Song of the Week: Bitterrroot

[GrrrlRomeo]

This week's song is Bitterroot from the album Become You (http://indigovortex.com/index.php?pg=album&t=386) (Which apparently I haven't added the lyrics to yet)

Discuss it, rate how you like it on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. If you tabbed the song you can also post it in this thread if you like.

*For these threads please keep the topic related to the song.

Lyrics from lifeblood.net (http://www.lifeblood.net/songs/athruz/bitterroot.html)

tonight i'll be sleeping on the mountain top
i got a billion stars for my witness
in the morning i'll go down and the sun comes up
and i'll take a drink from the bitter root river

have you been lonely
(yes i've been lonely)
i've been lonely too

have you been lonely
(yes i've been lonely)
i've been lonely too

tonight i'll be sleeping on the mountain top
i got a billion stars for my witness
in the morning i'll go down and the sun comes up
i'll take a drink from the bitter root river

have you been travelin
(yes i've been travelin)
i've been travelin too

(that girl can play)

have you been travelin
(yes i've been travelin)
i've been travelin too

(lordy help me to play)

tonight i'll be sleeping on the mountain top
i got a billion stars for my witness
in the morning i'll go down and the sun comes up
i'll take a drink from the bitter root river
i'll take a drink from the bitter root river
i'll take a drink from the bitter root river

words and music by amy ray

[Summer]

While this is by no means my favorite Amy-penned song (or even my favorite Amy-penned song on this specific album), it's a lot of fun to crank while driving down the interstate. I mean, could you ask for a more obvious traveling song? It's upbeat, it's fun, and thanks to the live performances, it gives me a whole new appreciation for Chickenman, which - to be honest - I had gotten really, really tired of prior to the Chickenroot incarnation.

That said, I'll admit that the lyrics are not her best and are, in fact, insanely repetitious. Still, the bounciness of the music and that "have-you-been-travelin'" call-and-response vibe overcome the shortcomings and make this, for me, a good song. It's a strong contributor to my feeling that - for sheer variety of themes and musical styles - BY is one of Amy's strongest albums.

I give it a 4.

[wrldgrl]

I give it a three...I dunno why. Maybe I should throw it a four.

I do enjoy this song, especially in it's rebirth in Chickenroot. I love the call and response....and I have a lovely little nicname for this song, that I shall spare the masses.

I like the bouncy vibe of this song. Makes me wanna sleep on a mountain top. And, of course, drink from the river.

WG

[golden]

I gave it a 4. I agree with a few of the lyric comments - nothing brilliant or witty here in the writing - but its a really cool upbeat song. I too like the ChickenRoot version - the Emily solo in it is always killer and she changes it up from time to time.

I also enjoyed when Amy would sing this without guitar and just stomp and blow on her harmonica and leave all the guitar parts up to Emily.

So yeah - a 4,
G.

[femalelakerfan]

nice thread MEO!

I gave it a 4.

It's an Amy Song.
I love how Malone busted into it in Mikeys living room for a second or two
I usually have to travel to see IG so I like to sing that part "yes I've been traveling"

[wrldgrl]

Ohhhhhh, I forgot about Amy stomping and singing sans guitar. They opened a show I saw with this song, she was wearing the bondage pants.

One of the best nights of my life,
WG

[Smorl]

Chickenroot has been a staple on the UK tour, Emily's solo has been getting longer as the tour has gone on, I love it live but I'm not as much of a fan on cd.

[paulie]

I think just an ok song, definitely not one of Amy's best......it is fun to play loud and bounce along to it in the car yelling the response lines, but otherwise clearly not the best lyrics ever....like the slide guitar though

[GrrrlRomeo]

If I were just rating the album version, I give it a 3. If I were rating the live version I'd give it a 5. So...I'm giving it a 4. heh.

I heard this song as played with Chickenman before BY was recorded. I was kinda disappointed that Emily's guitar work was way tamer on the studio version.

[QHShowoman]

I like "Bitterroot." Actually, I pretty much like the whole album. I agree with Meo, that it's much more impressive live, when Emily ad libs her guitar solos, but fundamentally, I like the song because of the images it invokes ...