Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes has noted Dondero as an influence on his music, and Oberst is actually featured on backing vocals on this song – particularly on the “What’s a tangelo?” line near the end of the song.
David Dondero: A Pre-Existing Condition " American Songwriter
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American Songwriter
...
Train's comin gonna lay on the track
Happy ride here laying on my back
Let the train wheel come take my life
Let the big steel make it alright
Cause i got no friend to tell the trial
Lots of enemies, so quick to defile
S'pose im drunk again but i dont care
All i know is im less than the air
So lets not compare
Feeling sorry are you?
Feeling blue are you?
Down and out now and overdue
Feeling crumpled up and dented in
Are you trapped within your very own skin?
Its like a jail, you, you can't see the bars
Can't escape it by bleeding through your scars
Self deprecation is a boring hand
You're just bringing everyone down man
Feeling sacrificed you?
Feeling slammed are you?
Claustrophobic on this open land?
Feeling smothered by the deep blue sky
Does the sunset hurt your eye?
Well you're not the only one
Who got caught in the rain
This whole world dont revolve around your pain
You can go on now, spin out in misery
Ill take the sun and the sea
Well shamshamalingon, whoa dipdydip
While my mental record starts to skip
Orange lemon limes and tangellos
(whats a tangello?)
See the coconut tree next to the mighty mango
The high sierra is in my rearview mirror
Ain't it beauty, beautiful my lovely dear
We got time so, lets not abuse
Lets wear holes in our shoes
Less Than the Air was written by David Dondero.