Mellencamp’s Big Daddy
Damn the torpedoes, tonight my attention turns to John Mellencamp, and a couple of gems off his 1989 release ‘Big Daddy’. I’ve always paid attention to John’s work, and have several of his albums, though I really haven’t paid much mind to the last 10-12 years. On every album, there would always be a song or two that I got very excited about, but most of the time the rest of the tunes just didn’t stack up for me.
But man, he’s had some great tunes over the years: the early stuff obviously… “Jack & Diane”, “Tumblin’ Down”, “Authority Song”… and later on with tunes like “Key West Intermezzo”, “Last Chance”, and “Now More than Ever.”
But it’s these couple of tunes from ‘Big Daddy’ that rank right up there as my all time JM faves. “Jackie Brown” is my favorite. Beautiful acoustic guitars, and haunting lyrics about a down and out and desperate man…
Is this your grave, Jackie Brown?
This little piece of limestone that says another desperate man took
himself out.
Is this your dream, Jackie Brown?
Going nowhere and nowhere fast
We shame ourselves to watch people like this live.
But who gives a damn about Jackie Brown?
Just another lazy man who couldn’t take what was his.
One helluva life Jackie Brown.
Forevermore, Jackie Brown
Amen and amen – Jackie Brown?
The last hidden track on ‘Big Daddy’ is a cover of the Hombres’ “Let it All Hang Out”, a barnburnin’ rocker that get your feet a-shakin’.
John Mellencamp: Jackie Brown (mp3) | Let it all Hang Out (mp3) – both from Big Daddy
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5 Comments
dukeofstraw
Nice post on Mellencamp. Don’t have Big Daddy. Did you get the version of the dylan song I posted a few days ago? check it out.
http://staergetaleht.blogspot.com/2006/03/compare-and-contrast-three-double-dose.html
Pete
Duke – Actually I had just downloaded it last night off Hype Machine. I try to do a quick little search to see if anyone’s posted a tune I’m about to post. Thanks for the tune and the heads up!
Eric Mortensen
Ick,
Greetings!! Great post! Saw Mellencamp last night in Evansville. 1 st stop on his latest tour. Great show. Tight band. I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan but he is worth the price of admission.
Keep up the good work!
Eric
Pete
I thought I may hear from you on this post Eric… 😉 I’ll have to get out and see him live when he swings around this way. I never have.
Tricia
I would love to hear the Mellencamp version of this song, could you possibly rehost or email it to me?