but I won’t make it home
until I get what I came for: a record or eight more
to drive away the cold,
and a few hours later, my new fix paid for,
I’ll have to figure out
which way the lake is again, so I can make the last train,
and if by now we haven’t changed,
I must have it down in my freezing bones:
I’m leaving Chicago soon.
I can’t explain, but I know
I’ve got to make some changes in the kinds of places
I pass through every day,
and if I had some spray paint, I could start by changing
what the ads on this platform say.
“I’m a hundred-thousandaire” finds a hundred thousand stares
each night as we’re all detraining.
“Why am I paying commissions like a multimillionaire?”
Why don’t I erase the last five words and write “complaining”?
Down in my freezing bones,
I’m leaving Chicago soon.
I can’t explain, but I know
we tread these streets on unsteady feet,
carrying purses and bags,
and all of us in makeup applied so well,
we almost can’t tell we’re so sad.
From door to door and store to store,
we make the requisite rounds
so we can give each other presents that we know we won’t like,
and I guess I should’ve known
we were always trying to pull each other down
in my freezing bones.
I’m leaving Chicago soon.
I can’t explain, but I know.
At 1:12 am on February 26th, 2008, Michael A. wrote:
No way — it was “hundredthousandollaraire”? I was thinking about that fucking ad not three weeks ago, and it was all “hundredthousandaire” in my head.
At 9:44 pm on February 26th, 2008, Lindsey wrote:
I know, right? It really, really was “hundred thousandollaraire”. Did they think that the average hundred-thousandaire wouldn’t understand “hundred-thousandaire”?
At 1:45 am on February 27th, 2008, David Pukin wrote:
Good song, Lindsey. Although it’s kind of depressing to listen to. Now I think I understand where you were coming from when you made the decision to leave Chicago. I hope you do come back to visit soon though. I wish things could have worked out for you better, but perhaps I am being selfish of wanting another good friend here.
At 4:34 pm on March 1st, 2008, Leigh wrote:
So, I’m a crappy friend, but this is the first time I’ve actually listened to your music. I am BLOWN AWAY. People should not be allowed to be as good at as many things as you are.
At 1:16 pm on March 2nd, 2008, Lindsey wrote:
David — it’s true I’m being pretty hard on Chicago in this song, but I didn’t feel this way every day. There are a lot of things I love about the city, and I often miss it.
Leigh — thanks! I’m really happy with this one, too.
At 9:48 pm on March 24th, 2008, Shoebox Full of Tapes » #31: Twin Human Highway Flares wrote:
[…] Shoebox Full of Tapes A monthly podcast of songs I’m working on. « #30: Leaving Chicago […]
At 8:11 pm on September 1st, 2008, Shoebox Full of Tapes » #34: Leaving Chicago wrote:
[…] To celebrate Alex’s birthday today, he and I got a bunch of drums from craigslist, brought them home, set them up in a way that looked more or less right, and made a video of ourselves playing “Leaving Chicago”, just for you! The lyrics go like this. […]