Song Origins
Walk On The Flood
Widespread Panic Tickle The Truth with JB (02/25/2008) http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/53122/widespread-panic-tickling-the-truth-with-jb.html
Shane: You talked before about writing on the fly.
One of the songs, “Walk on the Flood,” was written in response to the Virginia Tech shootings, although by the title it can be assumed it’s about New Orleans.
John Bell: Well as most things go with me, stream of consciousness…I was kind of flooded by the…just the impact that as the day went on, it was a nightmare that you can’t get out of.
So I was riding around, I forget what town we were in, but all of a sudden the lyrics started popping into my head and then the music did too.
And we happened to have a day off and I had my little mini disc sitting with me in the room, and a guitar and I said I should just at least put down these ideas, because there is something cooking on there that wanted to come out.
And then it just started cooking into imagery about a lot of stuff.
And I think the big difference between that and some other songs is the lyrics you can pretty much take them at face value…it says what it says.
A lot of other stuff that comes out of me lyrically is more, I wouldn’t say poetic, I think of it more – comic strips.
But they do have more of a quality and using metaphor than story form…that’s what I’ve been most accustomed to, but this was coming out pretty much in your face, much like the way the day was.
Shane: On “Walk on the Flood,” the lyrics say, “we’ve elected our leaders so we’ve been told/ we have no right to complain/we’ve bought what they sold.”
Any thoughts about the buying and selling?
John Bell: I think the main part is taking responsibility for taking the part I play in the shortcomings of our system and our collective reality. You can sit there and throw blame around and stuff like that, but there’s more of a check out the plank in your own eye kind of angle to it, which is kind of an important thing to consider if you want to take steps to making it better.
If you want to improve the situation or “make the world a better place,”
than just recognizing where it’s screwed up than trying to find the scapegoat for it, it doesn’t seem to me like that’s the most optimal way to bring about the improvements that you may want.
All details aside, I think folks just collectively, people would like to increase the percentage of happiness they have in their lives, even if they are already pretty damn happy to begin with.
# of times played: 32
First time played: 04/01/08
Frequency: 1 in every 9.53 Shows
Longest drought: 35 shows (04/18/09 > 11/10/09)
Most common lead in: I'm Not Alone, From The Cradle, Ain't Life Grand, Jack (2 times)
Most common lead out: Slippin' Into Darkness (2 times)
Most common set position: Set 1, song 1 (5 times)
Notes: Appears on 'Free Somehow' (2008)
Burnthday's Picks:
04/15/11 BJCC Arena, Birmingham, AL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyC-NUVmWgI
09/30/11 Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, AL