International Small Arms Traffic Blues | |
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Album |
Tallahassee |
Released |
2002 |
Artist |
the Mountain Goats |
Length |
2:51 |
Previous track |
"Peacocks" |
Next Track |
International Small Arms Traffic Blues is the 10th song on the album Tallahassee. It was performed by Tiger Waves in Tallahassee Turns Ten. The song is featured on Showtime series Weeds.
Lyrics
My love is like a powder keg My love is like a powder keg in the corner of an empty warehouse Somewhere just outside of town About to burn down My love is like a Cuban plane My love is like a Cuban plane flying from Havana Up the Florida coast to the 'Glades Soviet made Our love is like the border between Greece and Albania Our love is like the border between Greece and Albania Trucks loaded down with weapons Crossing over every night Moon yellow and bright There is a shortage in the blood supply But there is no shortage of blood The way I feel about you baby can't explain it You got the best of my love
Comments by John Darnielle About this Song
- "This is a love song. The people in it are poor at their job, which is to love each other. They're doing the best they can, but I personally don't feel that they should be afforded any particular, you know, merit badges for that. 'I was doing the best I could'? That really doesn't hold a lot of water in a house like theirs. At the same time, as soon as I say that, I feel bad, because I know they're not going to make it to the end of this marriage and so I feel bad about that. What can you do?" -- 2005-05-05 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
Things Referenced in this Song
- The last 2 lines are a reference to the song Best of My Love by The Emotions.[1] The second last line is a lyric from the song, and the last line is the name of the song.
Live Shows this Song Was Played at
- 2002-11-03 - The Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
- 2002-11-06 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
- 2002-11-08 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
- 2002-11-13 - Opolis - Norman, OK
- 2003-01-29 - Mean Fiddler - London, England
- 2003-02-01 - Briton's Protection - Manchester, England
- 2003-02-06 - Spitz - London, England
- 2003-02-14 - Substanz - Munich, Germany
- 2003-04-09 - Will's Pub - Orlando, FL
- 2003-07-02 - The Guinguette Pirate - Paris, France
- 2003-08-23 - Breadstretchers - Springfield, IL
- 2003-09-26 - Walter's on Washington - Houston, TX
- 2003-10-03 - Berbati's Pan - Portland, OR
- 2003-10-04 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
- 2003-11-11 - Kimmel Center - New York University - New York, NY
- 2004-02-11 - Mills College Chapel - Oakland, CA
- 2004-02-18 - The EARL - Atlanta, GA
- 2004-02-20 - Will's Pub - Orlando, FL
- 2004-02-26 - The Maintenance Shop - Ames, IA
- 2004-03-02 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
- 2004-03-03 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
- 2004-03-05 - T.T. the Bear's - Cambridge, MA
- 2004-03-31 - ICA - London, England
- 2004-08-20 - Durham Music Festival - Durham Armory - Durham, NC
- 2004-10-04 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
- 2004-10-11 - The Black Cat - Washington, D.C.
- 2004-10-12 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
- 2004-10-15 - The Social - Orlando, FL
- 2005-03-23 - Emo's - Austin, TX
- 2005-04-28 - Will's Pub - Orlando, FL
- 2005-05-02 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
- 2005-05-03 - The Black Cat - Washington, D.C.
- 2005-05-05 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
- 2005-05-07 - Northsix - Brooklyn, NY
- 2005-09-15 - Jive - Adelaide, Australia
- 2005-10-12 - The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
- 2007-03-31 - Fritz's Corner @ Debaser - Stockholm, Sweden
- 2007-05-05 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
- 2008-08-17 - Folks Festival - Lyons, CO
- 2008-10-14 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI
- 2008-10-18 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
- 2008-10-24 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
- 2008-10-25 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA
- 2008-10-29 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
- 2008-10-31 - The Foundation - Lubbock, TX
- 2008-11-06 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C.
- 2008-12-09 - The Rosemount - Perth, Australia
- 2008-12-10 - Billboard - Melbourne, Australia
- 2008-12-14 - The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia
- 2009-02-25 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
- 2009-03-07 - Harvest of Hope Festival - St. Augustine, FL
- 2009-03-18 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
- 2009-03-21 - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue - Washington, D.C.
- 2009-04-01 - Portage Theater - Chicago, IL
- 2009-04-03 - Mission Creek Music Festival - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
- 2009-09-18 - Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY
- 2012-01-19 - Antone's - Austin, TX
- 2012-01-21 - Tipitina's - New Orleans, LA
- 2012-01-24 - The Social - Orlando, FL
- 2012-01-28 - The EARL - Atlanta, GA
- 2012-01-30 - 40 Watt Club - Athens, GA
- 2012-01-31 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC
- 2012-02-03 - The Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC
- 2012-04-21 - The Gargoyle - St. Louis, MO
- 2012-05-01 - The Bakery - Perth, Australia
- 2012-05-04 - The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia
- 2012-05-06 - The Metro - Sydney, Australia
- 2012-05-08 - The Clarendon - Katoomba, Australia
- 2012-05-09 - The Toff in Town - Melbourne, Australia
- 2012-05-10 - The Corner Hotel - Melbourne, Australia
- 2012-07-28 - Antiwarpt Festival - St. Petersburg, FL
- 2012-12-13 - Origami Vinyl - Los Angeles, CA
- 2013-06-04 - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts - York, PA
- 2013-06-05 - Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ
- 2013-06-08 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
- 2013-06-19 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
- 2013-06-22 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL
- 2013-06-24 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- 2013-06-26 - The Charleston Pourhouse - Charleston, SC
- 2013-07-06 - Festival for the Eno - Durham, NC
- 2013-10-19 - Caprichos de Apolo - Barcelona, Spain
- 2014-02-28 - Rangos Ballroom - Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA
- 2014-06-11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
- 2016-05-12 - The Pinhook - Durham, NC
- 2017-05-28 - Trees - Dallas, TX
- 2017-06-02 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
- 2017-07-08 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
- 2017-07-12 - Peabody Opera House - St. Louis, MO
- 2017-11-15 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH
- 2017-11-16 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
Videos of this Song
- 2003-07-02 - The Guinguette Pirate - Paris, France
- 2008-08-17 - Folks Festival - Lyons, CO
- 2009-02-25 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
- 2009-03-07 - Harvest of Hope Festival - St. Augustine, FL
- 2009-04-01 - Portage Theater - Chicago, IL
- 2012-04-21 - The Gargoyle - St. Louis, MO
- 2013-06-19 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
Tallahassee |
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Track list: "Tallahassee" • "First Few Desperate Hours" • "Southwood Plantation Road" • "Game Shows Touch Our Lives" • "The House That Dripped Blood" • "Idylls of the King" • "No Children" • "See America Right" • "Peacocks" • "International Small Arms Traffic Blues" • "Have to Explode" • "Old College Try" • "Oceanographer's Choice" • "Alpha Rats Nest" |
The "Alpha" Series |
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Track list: "Alpha Aquae" • "Alpha Desperation March" • "Alpha Double Negative: Going to Catalina" • "Alpha Gelida" • "Alpha Incipiens" • "Alpha Negative" • "Alpha Omega" • "Alpha Rats Nest" • "Alpha Sun Hat" • "Alpha in Tauris" • "Alphabetizing" • "Letter from a Motel" • "One Winter at Point Alpha Privative" • "Spilling Toward Alpha" • "Fit Alpha Vi" • "Alpha Compunction" • "Going to Dade County" • "Tallahassee" • "First Few Desperate Hours" • "Southwood Plantation Road" • "Game Shows Touch Our Lives" • "The House That Dripped Blood" • "Idylls of the Kings" • "No Children" • "See America Right" • "Peacocks" • "International Small Arms Traffic Blues" • "Have to Explode" • "Old College Try" • "Oceanographer's Choice" • "Ethiopians" • "Alpha Chum Gatherer" • "New Chevrolet in Flames" • "Design Your Own Container Garden" • "Going to Federal Prison" • "Orange Ball of Hate" |