Week Ninety-Five: Pixies - "Here Comes Your Man" - Doolittle

In honor of the Pixies stopping by Dallas this Friday, February 28th, I will be covering their music this week. However, I will not be attending the show because I have never been a huge fan of the Pixies. In fact, it wasn't until I was in the 9th grade that I even discovered this band. My friend, Cecilia, whom I mentioned in a few of my previous posts, went to an all-female Catholic high school, and someone there turned her on to this band. She, in turn, clued me in. At first, we were heartbroken that we would not be able to share high school experiences first-hand, but we quickly learned the benefits of being exposed to different environments.

When I finally got around to watching (500) Days of Summer, I was blown away by the soundtrack, and I was even more surprised by Joseph Gordon-Levitt's rendition of this song karaoke-style in the film. I will include a clip of that below for you.

Additionally, the soundtrack includes a somewhat likable cover of the song by an artist named Meaghan Smith --- notice that I said somewhat likable --- which I will also include below.

One last thing, I always like it when I can get the songwriter's take on their meaning of the lyrics, because it so rarely means the same thing to them that it means to me, and Wikipedia includes the following quote from Black Francis:

"It's about winos and hobos traveling on the trains, who die in the California Earthquake. Before earthquakes, everything gets very calm — animals stop talking and birds stop chirping and there's no wind. It's very ominous."


"I've been through a few earthquakes, actually, 'cause I grew up in California. I was only in one big one, in 1971. I was very young and I slept through it. I've been awake through lots of small ones at school and at home. It's very exciting actually — a very comical thing. It's like the earth is shaking, and what can you do? Nothing."

outside there's a box car waiting

outside the family stew

out by the fire breathing

outside we wait 'til face turns blue

I know the nervous walking

I know the dirty beard hangs

out by the box car waiting

take me away to nowhere plains

there is a wait so long (so long, so long)

you'll never wait so long

here comes your man

here comes your man

here comes your man

big shake on the box car moving

big shake to the land that's falling down

is a wind makes a palm stop blowing

a big, big stone fall and break my crown

there is a wait so long (so long, so long)

you'll never wait so long

here comes your man

here comes your man

here comes your man

here comes your man

there is a wait so long

you'll never wait so long

here comes your man