Oh Shawn, I don't think this world deserves you. Your talent is the underlying foundation of life and this world fights those who can connect to that ever flowing stream of love, that is what you bring when you write and sing. Please don't stop for anything. You are LOVED.
"Shotgun Down the Avalanche". My favorite Shawn Colvin song. Sad song of lost love. I still remember when I heard this song for the first time, many years ago. I was shopping in a Santa Monica luggage and purse shop. While looking around in the store, this song came on the radio and I just stood there listening. I was hoping that the singer would be identified after the song was over. I was not familiar with Shawn Colvin at the time. So the radio station did say her name and my next mission was to find it to buy it. Found it a few weeks later at a record shop in Burbank. 😊
It's the conflict that brings the privacy of love. I watched her in Park City a couple of weeks ago, I've never felt so humble to be in the presence of such talent.
Paradiso, Amsterdam - wow - I was there in the 70's when I was soooo young. Didn't know this place was still around. I remember (in those days) everyone sitting in this hugh place - no seats but everyone was sitting on the floor - Danish , British, Germans, Americans - we were all sooooo young - teens and some in their 20's. The room was very dimly lit and this big stage with many different singers - folk and rock - don't know who the singers were now - but it was great fun for a teenager then!
You obviously have never been caught up in a turbulent, disastrous, hopeless relationship. You are at the mercy of the other person who is driving things while you feel trapped riding shotgun as they steer by means of their erratic will and emotions. It’s hopeless but you do not feel capable of getting off. You blame them for willfully hurting you and you blame yourself for putting up with it, when you know a healthy person would just find a way to quit. It’s harder still when kids are involved...aka hostages.
As a lifelong snow skier I relate to this in a very visceral way. When you've had a few days of sunny skiing and you get that hard freeze at night, and the icy conditions and then it clouds up, and dumps 24 hours continuous of fresh snow over the ice, and you have to get out and get that fresh powder run, off the summit. And you take the risk and ski down the chute, because its now new and there is all that new untracked snow, and know you can sit back, ride the tails, and you can criss cross up the sides of the draw in order to control your speed. And you have to do it, because its so beautiful, the new fallen snow. But when the snow breaks loose from the ice, and starts to slide beneath and you start to feel what seems like the whole mountain giving way beneath your skis, you know damn well that you'd better stay on your feet, or you're going to be swept into a pile of snow and debris at the bottom. Then you stop your controlled back and forth up the steep sides trying to control your speed, because its all breaking away, and you get into the trough, and "ride shotgun down the avalanche," until you reach a place wide enough that you can ski out of the avalanche onto a safe place and out of the thundering trough. Its that destructive relationship that pulls you in because you can see the beauty and the damage of the person you love, and you're sure that you can be the one that makes it all better. But once the ground begins to slide under your feet, you hold on, helpless, knowing you have to see it through to the end. And you know it may leave you battered and broken, and your best ending is that you might be able to ski off to the edge and watch it thunder on down the mountain. But you might also have the best downhill run of your life, the kind that inspires great stories, and great songs, like this one. Yeah, safe to say I've shed a few tears to this song. I've lived it. both in the snow, and in a couple relationships. Sean Colvin captured it in language I could understand, and sings it with a pathos I have felt.
Sorry you never got a clear answer to your good question! "Riding shotgun" is an American expression. It's not used in my country (UK) so I also didn't have a clear definition! It means sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. So the image of someone tumbling down with snow shows them as being in a terrible situation in their relationship.
@@unturnthisstone I have always thought it referred to a troubled relationship with someone addicted to cocaine. Maura O'Connell does a great cover and her song "Blue Chalk" speaks of a similar dilema
Great, great video to match the metaphoric lines. Love this lady.
I have been obsessed by this song and this singer ever since I first heard her. Our beloved angel.
This is the first Shawn Colvin song I heard. It hit me like the brick in a Crazy Cat comic strip, that little mouse still got it.
Oh Shawn, I don't think this world deserves you. Your talent is the underlying foundation of life and this world fights those who can connect to that ever flowing stream of love, that is what you bring when you write and sing. Please don't stop for anything. You are LOVED.
A song like this only comes around once in a life time.
The most beautiful song ever written on this earth !!! Xxx
"Shotgun Down the Avalanche".
My favorite Shawn Colvin song. Sad song of lost love.
I still remember when I heard this song for the first time, many years ago.
I was shopping in a Santa Monica luggage and purse shop.
While looking around in the store, this song came on the radio and I just stood there listening. I was hoping that the singer would be identified after the song was over. I was not familiar with Shawn Colvin at the time.
So the radio station did say her name and my next mission was to find it to buy it. Found it a few weeks later at a record shop in Burbank. 😊
GLAD! BARBARA
Beautiful song
It's the conflict that brings the privacy of love. I watched her in Park City a couple of weeks ago, I've never felt so humble to be in the presence of such talent.
Paradiso, Amsterdam - wow - I was there in the 70's when I was soooo young. Didn't know this place was still around. I remember (in those days) everyone sitting in this hugh place - no seats but everyone was sitting on the floor - Danish , British, Germans, Americans - we were all sooooo young - teens and some in their 20's. The room was very dimly lit and this big stage with many different singers - folk and rock - don't know who the singers were now - but it was great fun for a teenager then!
this is just a gorgeous song. beautiful poetry, melody and haunting performance
WONDERFUL
brilliant song.
this is my favorite version of this song
always a pro shawn colvin never dissapoints her fans, here she shows us why
I was there and Shawn is so amazing live.....
I heard this soon after it was released, been hooked ever since.
Shawn thanks for all the wonderful music.
phenomenal voice and that guitar playing
Fantastic voice.
a lovely performance
Just wow
How could anyone in their right mind give this video a thumbs down?
tired or mad
Love it
Her best performance of this song was on Austin City Limits when she sang it with Alison Krauss
I think so as well
I think the lyrics suggest a woman dealing with an abusive situation - deciding to leave or stay...
Seriously, who are the Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell's of this generation?
check out AJ Lee of Blue Summit
geniuses.
Blue was moody but this song is so much darker. I'd have to call it Black.
I wonder, what does it actually mean: riding shotgun down the avalanche?
You obviously have never been caught up in a turbulent, disastrous, hopeless relationship. You are at the mercy of the other person who is driving things while you feel trapped riding shotgun as they steer by means of their erratic will and emotions. It’s hopeless but you do not feel capable of getting off. You blame them for willfully hurting you and you blame yourself for putting up with it,
when you know a healthy person would just find a way to quit. It’s harder still when kids are involved...aka hostages.
@@timmymcdiddy5502 ......usually narcissistic people who are mean and cruel.
As a lifelong snow skier I relate to this in a very visceral way. When you've had a few days of sunny skiing and you get that hard freeze at night, and the icy conditions and then it clouds up, and dumps 24 hours continuous of fresh snow over the ice, and you have to get out and get that fresh powder run, off the summit. And you take the risk and ski down the chute, because its now new and there is all that new untracked snow, and know you can sit back, ride the tails, and you can criss cross up the sides of the draw in order to control your speed.
And you have to do it, because its so beautiful, the new fallen snow. But when the snow breaks loose from the ice, and starts to slide beneath and you start to feel what seems like the whole mountain giving way beneath your skis, you know damn well that you'd better stay on your feet, or you're going to be swept into a pile of snow and debris at the bottom.
Then you stop your controlled back and forth up the steep sides trying to control your speed, because its all breaking away, and you get into the trough, and "ride shotgun down the avalanche," until you reach a place wide enough that you can ski out of the avalanche onto a safe place and out of the thundering trough.
Its that destructive relationship that pulls you in because you can see the beauty and the damage of the person you love, and you're sure that you can be the one that makes it all better. But once the ground begins to slide under your feet, you hold on, helpless, knowing you have to see it through to the end. And you know it may leave you battered and broken, and your best ending is that you might be able to ski off to the edge and watch it thunder on down the mountain. But you might also have the best downhill run of your life, the kind that inspires great stories, and great songs, like this one.
Yeah, safe to say I've shed a few tears to this song. I've lived it. both in the snow, and in a couple relationships. Sean Colvin captured it in language I could understand, and sings it with a pathos I have felt.
Sorry you never got a clear answer to your good question! "Riding shotgun" is an American expression. It's not used in my country (UK) so I also didn't have a clear definition! It means sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. So the image of someone tumbling down with snow shows them as being in a terrible situation in their relationship.
@@unturnthisstone I have always thought it referred to a troubled relationship with someone addicted to cocaine. Maura O'Connell does a great cover and her song "Blue Chalk" speaks of a similar dilema
Kills me