Song of the Day (A-Z): Lee Ranaldo – Xtina As I Knew Her

Day 24 (X) & this was a tough one. There aren’t many tunes that begin with X. I nearly broke a rule & used Stephen Malkmus’ recent single, Xian Man. Luckily, thinking about one visionary Indie Rock guitarist reminded me of another, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo.

There’s a warmth & openness to Lee Ranaldo’s solo music which I don’t experience with Sonic Youth. It almost feels like you’re having a friendly conversation with him over a glass of whickey. Xtina As I Knew Her exhibits this warmth perfectly. Nels Cline’s ambient drone style fits in perfectly with it on this excellent live performance. Ranaldo’s explanation of the song also lends to that warm, personable quality.

As an unintended consequence, Lee Ranaldo is the only artist to feature in the Song of the Day (A-Z) twice, due to his collaboration with The Cribs on Be Safe, way back on Day 2.

I was travelling light
Travelling with a friend
As xtina came of age
I hung with xtina’s friends
They would all come ’round the house
And slowly go insane
Every night up around the bend
I’m in xtina’s house again

She was just a lonely soldier
Running with the times and the tides
Maybe just a little older
Quite a ways into the night
Quite a ways into the night

I can see you coming
Creeping slowly up the lane
I can see her falling
In and out of love again
I can still see that tree
With that boat off by the shore
Drifting in and out of time
We’re in xtina’s house once more

Slip behind the valley curtain
Looking for a place to hide
Shaky and those times uncertain
Everyone drunk on red wine
Drunk on red wine

Turn on a flashlight in the dark
At 3 am in the morning
Drunk on red red wine
Tommy smashing bottles against the wall
Xtina waiting at the wall

It’s what you know and you know it

It’s every place you go, so don’t blow it

Confusion takes away, makes it all turn wrong

It only takes a day or two before I’m gone
Long goneWell step right up
To the house of painStep right up on the porch
You bet on the wrong horse
Walking through the door at 10
Right about a quarter to 10
Being very very certain
We’re in xtina’s house again

She was just a lonely soldier
Running up and down the ride
She was pure and wide and open
She was somehow out of time

Now she’s frozen in time

Stuck for something to listen to? Why not wrap your ears around this playlist of my Song of the Day (A-Z) series.