'Talking Reality Television Blues' - Todd Snider (Official Video)

Listen to Talking Reality Television Blues

FOLLOW TODD SNIDER:

Animation by: Josh Clark

On the album, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3, Snider’s folk influence marks a departure from the past six years of making rock records. At a point in time when the world has never been more complicated and confusing, with people getting louder and louder, he did a 180 and went back to his roots as a folk singer, to a simpler, quieter form of expression; and it might be what the world is waiting to hear: just a man, his guitar, and the truth.

In the most literal sense, the album is the fulfillment of a dream; not the aspirational kind, but an actual dream, a recurring dream Snider had about Johnny Cash after he first visited Cash Cabin Studio. The dreams inspired him to book sessions there with his supergroup Hard Working Americans in 2016, 2017, and then again for the new solo project in October of 2018. During that week of recording in October, the captivating collection of new works emerged as Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3.

Talking Reality Television Blues (Lyrics):

Come gather round and I’ll sing you a song
About a crazy old world that was coming along
Til one day some fool made the decision
To turn on the television

Of course, radio reported that we'd all ignore it
And the paper said we had no time for it
But before you knew it you knew Milton Berle
And we all had a new escape from the world

All tuned in and before too soon
We were watching a man walk on the moon
He made it look as easy as driving a car
Video killed the radio star
I got the talking blues

Talking blues are easy to do
All you gotta rhyme is a line or two
Rhyme a line or two and then
You don’t ever have to rhyme again
See?
I can say anything I want now
You know, within reason

Say sitcom catchphrase game show nation
Television soon defied explanation
As the situation took to such a degree
That eventually we'd hear about a cable TV

Of course, free TV news swore we'd ignore it
And the average family could never afford it
But again they were wrong and eventually
Everybody wanted their MTV

We were all tuned in but now the shock
Was watching a kid do a thing called the moonwalk
Just sliding backwards really, eventually too far
Reality killed that video star
I got the talking blues

So simple at first it was hard to foresee
The impending collision with reality
But it soon seemed TV turned on itself
When "The Real World" came on like it was something else

Of course, actors all acted like they weren't floored
Hoping eventually that we'd all get bored
But one after another we pretended not to act
As we hurtled ever forward toward alternative facts

Then a show called The Apprentice came on and pretty soon
An old man with a comb over had sold us the moon
And we stayed tuned in now here we are
Reality killed by a reality star
I got the talking blues
Hills, that is

#ToddSnider #CashCabinSessions #TalkingRealityTelevisionBlues

[sinsweetie]

Just bloody brilliant! First song I've listened to and I'm hooked!

[SeanGettingsActorComedian]

Nice work...looking forward to seeing you and Jack in Eugene, Oregon in October. Have a great summer. Cheers

[rastakull]

Love, love, love this! In Todd we trust!!

[ismaelfreytes]

Talking blues still and granddaddy of rap music

[natebenson]

These visuals supplement this tune so well. Awesome work Todd & Josh.

[torstein]

Could someone explain to me what the "hills that is" relark means?

[garyseritt]

yes lord, I hear John Prine & Bob Dylan

[thisisawolf]

Came here from tom jones brand new single, didn't knew it was yours

[robertkristiansen]

What the Hell Todd ...Get a Fucking Band, the Band you had ..You are best writing and singing Stories with full band ....!!!!Just Saying Man been litening since 95 and You always been a Hero in Music for Me So I have the Right to Say :Get that Fuycking band Dude..The Guitarist in early Days I loved Hes Solos And your Energi with the Whole band .This Fingerpcking I can Do to..!Belive Me or do what the Fuck You want but I been Picking your songs through al the Guitars Iv Had and sold and New ones .Been playing Martin, Gibson, Guild al of hose expencive Guitars .I have to admit I Loved the Gibson Jombo from the 80s had to sell .Now Im in Love with a Tanglewood..And My Tele of course ...Never to part with it ..3 Coulor sundburst .15 Yearsb Now ..Man those Guitars are buioldm like a Tankm...Fender of course..!Orry for spelling be going 10 min ago...stay Safe