Life Death Love & Freedom

Yellow Ledbelly

I've always been a casual fan of John Mellencamp -- own the greatest hits collection -- but after reading the interview with him in Rolling Stone recently I decided to pick up his new one yesterday.....and I'm glad I did.

It sparse and haunting at times sort of in the vein of Nebraska or Devils and Dust and it mostly -- almost completely -- deals with dying, being alone or getting ready to die. It seems likes Jack and Diance have gotten older and shit still ain't looking real good and they're just tired of it all.

I highly recommend picking this one up.....check out Longest Days and A Ride Back Home...my two favorites on the album

'A Ride Back Home'
Hey Jesus can you give me a ride back home
I've been out here in this world too long on my own
I won't bother you no more
If you can just get me in the door
Hey Jesus can you give me a ride back home

When I started out I was so young and so strong
I just let it roll off my back when things went wrong
Now it's starting to get to me
All of this inhumanity
Hey Jesus can you give me a ride back home

You wouldn't know it by looking at me now
But I was showing some promise once upon a time
But it's gone now
And it ain't coming back
My time's come and gone
It's as simple as that

Hey Jesus this world is just too troublesome for me
I try to fight off all these devils but I'm just too weak
When I'm out here walking all alone
I feel like taking my life but I won't
Too big a coward, can you give me a ride back home
Hey Jesus can you give me a ride back home
Hey Jesus can you give me a ride back home

transplant

I have always been a fan of his. Not sure if it was my midwest upbringing or what however I never thought he got the respect he deserved.

Your comparison to Devil & Dust/Nebraska is a good one. So yeah, I agree fine CD. One that will probably get ignored unfortunately.

Yellow Ledbelly

transplant wrote:

One that will probably get ignored unfortunately.

You are probably right, but he has never really been a darling of the media or anyting, at least not to a great degree, and this one is at least getting good reviews. And you know, lyrically LDLF is along the same lines of Time Out of Mind, too. Back to your point, though, Dylan was lauded for making a great comeback with Time and Mellencamp certainly won't get that kind of attention. As I listened yesterday, though, my whole outlook on Mellencamp changed

In Rolling Stone, Mellencamp said his wife and kids got pretty upset when they heard the songs because the words are so much focused on death