1946–1973

February 5, 2017 4:57 PM

Sin City

This old town's filled with sin
It'll swallow you in
If you've got some money to burn
Take it home right away
You've got three years to pay
But Satan is waiting his turn

The scientists say
It'll all wash away
But we don't believe any more (pdf)
Cause we've got our recruits
And our green mohair suits
So please show your I.D. at the door

This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain (nsfw?)

A friend came around
Tried to clean up this town (pdf)
His ideas made some people mad
But he trusted his crowd
So he spoke right out loud
And they lost the best friend they had

This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain

posted by OverlappingElvis (15 comments total)

Woah! Great post!

I used to think I wasn't familiar with his music, but I remember once I started looking into him I suddenly realized he had been involved in most of my favorite albums. "Gram Parsons? Never listened to him" *Sweetheart of the Rodeo plays on repeat in the background*
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 5:09 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

i loves me some gram parsons
posted by entropicamericana at 5:51 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

This is great, but my life won't be complete unless you do the same post with this Sin City.
posted by NoMich at 6:46 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Great post. Love this cover by Uncle Tupelo.
posted by about_time at 7:43 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm partial to Steve Earle and Gillian Welsh's version. Thanks for the post.
posted by cccorlew at 8:04 PM on February 5, 2017

I also love me some GP, but the documentary complicated that somewhat.
posted by rhizome at 9:37 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also can't forget The International Submarine Band
posted by rhizome at 9:50 PM on February 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

Cool! I only got into GP this past year and Sin City was the portal. I saw this version that J.D. Crowe and the New South did for public television and followed the threads. For a solid month I was obsessed with getting my own nudie suit.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:35 AM on February 6, 2017

Wonderful post! My favorite version
posted by haikuku at 4:40 AM on February 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

I love the version by The Mekons.
posted by picea at 9:08 AM on February 6, 2017 [3 favorites]

My introduction to Gram was through Emmylou Harris. Her album Heartaches & Highways has a duet with Gram. Love Hurts. Been listening to him since.
posted by jgaiser at 2:29 PM on February 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm partial to Steve Earle and Gillian Welsh's version
My favorite version
I love the version by The Mekons yt .

Yeah, but nah -- the essential version is the Flying Burrito Bros original, without which this brilliant post would not exist. Redolent of that smog bound L.A. of the barely post psychedelic 60s, everybody coming down from their beyond withins, looking around with sober eyes at the fear and loathing of a town gone insane, with Apocalypse looming ... yet looking damned fine in those Nudie suits
posted by philip-random at 3:23 PM on February 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

This song was on repeat in my head immediately post-election.
haikuku that's my favorite too. I couldn't find a link but on the studio version, K.D. absolutely kills it. Gives me chills every time.
posted by piglord at 5:29 PM on February 6, 2017

Awesome post.

I came to this tune via J.D. Crowe, but didn't realize the Gram Parsons connection and all the history behind it. Thanks!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:38 PM on February 6, 2017

Another good version: Emmylou Harris and Beck
posted by wmoskowi at 8:34 PM on February 6, 2017