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Cowboy Junkies — The Summer Of Discontent
Album: Miles From Our Home
Avg rating:
7.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1862









Released: 1998
Length: 4:23
Plays (last 30 days): 3
Another note afloat upon this paper sea
Explain to me
How this can be

Another face erased
From this tidal pool
Found one day
Then swept away

I will carry you my love
If you can carry me
Through this summer of our discontent

Another day away
From clutching hands


Explain to me
How this can be

I will carry you my love
If you can carry me
Through this summer of our discontent

Another falling wave
Upon this crumbling beach
How many more
Until we meet?

I will carry you my love
If you can carry me
Through this summer of our discontent
Comments (98)add comment
When I first moved to NYC in the early 90's, I lived in a small apartment in the East Village. Every once in a while I would hear someone playing the Junkies but the song would often stop in the middle, pause, restart, go into something else.  It was odd. Turns out someone in the band or crew lived right behind me and they were practicing. Never saw them on the street but it was kind of cool.
I keep waiting for the chorus to start up with the "common disaster" lyrics.
 forthbrdge wrote:

I am a more of fan of Red Green’s Winter of Discount Tent.



If Red Green wrote a New Country song, what would it sound like? 
you mean there's also a summer of discontent? To go along with the winter of discontent?

that's discontent all year!  We're doomed!

  
 keenevision wrote:

Great band. Developed their sound to perfection. If you don’t like them just hit skip.



Thanks for the advice. Done!
 Mannick wrote:

For some reason, this is the only album I like from the Cowboy Junkies... And the only one that is NOT on Spotify!
Thanks for playing this song!

The album is now 

Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Members! Best cover, ever. of "Sweet Jane"! So said Lou Reed, writer of the tune, and leader of The Velvet Underground!!
Great band. Developed their sound to perfection. If you don’t like them just hit skip.
Summer of our discontent… no shit
For some reason, this is the only album I like from the Cowboy Junkies... And the only one that is NOT on Spotify!
Thanks for playing this song!
 bam23 wrote:
I can't quite grasp why so many "listeners" here really dislike this band because they sound like themselves. After this many years, if you don't like what they have spent their careers developing, let it go. I understand criticism that makes some point, but if "I'm bored" is the essence of what you have to offer, why bother? Somehow this band gets dissed frequently, for the reason cited above.
 

I can't quite grasp why so many "listeners" here really dislike this band because they sound like themselves. After this many years, if you don't like what they have spent their careers developing, let it go. I understand criticism that makes some point, but if "I'm bored" is the essence of what you have to offer, why bother? Somehow this band gets dissed frequently, for the reason cited above.
 SummitPlot wrote:
The trouble with the CJs is that about 30 seconds into their songs, my mind drifts off and I don't hear them anymore.
 
Hear who?
 forthbrdge wrote:
I am a more of fan of Red Green’s Winter of Discount Tent.
 
Discount music definitely with this band.
Cowboy Junkies é um grupo musical do Canadá cujo estilo se situa entre o rock alternativo e o country music. O grupo é formado por três irmãos da família Timmins, além do baixista Alan Anton. A banda se formou em Toronto, no ano de 1985.
I am a more of fan of Red Green’s Winter of Discount Tent.
 SummitPlot wrote:
The trouble with the CJs is that about 30 seconds into their songs, my mind drifts off and I don't hear them anymore.
 
I identify with this comment for nearly every  CJ song. Blasé to the point of extinction.
Well I have definitely heard this more than twice in the last 30 days. Enough to be bored with it though it will be OK on a chill playlist I suppose.
good!
 SummitPlot wrote:
The trouble with the CJs is that about 30 seconds into their songs, my mind drifts off and I don't hear them anymore.
 
The last time I saw them i drifted off from start to finish...{#Sleep}
The trouble with the CJs is that about 30 seconds into their songs, my mind drifts off and I don't hear them anymore.
 peter_james_bond wrote:

Agreed! The keyboards give this a bit of a Talk Talk sound, which really works for me.
 
Interesting.  Now that I own 3 Talk Talk CDs.... which I absolutely adore. 

Not sure I hear the connection but this is a fabulous CJ song all the same.  
 Cynaera wrote:
... where Ethan Hawke answered the telephone with, "Hello - You have reached the winter of our discontent..."

 

lol

I might have to steal that one for awhile. ( ^ ;


Yeah, PERFECT, coming in a killer stretch with The Chameleons' Dangerous Land, Spacehog, Folk Implosion, and Massive Attack
Thank you Bill, saw them again last week, great show. Appreciate you playing them. 
The summer of our Disco Tent

Yeah, sorry, couldn't pass it up. {#Cheesygrin}
In supermarkets I can't find anymore.Origens Summa.It's a discontent.
Exquisite chord progression!
My favorite Can con.
 TerryS wrote:

Actually, he was buried under a car park.
 
He must have been very discontent...

everybody in my homeless camps loves this groovy song...

hope you are having a marvelous time right now, TerryS... 
 (former member) wrote:


This song is soooo good my nipples get hard when I hear it...

this song is an allusion to Shakespeare—

Richard:
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

Richard The Third
Act 1, scene 1, 1-4




 


 
Actually, he was buried under a car park.
 mbolch30307 wrote:
Is Bill doing the nasty with the lead singer from Cowboy Junkies? It seems like every other song recently is from this group.

 
They do have a comparatively large number of songs on the playlist but they don't seem to be played to extremes. 
big stud Romeo Tuma wrote:


This song is soooo good my nipples get hard when I hear it...

this song is an allusion to Shakespeare—

Richard:
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

Richard The Third
Act 1, scene 1, 1-4

 

I be the holy ghost of big stud Romeo Tuma...  there is much discontent around the world this summer caused by relative deprivation...  love this song soooo much...
 
 motobecane wrote:

Heh.  Great image!
 

Thank you!  Hope you are having a marvelous time right now...

we be dancing and looking forward to this summer...

 Lazarus wrote:

We be dancing like bow-legged gypsy muleskinners...  love it...
 
 
Heh.  Great image!

We be dancing like bow-legged gypsy muleskinners...  love it...
 
Beauty

Everybody in my church loves this song...
 
Is Bill doing the nasty with the lead singer from Cowboy Junkies? It seems like every other song recently is from this group.
Wonderfully restrained arrangement.

It might also be derivitive of Steinbeck's last novel, which is, in turn derivitive of Shakespeare.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winter_of_Our_Discontent
Much rather listen to them than the great mass of bands incapable of finding a good gear to begin with.  


 ThePoose wrote:
I will put it another way that might get through to you: Margo and the other Boring Flunkies have such a limited range of tempo and phrasing and tone that I groan when I see that they are Now Playing on RP. Scream a little, Margo, have fun, make a joke song, dance it up—whatever. Just break out of the ole lonesome whippoorwill mode you are stuck in.

And you ask if I have listened to any CJ. Ha. I was an associate producer in public radio in Montreal (Canada) in 1988 when a friend sent me this LP called The Trinty Session and said this was the hottest thing to come along in Canadian music in a long time. I was impressed for a while at their new sound—until LPs 2,3,4,5, etc. came along, with no change in range. They never did get out of the one gear they are mired in.

 


I've heard it said that it is her style . . . 
I find it pleasant but underwhelming


 ThePoose wrote:
I will put it another way that might get through to you: Margo and the other Boring Flunkies have such a limited range of tempo and phrasing and tone that I groan when I see that they are Now Playing on RP. Scream a little, Margo, have fun, make a joke song, dance it up—whatever. Just break out of the ole lonesome whippoorwill mode you are stuck in.

And you ask if I have listened to any CJ. Ha. I was an associate producer in public radio in Montreal (Canada) in 1988 when a friend sent me this LP called The Trinty Session and said this was the hottest thing to come along in Canadian music in a long time. I was impressed for a while at their new sound—until LPs 2,3,4,5, etc. came along, with no change in range. They never did get out of the one gear they are mired in.

 


Well, to be fair, that's their "sound".  If they like it, and their fans like it, then that's all that matters, even if others think it's formulaic.  I find a lot of their work to be too lethargic for my tastes, but others may find it to be "soothing" or "introspective".  They do have a handful of songs which have a tempo faster than their more common 40-60 beats-per-minute output, though.  Anyhow, this song is "quite likable".

I immediately thought of the scene in "Reality Bites" where Ethan Hawke answered the telephone with, "Hello - You have reached the winter of our discontent..."

Geez - I have too many movies I need to re-watch because of stuff like this.  I love the Junkies.
yep — i agree.  Now listening to summer of discontent - and love it!  BUT a whole album later...let me just slit my wrists now!  BUT...I still really like Margo  :) 
 
HarvestMoon wrote:
I like amost every CJ song if it comes as a singular musical event. But can hardly listen to an entire album without getting annoyed or depressed. They did great cover versions, too (Powderfinger, Sweet Jane, Blue Moon to name a few).
 


 Kristi wrote:


Who says music has to "get out of first gear" ?
And their songs are certainly not morose! Have you actually listened to any CJ?
Their music is beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful. 
 

I will put it another way that might get through to you: Margo and the other Boring Flunkies have such a limited range of tempo and phrasing and tone that I groan when I see that they are Now Playing on RP. Scream a little, Margo, have fun, make a joke song, dance it up—whatever. Just break out of the ole lonesome whippoorwill mode you are stuck in.

And you ask if I have listened to any CJ. Ha. I was an associate producer in public radio in Montreal (Canada) in 1988 when a friend sent me this LP called The Trinty Session and said this was the hottest thing to come along in Canadian music in a long time. I was impressed for a while at their new sound—until LPs 2,3,4,5, etc. came along, with no change in range. They never did get out of the one gear they are mired in.

Nice segue from the Chris Isaak song.  Very similar vibe.
I like amost every CJ song if it comes as a singular musical event. But can hardly listen to an entire album without getting annoyed or depressed. They did great cover versions, too (Powderfinger, Sweet Jane, Blue Moon to name a few).


Yawwwwwn! {#No}
 westslope wrote:
Brilliant.
 
Agreed! The keyboards give this a bit of a Talk Talk sound, which really works for me.

Kicking Dirt
Very nice!!
 Rickvee wrote:
In a just world The Cowboy Junkies would have sold millions by now. Glad Bill digs them cause I dig 'em too.
 
Actually, Trinity Sessions is certified platinum in the US, so they've sold at least a million...  Not exactly millions, but it's not bad.

Cowbow Junkies sound great after Chris Isaak. Excellent work.
To date, the only listenable Cowboy Junkies song.

Yesterday I heard the title track from this album.  It put into perspective how different this album is from other Junkies albums, say Trinity SessionsMiles is much more dense and has a polished, produced feel to it, and you really hear it here.  Fortunately, it does not diminish Margo Timmins' voice.
Brilliant.
I love the Junkies!  Another great job of programing tonight. Thanks Radio Paradise!

I might not like every tune, whatever. But Bill, you sure can spin a set!
Kind of like a "comfort food" for the soul . . .  {#Meditate}
 Kristi wrote:
Their music is beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful.
 
Agreed.

*really* lame. 
sonofpick wrote:
Wow, something upbeat from CJ.
facetious much?
Wow, something upbeat from CJ.
Very interesting band. Another turn-on c/o RP. Thank you!
Kristi wrote:
Who says music has to "get out of first gear" ? And their songs are certainly not morose! Have you actually listened to any CJ? Their music is beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful.
You tell 'em.
ThePoose wrote:
You say ''without being over the top.'' More like without being over the bottom: almost all of their songs are slow and morose such that they don't get out of first gear.
Who says music has to "get out of first gear" ? And their songs are certainly not morose! Have you actually listened to any CJ? Their music is beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful.
keenevision wrote:
Hmmmmmm! I knew this girl who would just go WILD when Cowboy Junkies played.... :D needless to say i like the CB's ALOT!!! :p Margo has a great voice, and the band plays so tightly without being over the top!
You say ''without being over the top.'' More like without being over the bottom: almost all of their songs are slow and morose such that they don't get out of first gear.
In a just world The Cowboy Junkies would have sold millions by now. Glad Bill digs them cause I dig 'em too.
this sounds just like the fantastic band The Walkabouts!!And I like it :) Pls Bill play some time The Walkabouts. Barcelona,Spain
Despite the frequent rotation I have yet to tire of hearing this track. So I bought the disk and enjoy it even more on the Hi Fi.
Not their best song, by a long shot..but likable nonetheless
Excellent CD!
God bless the Junkies. This was a particularly good album - lots of memories while in a small cabin upstate on acres of land, waiting for my first nephew to be born ("Are You Born Yet?"). This song reminds me of a summer of discontent while there. "Crescent Moon" is a great song for a cool September/October night (yeah, I know that's a different album).
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Please let me jump on the bandwagon to bash this post: Not exactly a quote, now, is it? Allusion, maybe. And if the Cowboy Junkies can't do it, then neither can the millions of others thru the centuries, Shakespeare included, who have ever picked up a pen. John Steinbeck would kick your right here and now.
The Cowboy Junkies (more specifically, Michael Timmins, who does the writing) are most likely the most literate, thoughtful, band to come along in ages. It is nice actually knowing them a bit also. s Emmanuel wrote:
Cheap: quoting Richard III in your song title. I bet they don't even know what it means exactly.
I like this band, but this song is sending a chill down my back, and it's not a good one. I think it's her voice.
Everytime I hear the junkies I'm taken back to the first time I ever did. I was working at Killington VT as a ski lift operator, there was this fantastic radio station out of White River Junction that I could only pull in from the top of the mountain. The DJ played something off Trinity Sessions (a brand new release at the time) and then unable to stop herself, played three or four more in a row. Margot's voice is almost as distinctive as Emmylou's.
KevDog wrote:
Is there a band with a more distinctive sound than Cowboy Junkies? Yes, but not many.
True, but that's a double-edge sword, as well. I was huge CJ fan, starting with the Trinity Sessions, but after the fourth or fifth album, it all started to sound the same to me......
Not heard the Junkies before. Now I'm hooked.
Originally Posted by trainmantim: Road trip music
Yep. With a smoke out the window.
Love them Junkies.
Originally Posted by Emmanuel: Cheap: quoting Richard III in your song title. I bet they don't even know what it means exactly.
Please let me jump on the bandwagon to bash this post: Not exactly a quote, now, is it? Allusion, maybe. And if the Cowboy Junkies can't do it, then neither can the millions of others thru the centuries, Shakespeare included, who have ever picked up a pen. John Steinbeck would kick your right here and now.
thought the quote was... Now is the winter of our discontent
Originally Posted by Myrrh: And why wouldn't they? Do you have some special gift in the interpretation of Shakespeare? How pretentious. Maybe a critique of the song might be a better approach.
The whole album is well worth a listen.
Cheap: quoting Richard III in your song title. I bet they don\'t even know what it means exactly.
Hmmmmmm! I knew this girl who would just go WILD when Cowboy Junkies played.... :D needless to say i like the CB's ALOT!!! :p Margo has a great voice, and the band plays so tightly without being over the top!