![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Prisonfog-700x525.jpg\" "\\"Prisonfog\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A shocker.\u00a0 Another drab, dreary day in Santa Barbara in June.\u00a0 And so, naturally, we think of prison songs.\u00a0 We remain under gray lock and key, and sick for the big sun.<\/p>\n
Our first thoughts are of the Prisonaires, a group formed by five inmates at Tennessee State Penitentiary, and their song Just Walkin’ In the Rain<\/em>.\u00a0 They recorded the song for Sun Records in ’53 under armed guard following a special leave granted by their biggest fans, the Governor of Tennessee and the prison warden.\u00a0 In this song the Prisonaires sing of those that skeptically eye them from “the window”:<\/p>\n “People come to windows The song captures well the longing for the prisoners’\u00a0 lives and loves before the Big House:<\/p>\n “Just walkin’ in the rain Check it out.<\/p>\n The Prisonaires–Just Walkin’ In the Rain<\/em><\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/04-Just-Walkin-In-The-Rain.mp3|titles=04 Just Walkin’ In The Rain]\n In a similar vein, David Ackles great inmate song, Down River, <\/em>was given a stunning reading by Elton John and Elvis Costello two years ago on the first episode of Costello’s “Spectacle” show.\u00a0\u00a0 Elton covering Ackles’ might seem strange at first, but it turns out Ackles co-headlined with John at the Troubadour in 1973 in Elton’s debut American performance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In Down River, <\/em>Ackles wrote of the heartache of an ex-con confronting the loss of his love, Rosie.<\/p>\n Check the song’s grievous lyrics and the John\/Costello killer cover below.<\/p>\n “Good to see you again, Rosie Three years that ain\u2019t long, Rosie Times change, times change I know Hey why didn\u2019t you write, Rosie? Oh no I ain\u2019t mad Rosie Oh sure I remember Ben He\u2019s a good man Rosie Yeah nice seein\u2019 you again Rosie Chorus”<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kNwr7QsCb5M<\/p>\n And finally, we give you the more modern, deceptively upbeat (the lyrics mournfully\u00a0 cross-cut the beat) Countdown (Sick for the Big Sun)<\/em> by Phoenix.\u00a0 Phoenix is coming soon to the SB Bowl and are avowed to be wowing live.\u00a0\u00a0 In Countdown, <\/em>the band assays the inevitable loss of youth’s bright big sun.\u00a0 We are sick for the big sun.<\/p>\n “Countdown unless you’re juvenile let’s go True and everlasting that’s what you want Don’t say no your breakfast tears are gone We’re sick Hear the lonesome bell, is this knowledge? Cruel and everlasting that’s what you want Don’t say no your breakfast tears are wrong We’re sick True and everlasting, it didn’t last that long Phoenix–Countdown (Sick for the Big Sun)<\/em><\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/02-Countdown-Sick-For-The-Big-Sun.mp3|titles=02 Countdown (Sick For The Big Sun)]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A shocker.\u00a0 Another drab, dreary day in Santa Barbara in June.\u00a0 And so, naturally, we think of prison songs.\u00a0 We remain under gray lock and key, and sick for the big sun. Our first thoughts are of the Prisonaires, a group formed by five inmates at Tennessee State Penitentiary, and their song Just Walkin’ In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThey always stare at me
\nShaking their heads in sorrow
\nSaying, who can that fool be?”<\/p>\n
\nGetting soaking wet
\nTorturing my heart
\nBy trying to forget”<\/p>\n
\nI know I\u2019ve changed a lot since then
\nYou\u2019re lookin\u2019 fine, babe<\/p>\n
\nI still remember our song
\nWhen you were mine, babe<\/p>\n
\nBut it sure moves slow
\nDown river when you\u2019re locked away<\/p>\n
\nI stayed awake most every night
\nCountin\u2019 my time babe<\/p>\n
\nI know you had to mind your dad
\nBut just a line babe<\/p>\n
\nWhy we went all through school
\nIs that right?
\nWell he ain\u2019t no fool<\/p>\n
\nHold him tight as you can
\nDon\u2019t ask me why babe<\/p>\n
\nMe I got things to do
\nWell good-bye babe<\/p>\n
\nGod bless your miss somewhere
\nWe’re sick for the big sun
\nIt doesn’t matter what you did
\nand if you did it like you been told<\/p>\n
\nTrue and everlasting that’s what you want<\/p>\n
\nResist or let go, you’re borderline withdrawn
\nDown, unlit from the bottom there is a misfit
\nBetter than it looks, better than it looks
\nBetter than it looks, better than it looks<\/p>\n
\nWe’re sick for the big sun
\nWe rumble and trip
\nI realize that too<\/p>\n
\nAsk forgiveness you know somewhere
\nYou’re fixed to an atom
\nIt doesn’t matter what you did
\nAnd if you did it right let’s go<\/p>\n
\nCruel and everlasting that’s what you want<\/p>\n
\nDo you remember when 21 years was old?
\nDown unlit does it matter that you care the less?
\nBetter than it looks, better than it looks
\nBetter than it looks, better than it looks<\/p>\n
\nWe’re sick for the big sun
\nWe rumble and trip
\nI realize that too<\/p>\n
\nWe’re the lonesome, we’re the lonesome yell
\nTrue and everlasting, it didn’t last that long”<\/p>\n