Wasted Acres

Album: Painted Ruins (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen told NPR the background to this ode to riding a Honda four-wheeler through an open field.

    "This one started as a slightly tongue-in-cheek song about trying to keep track of my wily hound dog while hauling firewood on an old ATV (the trx-250) in remote upstate, New York. I felt like it captured a little bit of the absurdity and genuine loneliness of being a cosmopolitan interloper in the countryside. I also liked the idea of glamorizing a trashy ATV, as if it has some significance beyond being an old, gas-guzzling deathtrap."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)Songwriter Interviews

The co-writer/guitarist on many Alice Cooper hits, Dick was also Lou Reed's axeman on the Rock n' Roll Animal album.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.