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Posted by Mark on 10-28-2006 at15:28:

The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees Meaning

OK, I don't remember if this was discussed here or not. Here goes.

I'd like to hear what each person thinks each of the songs on The Lost Dogs - The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees mean.

Are some of the songs just simple take it as they are written tunes, or are they metaphors? I'm especially interested in your take on Broken Like Brooklyn and The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees.


1. Broken Like Brooklyn
2. Devil's Elbow
3. The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees
4. Whispering Memories
5. One More Day
6. This Business Is Goin' Down
7. Hardening My Heart
8. Only One Bum In Corona Del Mar
9. Get Me Ready
10. Burn It Up
11. That's Where Jesus Is



OK, get started...

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Posted by jiminy on 10-28-2006 at18:02:

 

Brooklyn..

well - I see it as a bit of history- people actually did think things would improve if they went out west (I'm thinkin post war people who were sick of the cold polluted east.)
so they packed up the Pall Malls and Nee-Hi's Terry has a wonderful description of some actual things..the Dennys - the factories etc....

Mikes references to Buckskins etc speak of that entire idea (westward expansion) in a romantic way. The Sierras and other a warm feelings evoked from places ...

THe hook - of course- is Terry so well shows us how you feel after you make the move (spiritually or otherwise)- I am going by memory on the key lines..or really- after any big change in this life.

but its how we wake up sometimes..broken like those who've lost something dear., or like those who've acquired things.really no better

Terrys imagery is covering a few different things (to me) the way the west has changed so much..filling the stadium with Guacamole while
Ebbets (sp) field and the Flatbush memories are from the days of the East....

it works like Amber waves..bits of real history that are wrapped up in the emotion of change, hope and loss...

or it means something completely different..
(?)

In all honesty- I really think its too good a song to find as an opener- theres so much depth in the allegory that it gets by us as we listen for the "Dogs" musical sound on this outing.
Listen to it solo sometime...(I have) It is a poignant, rich and great thought provoking idea put to song.
One of Terrys specialties in his Cowboy hat mode.
Listen to it alonge sometime..te "Dog" souond in

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Posted by Audiori J on 10-28-2006 at21:57:

 

"The Lost Cabin", based on the mythological lost gold mine cabin in california; The pursuit of money, the love of money and material posessions. Its only when his wife is gone does he realize what he really loves or loved.. her.

Brooklyn was broken when the Dodgers left...sometimes it takes loss or brokenness for us to open our eyes. God uses the trials and tribulations to bring us closer, its in those low times we have nowwhere else to look but up.

"This business is going down", again a focus on material posessions, this world. "Only ine bum in corona dell mar", where we think if only the bum had money and posessions he'd be as happy as us. When in reality those that are first here are last in heaven, and the last shall be first.

"Thats where Jesus is", again about focus. Jesus is with the lowly, we shouldn't be so focused on the temporal worldly passions, money, power, politics, selfish ambition, etc.

"Get Me Ready for it", we are more ready for what the world throws at us when we focus on Christ and not the world. Full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control even in the bad times. We sink down when we take our focus off Christ and put it on the ups and downs of the churning waves.

The running theme is that of Galations 5: 16-26

Life by the Spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Notice the grouping in sinful nature, seperated by the semicolons; Focus in on "hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy", being of the flesh or temporal and worldly. Dissensions are arguments or disagreements, factions are groups or cliques such as political parties, discord is feeding those things that seperate us, fits of rage and hatred is another way of saying righteous indignation, selfish ambition is working to be first and get the most. The ways that seem right to a man in this world are exactly what is wrong with it.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

You cannot serve both this world and God, they are contrary to each other. God wants us to place him first, and if he has to he will remove from our grasp those things that get in the way; money, our job, another person, health, etc. If it takes brokenness in this world to get our focus on him, thats what he will do.

Christians sometimes mistakenly believe living in the flesh is living in the spirit, or at least they reassure themselves their own ways are spiritual when actually they are worldly. I think thats a large part of the point of some of the songs.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

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Posted by Mountain Fan on 10-30-2006 at11:26:

 

Some of the songs (Broken Like Brooklyn, The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees, and This Business Is Goin' Down) really evoke some of the same feelings of songs off SOTH/WEWH like When Everyone Wore Hats, The Glory Road, and Sins of the Fathers. I think this is at least partly why they chose to include Devils' Elbow.

I can actually listen to Devil's Elbow now. That one little high part by Terry:
And Dotty the waitress says "When we quit,
we'll put a lock on the door
and that'll be it
No more chicken-in-a-basket
or Chili-Supper benefits
and some of Derri's high/smooth vocal doesn't grate on my nerves quite as bad as it did at first. I still really wonder if Terry threw in that one high part just to show everybody he still had it in him. It's a good rendition of the song, I just had already fallen in love with the simpler version off WEWH.

As always, I think some of the songs could be interpreted more than one way due to their imagery, but most work pretty well direct.

Whispering Memories is a great, simple, heartbreaking country song, all the more sad because of the truth behind it.

Overall, I still say the Dogs are "back in form" and in some ways it's just as good or better as Gift Horse and Real Men Cry. Of course I really like all of their CDs. I wonder how this one is doing in the sales dept? Audis? Anyone see them selling a lot on tour?

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Posted by Audiori J on 10-30-2006 at16:07:

 

Not sure totals, we've sold quite a bit, Dan Michaels was selling it and the Dogs themselves on tour. It's been healthy, and there is another Dogs tour coming up.

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Posted by peawinkel on 10-30-2006 at16:11:

 

quote:

Originally posted by Mountain Fan Some of the songs (Broken Like Brooklyn, The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees, and This Business Is Goin' Down) really evoke some of the same feelings of songs off SOTH/WEWH like When Everyone Wore Hats, The Glory Road, and Sins of the Fathers. I think this is at least partly why they chose to include Devils' Elbow. I can actually listen to Devil's Elbow now. That one little high part by Terry: And Dotty the waitress says "When we quit, we'll put a lock on the door and that'll be it No more chicken-in-a-basket or Chili-Supper benefits and some of Derri's high/smooth vocal doesn't grate on my nerves quite as bad as it did at first. I still really wonder if Terry threw in that one high part just to show everybody he still had it in him. It's a good rendition of the song, I just had already fallen in love with the simpler version off WEWH. As always, I think some of the songs could be interpreted more than one way due to their imagery, but most work pretty well direct. Whispering Memories is a great, simple, heartbreaking country song, all the more melancholy because of the truth behind it. Overall, I still say the Dogs are "back in form" and in some ways it's just as good or better as Gift Horse and Real Men Cry. Of course I really like all of their CDs. I wonder how this one is doing in the sales dept? Audis? Anyone see them selling a lot on tour?

I think Terry went falsetto on that part because he was singing in Dotty's voice

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Posted by jiminy on 10-30-2006 at20:43:

 

I guess I thought those were Mikes lines..
no???

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Posted by audiori on 10-30-2006 at23:31:

 

Believe its Terry.

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Posted by jiminy on 10-31-2006 at09:48:

 

will listen with both ears next time...

sometimes ya just make a mental association..Mike has a great high range-that doesnt sound like derry.... (am thinkin of Grace is the smell of rain)

unless of course THATS terry too!

then I give up guessin

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Posted by Mountain Fan on 10-31-2006 at11:38:

 

quote:

Originally posted by jiminy I guess I thought those were Mikes lines.. no???

I thought it was Mike too at first, but since it aggravated me a little I listened closer and was shocked to realize it was Terry (not that I didn't think Terry was not capable, but that it was something I thought Mike would usually do).

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Posted by Mountain Fan on 10-31-2006 at11:40:

 

quote:

Originally posted by peawinkel quote: Originally posted by Mountain Fan Some of the songs (Broken Like Brooklyn, The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees, and This Business Is Goin' Down) really evoke some of the same feelings of songs off SOTH/WEWH like When Everyone Wore Hats, The Glory Road, and Sins of the Fathers. I think this is at least partly why they chose to include Devils' Elbow. I can actually listen to Devil's Elbow now. That one little high part by Terry: And Dotty the waitress says "When we quit, we'll put a lock on the door and that'll be it No more chicken-in-a-basket or Chili-Supper benefits and some of Derri's high/smooth vocal doesn't grate on my nerves quite as bad as it did at first. I still really wonder if Terry threw in that one high part just to show everybody he still had it in him. It's a good rendition of the song, I just had already fallen in love with the simpler version off WEWH. As always, I think some of the songs could be interpreted more than one way due to their imagery, but most work pretty well direct. Whispering Memories is a great, simple, heartbreaking country song, all the more melancholy because of the truth behind it. Overall, I still say the Dogs are "back in form" and in some ways it's just as good or better as Gift Horse and Real Men Cry. Of course I really like all of their CDs. I wonder how this one is doing in the sales dept? Audis? Anyone see them selling a lot on tour? I think Terry went falsetto on that part because he was singing in Dotty's voice

Wow. Gee. Sometimes the best explanations are probably the simplest ones. I hadn't really looked at the lyrics in print but had only listened to the CD and missed that part.

I still wonder if some small part of Terry singing that, instead of Mike, might be somehow related to showing he still has the range. I wonder if perhaps they tried recording Mike and Derri too, before selecting Terry's version?

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Posted by jeffrey k. on 10-31-2006 at11:45:

 

quote:

Originally posted by Mountain Fan I still wonder if some small part of Terry singing that, instead of Mike, might be somehow related to showing he still has the range.(

Was his current range in question?

jeffrey k.

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Posted by Mountain Fan on 10-31-2006 at11:48:

 

quote:

Originally posted by jeffrey k. quote: Originally posted by Mountain Fan I still wonder if some small part of Terry singing that, instead of Mike, might be somehow related to showing he still has the range.( Was his current range in question? jeffrey k.

No, bear with me. This relates to Devil's Elbow being a "bonus" song on When Everyone Wore Hats, which was an expanded version of Songs of the Heart. When SOTH came out, some uninformed critic(s) made note of Terry singing lower and speculated (incorrectly) that he was losing range.

I guess I'm just another wacky fan of sorts, but not like the infamous one.

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Posted by Strange Animal on 10-31-2006 at12:07:

RE: The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees Meaning

i am kind of a mystery and i hang out in trees a lot...........

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Posted by Mountain Fan on 10-31-2006 at12:22:

  RE: The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees Meaning

quote:

Originally posted by Strange Animal i am kind of a mystery and i hang out in trees a lot...........

you are a 2.5-toed sloth?