His feelings about the Rhino Records 2 CD anthology of his work, the size of his audience, having his music used on TV shows and movies, acting, performing and the response to “Don’t Let Us Get Sick."
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🆔 ID: 24321677
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In 1996, there was a double-disc anthology of your work, I'll
Sleep When I'm Dead, on Rhino Records. Did you feel it was
Definitive and did it motivate you to take a break after it came out?
I think it was reasonably definitive, within, you know, what
They wanted. I guess I more or less picked the songs out
But you have to understand, I've been motivated to take a
Break since 1965. I'm not a real ambitious person. Especially
Since I can't write more songs than I get ideas for. So it
Doesn't do any good to have better work habits in creating those
Tones, which is the thing that's really important to me job-wise
Was there a period, say, after Sentimental Hygiene that some
Of your core audience stopped taking the ride with you?
You know, I don't think it's ever been a case of there being
A big audience that stopped taking a ride with me so much as
A big audience that accidentally stepped on a Mr. Toad's ride
On the way to the funhouse on the way to the Michael Jackson
Expo. I used to say that I was just a folk singer, but because
I had had a hit record, I was sort of perceived of as, like
A down-and-out '70s superstar or something, as opposed to a very
Successful folk singer, which is how I've always seen myself
Life'll Kill Ya, to me, easily stands with your best work. The last
Ten years recording-wise, some of the new albums
Haven't been as widely heard: Transverse City
The Mutineer... Was that disappointing to you?
Well, naturally it was a little disappointing, but, you know
Some writers are only appreciated for what they do at the beginning
And then what they do at the end of their career. If the fact
That they're appreciated again in their career after the one
Thing that they were appreciated for, then even that's unusual
And lucky. But you just keep doing it if you're a writer. Even if
You try not to, you'll keep doing it. Sometimes it'll be better
And sometimes it'll be worse from various different points of view
Outside of making records, you've become in high demand lately
From a variety of media. You've contributed music to TV shows
Movies... Was this an avenue for your songs that you sought out?
No. Like I said, I don't find, for my music, that seeking anything
Out does much good. People just come to me for some reason
Or another. I often never find out why they did, but they do
And you've become a personality on the small and big screens lately
From filling in for Paul Shaffer on The Late Show to a variety
Of other TV appearances, and you're set to be in the film South
Of Heaven, West of Hell that was written and directed by Dwight
Yoakam. Did you want to be an actor? Was that an ambition of yours?
It crossed my mind, but I'm certainly not an actor. Tom Waits
Is an actor. I'm not an actor. But I can do it, it's fun
Well, anything that gives you an excuse not to write is good
Is that why, since you've become multimedia, you haven't
Written a book like your buddy Hunter S. Thompson?
Let's remember that Hunter S. Thompson is the finest writer of
Our generation. He didn't just toss off a book the other day
And no, I never think about writing a book. I'll never write a book
What was it like performing "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"
At the inaugural party for Minnesota Governor Ventura?
It was a lot of fun, and I just want to go on the record and say that
The governor performed a very fine version of "Werewolves of London
" He was criticized for it, as he has been for many things, but there
Was nothing wrong with his performance of "Werewolves of London"
Speaking of werewolves, I'd imagine every night you get on the concert
Stage, you have to play "Werewolves of London," you have to play "
Lawyers, Guns, and Money." How do you keep that experience fresh?
Getting on stage is always novel to me. I don't know why that doesn't
Go away. I mean, I never went on the road for a year or, you know
Did any of that kind of touring. But I think in a lot of
Ways, I'm like the goldfish in the Ani DiFranco song
You know, that go around the bowl and every time they see
The little plastic castle, it's like they're seeing it
For the first time. That's me. It's happiness... or bliss
Life'll Kill Ya closes with this song that's almost a prayer. It's
Called "Don't Let Us Get Sick." It's such a beautiful end piece
I know you don't write songs anticipating a reaction
But have you gotten a response from people
That have heard that song? What's it been like?
I don't know. I think people like it. It means a lot to me
Why does "Don't Let Us Get Sick" mean a lot to you?
'Cause it's pretty good, and therefore I consider myself lucky
To have written it. And because it has, you know, it has a
Lot of feelings for a lot of people in it. For me to say that
It's got a lot of feelings for a lot of my friends in it is
Quite an admission. It's more than I normally say about my songs
Sleep When I'm Dead, on Rhino Records. Did you feel it was
Definitive and did it motivate you to take a break after it came out?
I think it was reasonably definitive, within, you know, what
They wanted. I guess I more or less picked the songs out
But you have to understand, I've been motivated to take a
Break since 1965. I'm not a real ambitious person. Especially
Since I can't write more songs than I get ideas for. So it
Doesn't do any good to have better work habits in creating those
Tones, which is the thing that's really important to me job-wise
Was there a period, say, after Sentimental Hygiene that some
Of your core audience stopped taking the ride with you?
You know, I don't think it's ever been a case of there being
A big audience that stopped taking a ride with me so much as
A big audience that accidentally stepped on a Mr. Toad's ride
On the way to the funhouse on the way to the Michael Jackson
Expo. I used to say that I was just a folk singer, but because
I had had a hit record, I was sort of perceived of as, like
A down-and-out '70s superstar or something, as opposed to a very
Successful folk singer, which is how I've always seen myself
Life'll Kill Ya, to me, easily stands with your best work. The last
Ten years recording-wise, some of the new albums
Haven't been as widely heard: Transverse City
The Mutineer... Was that disappointing to you?
Well, naturally it was a little disappointing, but, you know
Some writers are only appreciated for what they do at the beginning
And then what they do at the end of their career. If the fact
That they're appreciated again in their career after the one
Thing that they were appreciated for, then even that's unusual
And lucky. But you just keep doing it if you're a writer. Even if
You try not to, you'll keep doing it. Sometimes it'll be better
And sometimes it'll be worse from various different points of view
Outside of making records, you've become in high demand lately
From a variety of media. You've contributed music to TV shows
Movies... Was this an avenue for your songs that you sought out?
No. Like I said, I don't find, for my music, that seeking anything
Out does much good. People just come to me for some reason
Or another. I often never find out why they did, but they do
And you've become a personality on the small and big screens lately
From filling in for Paul Shaffer on The Late Show to a variety
Of other TV appearances, and you're set to be in the film South
Of Heaven, West of Hell that was written and directed by Dwight
Yoakam. Did you want to be an actor? Was that an ambition of yours?
It crossed my mind, but I'm certainly not an actor. Tom Waits
Is an actor. I'm not an actor. But I can do it, it's fun
Well, anything that gives you an excuse not to write is good
Is that why, since you've become multimedia, you haven't
Written a book like your buddy Hunter S. Thompson?
Let's remember that Hunter S. Thompson is the finest writer of
Our generation. He didn't just toss off a book the other day
And no, I never think about writing a book. I'll never write a book
What was it like performing "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"
At the inaugural party for Minnesota Governor Ventura?
It was a lot of fun, and I just want to go on the record and say that
The governor performed a very fine version of "Werewolves of London
" He was criticized for it, as he has been for many things, but there
Was nothing wrong with his performance of "Werewolves of London"
Speaking of werewolves, I'd imagine every night you get on the concert
Stage, you have to play "Werewolves of London," you have to play "
Lawyers, Guns, and Money." How do you keep that experience fresh?
Getting on stage is always novel to me. I don't know why that doesn't
Go away. I mean, I never went on the road for a year or, you know
Did any of that kind of touring. But I think in a lot of
Ways, I'm like the goldfish in the Ani DiFranco song
You know, that go around the bowl and every time they see
The little plastic castle, it's like they're seeing it
For the first time. That's me. It's happiness... or bliss
Life'll Kill Ya closes with this song that's almost a prayer. It's
Called "Don't Let Us Get Sick." It's such a beautiful end piece
I know you don't write songs anticipating a reaction
But have you gotten a response from people
That have heard that song? What's it been like?
I don't know. I think people like it. It means a lot to me
Why does "Don't Let Us Get Sick" mean a lot to you?
'Cause it's pretty good, and therefore I consider myself lucky
To have written it. And because it has, you know, it has a
Lot of feelings for a lot of people in it. For me to say that
It's got a lot of feelings for a lot of my friends in it is
Quite an admission. It's more than I normally say about my songs