Lyr Req: Time (The Revelator) (G Welch, D Rawlings

Subject: Time (the revelator)
From: GUEST,Levine
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 06:30 PM

Trying to find the lyrics to a song by Gillian Welch called Time (The revelator). Anybody?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: RichM
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 06:48 PM

Here ya go, courtesy of here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 07:27 PM

Title an obvious takeoff from "John, the Revelator," the old Blind Willie Johnson song.

Subject: Lyr Add: REVELATOR (Gillian Welch, David Rawlings)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 09:23 AM

I compared several versions I found on the Internet. The best ones are at
http://www.altcountrytab.com/gillian_welch/revelator.htm and
http://www.insurgentcountry.com/gillian_welch_revelator.txt
but there are still some mondegreens out there!

REVELATOR
(Gillian Welch and David Rawlings)

Darling, remember when you come to me,
I'm the pretender and not what I'm supposed to be,
But who could know if I'm a traitor?
Time's the revelator.

She caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
The fortune lady came along and she walked beside,
But every word seemed to date her.
Time's the revelator,
The revelator.

Up in the morning, up and on the line, [or "ride"?]
Drive into Corning, and all the spindles whine,
And every day it's getting straighter.
Time's the revelator,
The revelator.

Leaving the valley f***ing out of sight,
Think I'll go back to Cali where I can sleep out every night
And watch the waves move and fade.
Time's the revelator,
The revelator.

Queen of fakes and imitators,
Time's the revelator.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 06:40 PM

Does anyone know the correct lyrics?

The last verse doesn't seem right. "And watch the waves ,move and fade"?

Second verse "She caught the Katy"?   anyone know the meaning?
    Thanks ...Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 06:47 PM

The "Katy," or K.T., was a railroad line -- Kansas Something or other -- and the line "She caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride" comes sraight from one or more old blues numbers. "Going to Cali[fornia] where they sleep out every night" is lifted straight from a Jimmie Rodgers song. "John the Revelator" is, as mentioned already, a quote from Blind Willie Johnson.

I suspect there are other such references/quotes in there, but these are the ones I recognize. This is the first time I've encountered this particular song; I wonder how it sounds, what's the melody. Pretty interesting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:24 PM

Poppagator...Its a stunning song,by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

Its on their "Time the revelator" cd.
I heard it about three months ago on BBC TV   (channel 4 sessions).
I cant stop singing it, but cant get the last verse right.
The lyrics on this thread dont seem to fit with what I heard.

Thanks for the info on the KT....very interesting.

If you havn't heard any of Welch and Rawlings, you'e got a rare treat in store...AKE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:33 PM

MKT- Missouri Kansas Texas Line, always called the Katy. Galveston and Houston, and San Antonio to the west, north to St. Louis and Omaha (branch through Enid to Salina).
A song that makes no sense to me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Tansy
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:50 PM

If you are one of the people who HASN'T heard Gillian Welch's voice, you are mmissing something grand. She has a haunting Mezzo-Soprano range with some rough edges to her voice. She and Rawlings write a lot of their own music but when she covers traditional tunes or even modern classics, she makes them all her own. Her version of Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind" on the Parsons Tribute CD RETURN OF THE GRIEVOUS ANGEL is stark and mysterious - one of the most beautiful versions of that song you'll eve rhear. She makes it sound a hundred years old.

She's one of a small group of new traditionalists who have really had an effect on Country music as a whole, proving that the slick, Hunky Cowboys and light-weight beauty queens no longer have the industry in a strangle-hold. However, she doesn't get much radio play because her music isn't cotton candy. She's done duets with Alison Krause that are wonderful. Check out "I'll Fly Away" on the OH BROTHER... CD, that's her!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:53 PM

Thanks Q....The meaning of the song is a bit obscure to me also.

Its full of great imagery though.

I thought maybe West Coast girl,unhappy with life in "Dust Bowl " farming environment...Living a lie??   Longing for louche Californian lifesyle.....What ya think?...Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 08:00 PM

Tansy ...I agree, Im addicted to Gillian Welch.

Love her Gospel stuff...Check out "By the marks"
Rawlings guitar work and harmonies are the perfect foil to Gillians amazing voice....Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 02:01 PM

THis is my favourite song at the moment! I saw a them doing a gig, recorded for BBC 4 on Tv. I watched it after hearing the 'Oh brother where art thou' soundtrack, and i was absolutely astounded. Gillian Welch is an amazing songwriter and singer, and i now want to play guitar like David Rawlings instead of Jimi Hendrix...

If you haven't heard them, you haven't lived!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 02:05 PM

maybe these, from sing365.com?

Darling, remember
When you come to me
I'm the pretender
And not what I'm supposed to be
But who could know if I'm a traitor
Time's the revelator

They caught the katy
And left me a mule to ride
The fortune lady
Came along, she walked beside
But every word seemed to date her
Time's the revelator
The revelator

Up in the morning
Up and on the ride
I drive into Corning
And all the spindles whine
And every day is getting straighter
Time's the revelator
The revelator

Leaving the valley
And fucking out of sight
I'll go back to Cali
Where I can sleep out every night
And watch the waves and move the fader
Time's the revelator
The revelator

Queen of the fakes and imitators
Time's the revelator

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: akenaton
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 05:34 PM

BI.... "Move and fader"???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 07:04 PM

Dunno. I just found it...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 07 Nov 04 - 05:00 PM

Railroad songs are frequently difficult for us to understand. Initials of track-building entities become names, jargon becomes the language of a song, and the classes and groups who lived by, on, through the influence of the business of railroading (those who would "get" the songs) pass out of existence. We have to look for scholars and historians/folklorists to explain them to us.

The MKT was a big deal in Texas. There is even a town on the west side of Houston, which sits astride the MKT tracks, officially named KATY, because that was the short form used to refer to that freight line. Remember, this was a big agricultural area, with lots of product to be hauled to market -- beef, rice, beans, sugar, even cotton -- big cash crops. Folks would have built their lives around the train schedules and business entities that received and moved materials and equipment. Gillian W. has obviously known some of those folks.    Tw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (the revelator)
From: moocowpoo
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 10:01 AM

I'm drifting,,,, a-drifting But I went to see Gillian and Dave rawlings 2 nights ago (in Sydney). The memories of that concert give me goosebumps and a smile, they're both wonderful, soulful artists and!!, The best cover I've ever heard, of 'girls just wanna have fun' was sung by dave! (although a guy up the back requested 'little red corvette',there's nothing wrong with a slice of cheese!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (The Revelator) (G Welch, D Rawlings
From: GUEST,tpolk
Date: 03 Nov 20 - 07:08 AM

I learned to play/sing this song and in so doing listened to it literally hundreds of times. Personally, I don't think any of the online lyrics get it exactly right. My version is below although if anyone has evidence I got something wrong or additional insight into the meaning of the lyrics, I'd love to hear it.

I'm pretty sure the song is about Gillian Welch's experience in the country music business. Although most country musicians were from Tennessee or somewhere in the south and grew up playing country music, Gillian grew up in California and didn't really start playing country music until she was finishing college at UC Santa Cruz. Verse 1 conveys the idea that she was seen by some industry insiders as a "pretender" who was not what she was "supposed to be", and a "traitor". As her Wikipedia page points out, her debut album Revival was criticized on these grounds.

The second verse suggests that being an outsider was a significant obstacle to her professional career. While insiders "caught the Katy" (a famous railroad line) and rose quickly to success, she was left with "a mule to ride" and her success took longer. Ultimately however "the fortune lady came along" and "walked beside", and Gillian managed to succeed in the business. The third verse ("every day is getting straighter") also conveys the idea that things got better over time.

After finishing her education, Gillian moved to Nashville to pursue a country music career but verse 4 suggests that living in Tennessee was frustrating and made her want to move back to California ("Leaving the valley...out of sight...go back to Cali"). By the way, I think "move the fader" is a reference to a mixing board in a recording studio.

Over time, of course, Gillian overcame all these obstacles, became a star, and was vindicated. Time revealed that she was not the "queen of fakes" or "an imitator" (outro), but that her music is authentic and powerful. Time's the revelator.

Here's my version of the lyrics:

    Darling remember, when you come to me
    I’m the pretender, and not what I’m supposed to be
    But who could know if I’m a traitor?
    Time’s the revelator

    They caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride
    The fortune lady came along, she walked beside
    But every word seemed to date her
    Time’s the revelator, the revelator

    Up in the morning, up and on the line
    Drivin’ to Corning and all the spindles wind
    And every day is gettin’ straighter
    Time’s the revelator, the revela—tor

    Leavin’ the valley, f***in’ out of sight
    I’ll go back to Cali where I can sleep out every night
    And watch the waves and move the fader
    Time’s the revelator, the revelator

    Queen of fakes, an imitator
    Time’s the revelator

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Time (The Revelator) (G Welch, D Rawlings
From: voyager
Date: 04 Nov 20 - 03:42 PM

I never understand how Welch/Rawlins can play/sing so soulful so slowly.

voyager