The Milk Carton Kids - "Memphis" (Full Album Stream)
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- čas přidán 19. 03. 2013
- "Memphis" by The Milk Carton Kids from the new album 'The Ash & Clay'
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Throughout Memphis, the lyrics reference some of the best of what America has to offer, both in terms of its people and its cultural product. Yet the song also suggests that the impact of these great folks and their great works was ephemeral and that the country’s better angels have long since fled, replaced by busted promises and ghostly echoes of what once was.
The Milk Carton Kids do a nimble job of mixing up their references. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech gets the first shout-out (“There was a dream”), followed up by nods to Graceland that call to mind both Elvis Presley (“I guess it takes/ More than a king”) and Paul Simon’s famous song (“This ain’t a trip/ With my son/ There’s no guitar/ shines in the sun.”) The Dolly Parton Bridge takes us into Alabama.
Throughout the song, Joey Ryan and Ken Pattengale lament the way that songs and speeches, despite their noblest intentions, don’t win the day. “The one-time home of soul takes the country’s final breath,” they sing, the earnestness of those harmonies making this dire outcome sound like no exaggeration. The refrain comes to the conclusion that the deck is stacked against those seeking positive change: “I guess it takes/ More than a man/ More than a dream/ For such a fight.”
The Kids attempt to scrounge up some hope at certain parts of the song, such as when they sing, “Those days are gone/ May new ones come/ Before it’s all a museum.” And they stop to pay tribute to those who tried, even in futility, to stem the tortured tide: “I guess it’s been a long decline/ God bless the souls that shook up mine.”
“Graceland is a ghost town tonight,” they sing. That line cuts two ways, as it can either mean that the home of the King is now empty or that it is filled with those who once frequented it and still linger as inspirational apparitions. The Milk Carton Kids turn “Memphis” into a once-proud, now-crumbling kingdom and a metaphor for the thwarted idealism of the country at large.
God bless the soul who shook up mine.... Elvis.
You guys are wonderful. I can’t stop listening. Thank you.
As a man born in Memphis this song reminds me of certain times.
i heard this song during my aunt's funeral. she lived in the country in tennessee. it's fittingly haunting. thank you, milk carton kids.
Amazing song.. Drift away easy
Pretty sure the assassination of Martin Luther King has to be an influence on this song too. Opening line is "There was a dream" and MLK was killed in Memphis
Ryan and Pattengale do a nimble job of mixing up their references. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech gets the first shout-out (“There was a dream”), followed up by nods to Graceland that call to mind both Elvis Presley (“I guess it takes/ More than a king”) and Paul Simon’s famous song (“This ain’t a trip/ With my son/ There’s no guitar/ shines in the sun.”) The Dolly Parton Bridge actually takes us into Alabama, which proves Ryan’s assertion in the above interview that he was after a wider view of America rather than just a single city.
Throughout the song, Ryan and Pattengale lament the way that songs and speeches, despite their noblest intentions, don’t win the day. “The one-time home of soul takes the country’s final breath,” they sing, the earnestness of those harmonies making this dire outcome sound like no exaggeration. The refrain comes to the conclusion that the deck is stacked against those seeking positive change: “I guess it takes/ More than a man/ More than a dream/ For such a fight.”
The Kids attempt to scrounge up some hope at certain parts of the song, such as when they sing, “Those days are gone/ May new ones come/ Before it’s all a museum.” And they stop to pay tribute to those who tried, even in futility, to stem the tortured tide: “I guess it’s been a long decline/ God bless the souls that shook up mine.”
“Graceland is a ghost town tonight,” they sing. That line cuts two ways, as it can either mean that the home of the King is now empty or that it is filled with those who once frequented it and still linger as inspirational apparitions. The Milk Carton Kids turn “Memphis” into a once-proud, now-crumbling kingdom and a metaphor for the thwarted idealism of the country at large.
This...is...fantastic. Thanks, guys.
calling this a song about a city is like calling the great gatsby a book about a rich guy.
The engineer is awesome because the leads sound sweet!
Sorry guys I'm 9 years too late to hear this masterpiece. Unfathomable guitar plucking accompanies the diverse social and cultural panorama that the melodious voice recounts to us with anguish. For me it not only denotes nostalgia, but it is a true music of intelligent protest. The quality of the music is so high that it is surprising that it had little and sad impact on the public. A real pity. Guys, I want to tell you that your musical effort found at least one person who was moved by the message you conveyed.
They are working on songs about one city in every state...
The Welch & Rawlings influence is clear. This is a good thing!
What does the reference to the Dolly Parton Bridge signify? I think it's in Alabama so not in the same state as Memphis. Is the Graceland reference a nod to Paul Simon or more to do with Elvis? So many questions, such a sublime and mysterious song. I love it :-)
It refers to the I-40 bridge over the Mississippi at Memphis, which features a pair of somewhat voluptuous arcs.
Barinninny above is correct about the Memphis bridge. The song does reference Paul Simon's "Graceland" with the lines "This is no trip with my son, there's no guitar shines in the sun." The Paul Simon song opens with "The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar." and later the lines "My traveling companion is nine years old, He is the child of my first marriage, But I've reason to believe we both will be received in Graceland." My take on the Milk Carton Kids song is that it parallels the physical, economic, and cultural decline of Memphis with that of the country and of an individual. A similar theme is in their wonderful song "Michigan" which compares the decline of Detroit with that of a once thriving relationship.
The i-40 bridge at Memphis is the Hernando de Soto bridge, usually nicknamed the "new bridge". The bridge more commonly referred to as the "Dolly Parton bridge" is the W.K. Wilson Jr. bridge, which carries the i-65 near Mobile, Alabama. Anyway, that's why I got confused, but Joey & Kenneth are still geniuses!
they have some songs about cities in previous albums
Didn't see any other cities in their discgraphy
Anybody have a complete tab? Not just the chords.
I can never find tabs for the parts that Kenneth plays, it's almost as if he does improv, I know he doesn't but still
I know I'm 4 years too late on this, so maybe you've had luck with pinning down some tablature. I also know this is not a helpful comment, but this song, and most of their songs, don't seem like tablature songs. By that I mean, the essence of the song and the synergy of the duet will not be serviced by, most likely, an inaccurately cobbled string of fretboard numbers. I'd use your ears. I know it's a cop out answer, but you'll understand the music and the instrument so much more if you meditatively listen to how the lead circles around the chord changes. Seeing as how the essence of the song is the downfall of great American iconography through the loss of soul in music and fallen legends, tabs have very little relevance. And as someone else said, it's almost as if it's improv...it most likely is. There are lead landmarks that Kenneth hits, but no two performances will be identical. In short, I'd say trust your ears and watch fingers when possible. In the long run, it's a more nutritional approach that'll force you to be a better player. Alright, I sound like a preachy elitist music teacher, I'll shut up now! 😅
@@ryandougherty8964 this was very well said. Milk carton kids have been a huge inspiration to me as a guitarist and musician in general. This album has recently been removed from Amazon music and I’m so mad because these are some of my favorite songs. Everything about they’re musicality is wonderful, and gives me peace