Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
The image is of ghosts (or maybe the buildings themselves) beckoning for the living to come back to these abandoned ghost towns, whereby only trains pass these days.
In time their existance will only be known by extant roads and songs sung about them.
If you want to come on down
Down with your bones so white
Watch the freight trains pound
Into the wild, wild night
How I would love to gnaw
To gnaw on your bones so white
And watch as the freight trains paw
Paw at the wild, wild night
All these ghost towns, wreathed in old loam
(Assateague knee-deep in seafoam) —
Ho Swansea! Buttonwillow!
Lagunitas! Ho Calico!
And all these beastly bungalows
Stare, distend, like endless toads —
Endlessly hop down the road
Borne by wind, we southward blow
And yonder, wild and blue
The wild blue yonder looms
'Till we are wracked with rheum
By roads, by songs entombed
And all we want to do
Is chew, and chew, and chew!
Dear one, drive on
When all we want to do
Is chew, and chew, and chew
And if you want to come on down
Down with your bones so white
Watch the freight trains pound
Into the wild, wild night
How I would love to gnaw
To gnaw on your bones so white
And watch as the freight trains paw
Paw at the wild, wild night
Paw at the wild, wild night
Paw at the wild, wild night
Swansea was written by Joanna Newsom.
Swansea was produced by Noah Georgeson.
Joanna Newsom released Swansea on Tue Mar 23 2004.