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Shawn Colvin — Shotgun down the Avalanche
Album: Steady On
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2208









Released: 1989
Length: 4:44
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche, ooh
Tumbling and falling down the avalanche, ooh

So be quiet tonight
The stars shine bright
On this mountain of new fallen snow
But I will raise my voice into the void
You have left me nowhere to go

I love you so much and it's so bizarre
A mystery that goes on and on and on
This is the best thing and the very most hard
And we don't get along

After countless appeals
We keep spinning our wheels
On this mountain of new fallen snow
So I let go the catch and we are over the edge
You have left me nowhere to go

I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche

Sometimes you make me lose my will to live
And just become a beacon for your soul
But the past is stronger than my will to forgive
Forgive you or myself, well I don't know

I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche, ooh
Tumbling and falling down the avalanche, ooh

So be quiet tonight
Be sure to step lightly
On this mountain of new fallen snow
But I will raise up my voice into the void
You have left me nowhere to go

I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche
Comments (164)add comment
Shawn Colvin is just plain very damn good. There have been so many times that the sound I've chased down has turned out to be hers.
amazing song.  Saw her and Mary Chapin Carpenter live together once, one of my favourite gigs of all time 
Shawn Colvin had a few guest appearances in The Larry Sanders Show. Worth finding and watching...
up to 10... from 9... Shawn Colvin has a delightful voice, and I love the production with her background singers.
What a voice...what a song! Big fat 8 from the Rockit Man.
Saw Shawn Colvin opened for Jason Isbell last month in San Francisco. She was fantastic, especially this song. This was my third time hearing her live.  She has the best between-song patter. This show she told a story about living in Berkeley when she was young with a bunch of roommates, in the attic room with roof access, going out there with a six pack of Coors too often after working in a stained glass shop.  "Drinking too much, working with broken glass all day, while trying to make it as a guitar player.  I didn't quite have it all figured out then."  
Lovely....the Austin City Limits version with Alison Krauss also excellent.
Chills every time I hear it. One of my few 10's.
 timmus wrote:

I really don't understand how this song didn't make even a ripple in the music charts.  Seeing as it's from 1989 I guess it just couldn't compete with the likes of New Kids On The Block and Paula Abdul.


Not all people want to be famous doing what they do like shawn
I'm always surprised when I learn Shawn Colvin wrote more than one song.
She's playing this album in its entirety on her tour. https://shawncolvin.com/tour/
 bdwhitepm wrote:

The electric guitar on this track sounds very Dire Straits...Its a nice sound




On Every street
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:

Yikes 1989! 

This is an example of a "timeless" song - very hard to pick the decade never mind the year from listening to it so proves that it is quality.




Sounds like 1989 to me exactly, hard to explain why but it really does.
I really don't understand how this song didn't make even a ripple in the music charts.  Seeing as it's from 1989 I guess it just couldn't compete with the likes of New Kids On The Block and Paula Abdul.
The electric guitar on this track sounds very Dire Straits...Its a nice sound
 JoBo wrote:
a strong 'amen' to that, birdland


birdland wrote:
Everything about this womans productions reeks of quality. The composition, delivery, recording and mix. Each is a pinnacle of the discipline, together they're pure genius.

Any of todays pop artists could take a page from this book and learn something.



 


 
The wonderful John Leventhal has been her long time producer.  
 Cynaera wrote:
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think.

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...
 
"Fat City", the following record, was equally strong. I see AMG picked "A Few Small Repairs" as it's top pick of her work. That was her closest thing to a mainstream hit but weaker than Steady On and Fat City.
Heard this on RP a few times... What a stunning song, and such a gorgeous voice
 Cynaera wrote:
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think.

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...
 
Ahh I miss your insights 
lovely...:)
Nice
 bruceandjenna wrote:

Listen to nothing but RP every day.  Take it in the car.  Take it on long motorcycle trips.  Plan to add a stream payment in my will for my coffin.

Hope I don't outlive it.  Life would become so tedious.  Don't see anything on the horizon to lure me away.

#LLRP!
 
Bruce between this and WFMU out of jersey city been turned on to so much fantastic music, have given up on commercial rock radio

Riding shotgun down the avalanche. 

Oh boy is that ever an apt description of a love relationship gone volatile, eh?  Something about which I suppose most can identify. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen
 EagleAB wrote:
Way to go RP just made my CD record and tapecollection obsolete
 
Listen to nothing but RP every day.  Take it in the car.  Take it on long motorcycle trips.  Plan to add a stream payment in my will for my coffin.

Hope I don't outlive it.  Life would become so tedious.  Don't see anything on the horizon to lure me away.

#LLRP!
 vaiodon wrote:
Thirty years. Still as fresh 

Timeless masterpiece,clean as a mountain air
 BibKiller wrote:
put that shotgun in my mouth and pull the trigger{#Frustrated} -mechanic1

 I'm from Head Office ... I'm here to help


Thirty years. Still as fresh and powerful.
 {#Clap} LOL! 

EagleAB wrote:
Way to go RP just made my CD record and tapecollection obsolete

 

Way to go RP just made my CD record and tapecollection obsolete
Yikes 1989! 

This is an example of a "timeless" song - very hard to pick the decade never mind the year from listening to it so proves that it is quality.
Chills. Every time. Haunting and never old.
One unique collaboration and a timeless album.
Thanks, RP!!
Saw her as warm up for fellow alumni Lyle Lovett at the Greek Theater in Berkeley.  That whole show ruined me for many subsequent concerts.
Shawn Angel

5:55 amShawn Colvin
Shotgun down the Avalanche
Steady On (1989)7
.5 5:52 amGus Black
The New Normal
The Day I Realized (2011)6.5
 5:48 amRea Garvey
Take Your Best Shot
Can't Stand the Silence (2011)6.6 
5:45 amPeter Gabriel
Of These, Hope
Passion (soundtrack) (1989)


.

.
.
I could use a double expresso with this set {#Sleep}


Shaun - you are a goddess of the singer songwriter business!  What a success! 
Hey Ol' Dirty Bastard - you inept dingle-berry.  Where are you? Jail, the ghetto, dead from a self inflicted gun shot?
No just dead from a drug over-dose.  Go figure...


I'm with you, Cynaera!  I lived in a tent for two years when I was a crazy young hippie chick, and I played this almost every night while I stood by my campfire, trying not to freeze to death, and gazing up at the stars and Northern lights between the pines over head.  "Dead of the Night" was my soundtrack song.  
Cynaera wrote:
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think. 

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...

 Cynaera wrote:
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think.

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...

 
Cynaera, how can it be that you still inspire me? Empathy, methinks.

First Dar Williams:

"As I start to wake, a vision of Dar driving the Shawn Colvin bus over to The Nields House of Ho-hum appears before me, and back to sleep I go....."

Did I conjure this? Are the Nields next? The Ambien isn't working....


 wgsu_1978 wrote:


 
Yep, a model 698 I bought new back in '77.
 And that's an Empire turntable, if I'm not mistaken.

DaveInVA wrote:


Sounds great on audiophool quality vinyl also!

 


  Love this and have only just now heard of Shawn Colvin...how did that happen? 
love it!!!
Beautiful, and attached to so many memories; it sends me right back to the CA mountains.... 
As haunting as it gets.
Leventhal the genius behind the genius.
 drictor wrote:

OMG I have that same amp sitting on my desk!  My Dad bought it new sometime in the late 60's?  Did a deep clean on it a couple of years ago and listening to RP on it now.  Still sounds great.

 
Its a Sony STR-7065 I bought back in the early 70's...Great sounding receivers.
 DaveInVA wrote:


Sounds great on audiophool quality vinyl also!

 
OMG I have that same amp sitting on my desk!  My Dad bought it new sometime in the late 60's?  Did a deep clean on it a couple of years ago and listening to RP on it now.  Still sounds great.
Lying in bed with my lover, to be my second wife, the mother of my children.
Listening to this. 1991.
Thinking about our entire future lives.
"This is the best thing, and the very most hard."
Chills.
The entire CD is unparalleled
 Cynaera wrote:
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think.

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...

 
Strong artist shares and inspires beautiful spirit
Wow, I was hit right between the ears with this one.
What a voice.
Made me go to listen to the Shawn Colvin albums I have on iTunes.  Great record and ditto to the concert events.
mine, too!!
 


Emwolb wrote:
One of my all-time favorite CDs
 


a strong 'amen' to that, birdland


birdland wrote:
Everything about this womans productions reeks of quality. The composition, delivery, recording and mix. Each is a pinnacle of the discipline, together they're pure genius.

Any of todays pop artists could take a page from this book and learn something.



 


Everything about this womans productions reeks of quality. The composition, delivery, recording and mix. Each is a pinnacle of the discipline, together they're pure genius.

Any of todays pop artists could take a page from this book and learn something.


One of my all-time favorite CDs
 PurplePrincess wrote:
A few years back I saw her give one of THE most incredible concerts ever, just her and her guitar....she sang and played on and on and we did not want to let her go. She was fantastic, so underrated.
 
So did I. After about an hour and a half, out comes Mary Chapin Carpenter, and the two of them go on for another 45 minutes. Amazing concert.
And she's flying a stairway to heaven...
put that shotgun in my mouth and pull the trigger{#Frustrated} -mechanic1
For a second, I was expecting "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
 Groogrux69 wrote:
great song from a great album.
 
this is the song that got me interested in her CD when it first came out.  played it to death.  love me some shawn...
great song from a great album.
 rtb wrote:
Saw her this summer on her tour with John Hiatt.
Fantastically strong, yet somehow understated.
 
Saw her with John Hiatt on that tour, too - they did a fantastic duet on a song that I didn't recognise. Do you remember what it was?
 jktravl wrote:
Ishould have never dumped her
 
Yeah, moron.



Sounds great on audiophool quality vinyl also!
Easy on the ears{#Music}
Great song by a great artist. 
This whole CD is incredible.  I play it when I need inspiration to write - "Dead of the Night" is moody, brooding, and incredibly beautiful. After the first time I heard it, I put a notebook and a pencil next to my bed, and I wrote down all my dreams. (Boy, my subconscious is a skeery place.) I even wrote a short story called "Dead of the Night" which had nothing to do with the topic of the song. Shawn Colvin is my muse, I think.

'Scuse me - gotta go fish out my "Steady On" CD and listen to it through the headphones. I feel a story brewing...
Ishould have never dumped her
Mute.
2nd time hearing...liking this more {#Clap}
mmm very nice
Lotion for my hangovers {#Propeller} 
 keller1 wrote:
Took this from 7 to 8 this morning.  It just cut through everything and made me feel good.
 
First time hearing for me. Makes me feel good as well {#Angel} 8.

Love her voice!

 This is the song that introduced me to Shawn! It's beautiful, melancholy, thoughtful, crisp... absolutely a PERFECT 10! {#Jump}



 Stingray wrote:
Not "eclectic" enough - Shawn,
tits are OK, though!

 
How old are you again?  Twelve?  Grow some maturity and come back when you can make an intelligent comment.  Sheesh.{#Frustrated}
One of my favourite poets, to be sure. Of course, the crystal-clear vocals, as well. Shawn's a keeper.
This was an amazing first album. Can't believe it released over 20yrs ago. {#Eek}
Took this from 7 to 8 this morning.  It just cut through everything and made me feel good.
Not "eclectic" enough - Shawn,
tits are OK, though!

 PurplePrincess wrote:
A few years back I saw her give one of THE most incredible concerts ever, just her and her guitar....she sang and played on and on and we did not want to let her go. She was fantastic, so underrated.
 
I've heard this is the BEST way to see SC perform. 15 years after becoming a fan, I'm still waiting for an opportunity to see her LIVE. {#Cry}
Again another CD that´s not available on iTunes Germany. {#Cry}
Voice ={#Roflol}=8    song= {#Wall} =2 Average=5

I love her voice. Not too sure of this song, though.
PurplePrincess wrote:
A few years back I saw her give one of THE most incredible concerts ever, just her and her guitar....she sang and played on and on and we did not want to let her go. She was fantastic, so underrated.
I listen very closely to anything she does.
A few years back I saw her give one of THE most incredible concerts ever, just her and her guitar....she sang and played on and on and we did not want to let her go. She was fantastic, so underrated.
love this album!!
Saw her this summer on her tour with John Hiatt. Fantastically strong, yet somehow understated.
Sublime! May be the next Emmy-Lou. Stone-cold natural STAR!

Her first major-label cd, and still her best. Get this if you've never heard it, kids.
See her around town sometimes. Big fan.
Crafty wrote:
"The past is stronger than my will to forgive..... you or myself, I don't know...."
"After countless appeals we keep spinning our wheels....."
"The past is stronger than my will to forgive..... you or myself, I don't know...."
Kerly wrote:
It is 10, it is more than 10. I absolutely love it!
... love love love shawn! í'm mad at you bill but thanx for the last two tracks, at least! easin' my frustration over lrc stoppin' all the time!
liked the guitar melody, very nice
mjaded wrote:
Telluride 1995+-. She played a a set with this tune. I fell hard! I was A Shawn Colvin groupie.
I was there! and also fell hard, she is an easy woman to fall for, almost imposibile not to sitting captivated in front of her ...but even that voice is enough on it's own to make a fella stand up and take notice
Love her. Love this song. One of her best!
Telluride 1995+-. She played a a set with this tune. I fell hard! I was A Shawn Colvin groupie.
hippiechick wrote:
He wanted to keep playing later, but the venue (an outdoor stadium in the heart of a conservative bastion) has a strict 10pm stopping time. Believe it or not, Chicago has the same rule. All the hoity-toities complain everytime it's too noisy. They had a fit over Lollapalooza.
I just can't fathom the notion of building an outdoor stadium and then building residential communities close to it. And this was in the hyper planned community of The Woodlands, Texas (yes the THE must be capped).
He wanted to keep playing later, but the venue (an outdoor stadium in the heart of a conservative bastion) has a strict 10pm stopping time.
Believe it or not, Chicago has the same rule. All the hoity-toities complain everytime it's too noisy. They had a fit over Lollapalooza.
birdland wrote:
My God. Shawn Colvin opening for Lyle Lovett? That must have been a hell of an evening.
It really was a great concert. Both of them were in perfect form. There were only 2 bad things. One was when Lyle came out a sang a duet with Shawn. I love both of their voices individually and paired with other fols. But for some reason their voices did not work well together. The other sad thing was that it was Lyle's last concert of the tour (back home in the Houston area). He wanted to keep playing later, but the venue (an outdoor stadium in the heart of a conservative bastion) has a strict 10pm stopping time. Appareently they fine performers a significant amount for every minute they go over 10pm.
Marr wrote:
I saw her open for Lyle Lovett once. Just her and her guitar. She did a lovely version of this.
My God. Shawn Colvin opening for Lyle Lovett? That must have been a hell of an evening.
It is 10, it is more than 10. I absolutely love it!
I saw her open for Lyle Lovett once. Just her and her guitar. She did a lovely version of this.
This is my favorite song by her, period. I agree with seeing her solo, small club, she's just wonderful.
Saw her slumming the other night at the Broken Spoke here in town. She was there incognito watching her niece perform in a rock n roll camp with my daughter. Funny. I love Austin.
BKardon wrote:
It's songs like this that make me love RP.
Yes, indeed.
I love everything she records, but to truly appreciate her as an artist, see her live and solo whenever possible. Studio recording and fronting a band limits her talent.
Vogelfrei wrote:
...Colvin's voice is nice, and she's a good guitarist, but I found the songwriting and production uninspired. Or maybe just uninspiring. But anyway, years later it sounds better to me, in small doses.
Same here. I've had many people recommend her to me over the years, but also find her uninspiring in large doses (like a whole CD). Love her voice one song at a time, though.
meh.
I got to see Shawn perform a lot when I lived in Austin - she rocks!
Red_Dawn wrote:
It's the first time I hear about Shawn Collins! This song is very beautiful. I'd like to hear more from her ;)
Shawn who?
Red_Dawn wrote:
It's the first time I hear about Shawn Collins! This song is very beautiful. I'd like to hear more from her ;)
I agree Red_Dawn. I have never heard this music or this artist before but love what I am hearing!
My local public radio station played the Dickens out of several tracks from this album when it first came out. For some reason, I never thought it was that great -- Colvin's voice is nice, and she's a good guitarist, but I found the songwriting and production uninspired. Or maybe just uninspiring. But anyway, years later it sounds better to me, in small doses.
This album got me through a bad breakup years ago. I've been a fan for more than a decade, have seen her a number of times, love her when she's got the right band with her - Stan is one of them - makes her sound good! Her songwriting is wonderful. She also did a performance on Live on West 54th St - whatever that PBS thing was. It was a pristine recording and FABULOUS. Any of their (many artists') performances were beyond great.
Very nice - haven't heard this one before. I've previously found her work a little patchy, but this one is definitely working for me. Thanks, RP - now if only work would come together as nicely as this set is...
Leslie wrote:
This is a most excellent song from Shawn's very first album. The rest of the songs are equally great. I highly recommend it.
It's a wonderful work of art...my favorite so far from Shawn. A phenomenal first effort.
It's the first time I hear about Shawn Collins! This song is very beautiful. I'd like to hear more from her ;)