Heavy Metal Drummer

I heard this explaination in an interview with Tweedy himself: Jeff grew up just outside St. Louis, and would often go to an area on the St. Louis riverfront known as "The Landing." The Landing is a very cheezy, "touristy" place full of cheezy, "touristy" bars, and the only attraction it held for Tweedy and his friends (or for many St. Louisans, myself included) is that it serves alcohol for several hours after most of the other bars in the city close. So, Jeff and his buddies would go there late at night, and see all the metal heads in their cheesy hair bands. Being "punk" hipsters, Jeff and his friends would sit and make fun of them in their spandex pants and hairspray. They were "too hip" for that scene, and would sit drinking miserably, looking down on the guys in the hair bands. Years later, Tweedy realized that while they were busy mocking these guys, it was the cheesy guys in spandex who were having all the fun. They were having a blast playing in bands with their friends, getting drunk, and getting laid. All Tweedy was doing was being miserable. Jeff now feels that he was foolish for spending his nights mocking these guys, while they were having all the fun. He wrote Heavy Metal Drummer as kind of a tribute from the perspective of the cheesy 80s metal heads.

This song is like a quick snapshot into adolescence, especially going to see bands that may or may not have been making good music, but you and your friends worship these bands nonetheless. The music could be mediocre, but the way you liked the music then, the way it was being played then, the way you were dancing then, are all very dear memories that may have been "air-brushed" over time to be made out as better than they actually were. Like when an event may have been somewhat boring in your life, but years later when you think about it or talk about it with old friends, you make this event out to be such an important milestone in your life. Air-brushing and taking the past out of the garbage, brushing it off, and then placing it as a fixture on your fireplace mantel. Isn't that the best part of saying "oh, THOSE were the days" with a reminiscent smile on your face?

i definately wouldn't say it has no meaning. a little background: tweedy grew up in the saint louis metro (in belleville, IL). i'd wager to say that he made his fair share of visits to the city and i'm sure many of them were musically related (you gotta buy records and see bands, man). "Laclede's Landing" is a popular nightclub area in st louis, situated downtown, on the Mississippi River. It's also incredibly cheesy. I think this song is about jeff's own musical conscience. here's this really clever musician, releasing brilliant records, swifty dodging tired rock cliches, and pleasing fans and critics while doing so. That takes thought. Jeff's doing a lot of missing in this tune. He misses cheesy metal bands and his own innocence. I picture a young man, naive but enthusiastic about his world. Playing music used to be instantly gratuitous for him. He got his rocks off by playing KISS covers. Now, to endure on both artistic and careeristic ground, he has to mine a little deeper--to challenge his impulses--to survive with grace. Is it coincidental that a song that recalls hair metal explodes with such intricate inner-rhythms and sythesizer soundscapes? then again, i don't know who this drummer ho is. back to the drawing board.

Oh I love that interpretation and I love the music in this song. It is a beautiful Wilco song.

Drummer ho. lol, that's the funniest thing i've heard all day. (how lame am I?) A song about lost innocence? Perhaps. I don't know that it goes much further than reminisence. The narrator (tweedy or whomever) is just saying, "Man, those were the days."

"Unlock my body and move myself to dance/moving warm liquid, flowing blowing glass."

Rock on.

Jeff Tweedy and jay Farrar grew up playing in a band together, then they formed Uncle Tupelo. They struggled and played in little crappy clubs while crappy bands played in these larger clubs (The Landing) and got attention.

Perhaps that little bit of background will help. I agree with tra_mendous' view mostly though. Very good description!

This song is one of my most absolute favorites of all time. It's so wonderfully catchy and has just such a chill beat and you never get tired of hearing it. That's a really cool story behind it too! I love the line 'unlock my body and move myself to dance.' It's the sort of song that you associate to a pleasant feeling or a happy time and just [sigh]...

I really like the lost innocence take on the song. The drummer ho, as you say, is just another innocent idolizing something she belives to be cool. I should know, I'm totally a drummer ho.

This song totally makes me think of Stryper. Don't ask me why.

yeah, drummers are hot. Tommy Lee...mmm