Wilco – Pot Kettle Black

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  General Comment:Absolutely agree with Sventlama this song is about the breakdown with Jay Bennet. This is a complex song, it is hard to discern it's meaning, but the music is full of overwhelming emotion of "moving on", of being stuck in a bitter-sweet way, and having an emotional epiphany of forgiving and moving on, "not gonna get caught calling a pot kettle black", because everyone is to some degree responsible, shit happens.

  Flag RHSeekeron April 13, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:I think that, at the very least, it references the constant presence of two opposing feelings. For example, "Crazy rides rockets, Waves a magic wand" is immediately followed by "Empty out your pockets, Words without a song." It's as if supreme command and creativity is immediately followed by a pathetic failure to produce anything at all.
  
  This idea is reinforced in each verse. Locomotives, for example, are traditionally thought of as powerful, and providing direction and connectedness. For Tweedy though, they are aimless and lazy. And the locket in the second verse SHOULD be a way to keep a loved one near, but it's on "A string I've never strung."
  
  I think that the "knot" that prefaces each verse is a reference to the duality of these two distinct personalities; they are tied together. Calling the pot kettle black is Tweedy's way of saying that they are one. He therefore, cannot call the pot kettle black because it is a part of the knot, and always will be.

  Flag ssbrewon August 17, 2011   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:I love this song. I guess everyone gets what it's saying. I agree with the interpretation by Luminol58 that he is actually calling the pot "kettle-black." However, I think the speaker feels entitled to what he says because he has "emptied out his pockets" (owned up to what he has to own up to). "Empty out your pockets" is the speaker (Kettle) urging "Pot" to own up to their mistakes/wrongdoings as well. In a sense, he is calling the pot "kettle-black," but the fact that he can admit to his own actions makes it okay for him to say those things. I just wanted to touch on that specific aspect because no one else has said anything about it and I don't feel like stating the more obvious or repeating what has already been said. Isn't Wilco the greatest!?
  
  Also, I agree with Lou-Lou--the underlying melody is extremely similar and I urge others to go have a listen. I have noticed a variation of the melody from "In Between Days" in other Cure songs. It may just be the actual technical breakdown of the melody that is so similar. I don't think there is any real harm or unjustice in the similarity.

  Flag miriamleamanon July 15, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:this song is about weed
  they have so many marijuana related songs - red eyed and blue, handshake drugs, i must be high
  and think about the title Pot Kettle Black
  if you've ever smoked, "every moment's a little bit later"?
  can't get more obvious than that

  Flag checkyalaterron December 22, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:i heard a live version where he said "i know you have no soul"

  Flag lane.on March 19, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:i should add that he could also be both pot and kettle, which would make the song about his inner psychology, with id and ego, desire and conscience, fighting it out and him calling himself out on his own bullshit

  Flag chowfun18on October 11, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Jeff Tweedy suffered all his life from migraines and as a result became addicted to painkillers until undergoing detox in 2004. Before that he tried several times to quit but never lasted more than five weeks. The second stanza
  
  I myself have found
  a real rival in myself
  I am hoping for
  a rearrival of my health
  
  is a fairly clear reference both to his affliction and his addiction.
  
  he's the pot and the kettle might be the "crazy" who "rides rockets;" the song appears to be about one addict pointing out the travails of another but unwilling to confront the other for fear of hypocrisy.

  Flag chowfun18on October 11, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:My theory is that this is about the breakdown of the relationship between Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, his former songwriting partner in the band who quit (or was fired) during the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Both were very difficult personalities fighting for creative control in the band, In this song, Tweedy, despite his anger at Bennett, is acknowledging how difficult he was to work with himself.

  Flag svenllamaon May 18, 2007   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:Well, it clearly harkens to the "a pot calling a kettle black," but it sounds to me like he's actually calling the kettle black. He just doesn't want to call the pot "kettle-black." This makes perfect sense to me, but is hard to express electronically (i.e., without verbal cadence) due to lack of perfectly appropriate punctuation. This would be a typical double-standard lyric of late period Wilco, IMO.

  Flag Luminol58on January 20, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:It really seems like sort of a throwback to "Summerteeth", to me at least.

  Flag pumkinhedon December 24, 2006   Link

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