Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)

Album: A Sailor's Guide to Earth (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the opening track of A Sailor's Guide to Earth, an album written by Sturgill Simpson as a letter to his first child, who arrived during the summer of 2014. The song finds Sturgill talking directly to his son about how he loves him, despite being away at sea. It is the beginning of an extended sailor metaphor that carries on throughout the record.
  • When Simpson's son was born he began to rethink his place in the music business machinery. "I really questioned whether I wanted to spend however many more years on this bus, not being there and seeing all that was happening," he said. "That's where this record came from, just processing all that guilt and homesickness. I had to figure out a way to put that into music, so I decided to write the whole record from the perspective of a sailor going to sea and not knowing if he's ever coming home."
  • The idea has deep roots in the Simpson family: "I remembered an old letter that I read, written by my Grandfather Ora to my grandmother when he was in the Army," he recalled. "He was in the South Pacific during World War II, and he thought he was going to die. So he wrote a goodbye letter to her and their newborn son. He finally made it home five years later."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?