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Joseph Arthur — Can't Exist
Album: Our Shadows Will Remain
Avg rating:
6.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 595









Released: 2004
Length: 4:05
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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Well I can't exist
When you disappear
Disintegrate tonight
Swallow everything

Sister don't be scared
A thousand times or more
I've walked away alive
On my feet again

(Kill/Give your life/love?)
I will wait for you mother
I will wait for you father
I will wait for you sister
I will wait for you brother

But I can't exist
So I can't explain
How I lost a thousand dollars
On the street again

Sister don't be scared
A thousand times or more
I've walked away alive
On my feet again

(Kill/Give your life/love?)
I will wait for you mother
I will wait for you father
I will wait for you sister
I will wait for you brother
Comments (59)add comment
 Welly wrote:
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
 
Sonny Bono?  The multi-track vocals resemble a few different singers in different spots, but no one overtly, to me.
Posted 7 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
 Welly wrote:
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
 
Sonny Bono?  The multi-track vocals resemble a few different singers in different spots (including that other Bono), but no one overly-so, to me.  
Posted 7 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
 chrisross wrote:
Sounds like Weezer without the band

 

Sounds like Weezer wtihout the bland.
Posted 10 years ago by coolpeople_rule    [ Reply ]
Sounds like Weezer without the band
Posted 10 years ago by chrisross    [ Reply ]
This is one of my most favorite songs in the world...seeing him play this live way back before Peter Gabriel picked him up was amazing..I talked to him outside for an hour before the show....he painted an incredible painting while he did his set....genius  
Posted 11 years ago by kymoonshine    [ Reply ]
 cohifi wrote:
I had given it a 4 before, but for multiple reasons it now gets a 7. 

 
I've gone the other way around on account of yer man's rasping, grating voice. Nice backing, though, which sort of makes up for it.

Posted 13 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
 coding_to_music wrote:

 
{#Roflol} . . . a little 'loopy' . . . {#Stupid}
Posted 13 years ago by a_genuine_find    [ Reply ]
I get the feeling every Joseph Arthur song has the same vocal sound as this, i know just a few... Even if that's not the case, i'm tired of hearing it...

5

Posted 14 years ago by Sjaaks    [ Reply ]
I had given it a 4 before, but for multiple reasons it now gets a 7.  Killer set regardless!

Posted 14 years ago by cohifi    [ Reply ]
When I hear the opening drum track for this song, it always puts a smile on my face.  Thanks Bill..

{#Bananajam}
Posted 15 years ago by fergie348    [ Reply ]

7 {#Arrow} 8

Posted 15 years ago by vandal    [ Reply ]
Saw him live this year in NY, great show.
Posted 15 years ago by a_genuine_find    [ Reply ]
 Welly wrote:
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
 
It's you.  I'm still listening.  If it resembled The Goggled One in the least it would be silent in here.

Posted 16 years ago by ROSSinDETROIT    [ Reply ]
Jack_Jefferson wrote:
I saw him do the looping of guitar and synthesizer at a Mountain Stage show a few years ago. The looping resulted in a really cool sound. I thought to myself: "That sound would be perfect for a police, fire or ambulance siren."
I saw Peter Elkas do a similar thing at the Media Club a few years back, looping instruments and his own vocals to build up songs in layers. Very cool. Actually got video of that show, I should dig it up and watch it.
Posted 16 years ago by cosmiclint    [ Reply ]
never heard of this guy before but definitely enjoying it!
Posted 16 years ago by K_Love    [ Reply ]
Monster wrote:
This guy is Genius..when I saw him he was alone...placed a huge canvas behind him which he painted on the entire show while playing..he would smack the guitar and loop that for drums..then loop his voice doing the backing vocals...he could just walk back and paint while the loops played..awesome..when he was done he had painted an incredible, huge painting. Super nice guy...
I saw him do the looping of guitar and synthesizer at a Mountain Stage show a few years ago. The looping resulted in a really cool sound. I thought to myself: "That sound would be perfect for a police, fire or ambulance siren."
Posted 16 years ago by Jack_Jefferson    [ Reply ]
Monster wrote:
This guy is Genius..when I saw him he was alone...placed a huge canvas behind him which he painted on the entire show while playing..he would smack the guitar and loop that for drums..then loop his voice doing the backing vocals...he could just walk back and paint while the loops played..awesome..when he was done he had painted an incredible, huge painting. Super nice guy...
I just can't wait to get a chance to see him!
Posted 16 years ago by lettucelove    [ Reply ]
This guy is Genius..when I saw him he was alone...placed a huge canvas behind him which he painted on the entire show while playing..he would smack the guitar and loop that for drums..then loop his voice doing the backing vocals...he could just walk back and paint while the loops played..awesome..when he was done he had painted an incredible, huge painting. Super nice guy...
Posted 16 years ago by Monster    [ Reply ]
Tis a pleasant tune
Posted 17 years ago by EssexTex    [ Reply ]
Welly wrote:
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
... you and everyone else
Posted 17 years ago by themotion    [ Reply ]
Welly wrote:
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
I thought (this song - not much of his other work) sounds like Beck.
Posted 17 years ago by dogdokken    [ Reply ]
This guy's dyslexia really does it for me and his album Big City Secrets is fairly definitive.
Posted 17 years ago by maxmox    [ Reply ]
Love this song
Posted 17 years ago by Nicoblue    [ Reply ]
Posted 17 years ago by coding_to_music    [ Reply ]
starcloud wrote:
Knows what he's doing, great lyrics and commanding stage presence. He uses a device mounted on his acoustic guitar to create percussion and then layers this with rhythm loops, all generated live on stage, no recordings.
(click here) - explains it very well
Posted 18 years ago by DigitalJer    [ Reply ]
Is it just me or does he sound like Bono?
Posted 18 years ago by Welly    [ Reply ]
Powerfully good.
Posted 18 years ago by fuh2    [ Reply ]
middleagedhipster wrote:
well done Joe, very similar sound to the latest Ryan Adams, sounds like a Replacements outake like much of Ryan’s album did. Great little piece on Joeseph arthur in the latest Paste magazine
Funny. I only caught the last 45 seconds or so of this song, but I was thinking, "Is that Bryan Adams' guitar riff from 'Run to You' floating around in the background?" Maybe it was just the mushrooms I had with dinner...
Posted 18 years ago by jruhnke    [ Reply ]
Knows what he's doing, great lyrics and commanding stage presence. He uses a device mounted on his acoustic guitar to create percussion and then layers this with rhythm loops, all generated live on stage, no recordings. He's truly an AV spectacle that rivals his studio performace. I saw him Oct. 2005 at the World Cafe in Phila. Great 2 hour solo performance. I would stongly recommend seeing him and would do so again without reservation.
Posted 18 years ago by starcloud    [ Reply ]
thewiseking wrote:
good luck seeing this knucklehead live.
I tried to see him in 2003 only to have the concert cancelled because he had bronchitis. Still haven't been able to see him live.
Posted 18 years ago by JCEntMan    [ Reply ]
The cover art is freaky, at least....
Posted 18 years ago by Zweiblumen    [ Reply ]
Drunq and like it. 7.5.
Posted 19 years ago by brickdog    [ Reply ]
Frightfully good
Posted 19 years ago by fuh2    [ Reply ]
thewiseking wrote:
good luck seeing this knucklehead live.
Hmm.. when I saw him live ('02 or '03, I think), he put on a great show.. even got to sorta meet him before the show.. he commented on my Peter Gabriel shirt.. or rather kinda pointed and nodded. My only complaint was with the venue.. I'm not much into the overcrowded club thing...
Posted 19 years ago by DocGuy    [ Reply ]
good luck seeing this knucklehead live. i saw him back in the summer of 01 up in woodstock. he took the stage over an hour late. apparently there was great difficulty for him and his backers to simply tune up, combined with the usual narcissistic/histrionic artiste bullshit. anyway, the show was o.k. at best. his opening act, josh joplin, totally stole the show.
Posted 19 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
Yeah, a bit like Pete Yorn. Still, something about this just makes me turn it up and listen... Man, I'm hearing so much stuff I'd never heard before... RP is pulling me out of the armpit of the backwoods and into the main vein of the slipstream. Uh, forget I said that.
Posted 19 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]
MaleFunktion-stop overANALyzing and take some Viagra for god sake. Forget the misty past and go with the flow man! This song rocks!
Posted 19 years ago by fuh2    [ Reply ]
Is it me, or am I listening to the lead singer from the Stereophonics aged 30 years from now? :-k And what's with the possible tinge of Tom Petty in there?... Don't like this one... too confusing...
Posted 19 years ago by maLeFunKtion    [ Reply ]
randomprime wrote:
To me he looks like Buster from Arrested Development ...
haaaaa...buster. that makes my experience of this song entirely different now...
Posted 19 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]
His best album yet, his music is so well played and produced. I'm seeing him soon here in London, can't wait.
Posted 19 years ago by merkin_muffley    [ Reply ]
anyone noticed that this guy sounds a bit like (the present day, older) Robert Plant?
Posted 19 years ago by apecat    [ Reply ]
Gregorama wrote:
I'm thinking of a number between 6 and 8...
That makes two of us. Yummy way to close down my office for the day.
Posted 19 years ago by ChardRemains    [ Reply ]
Is this the UK guy that recorded all the instruments in his basement? EDIT: just did my homework, i see he's not. little off. Although in my journey I found out that he was discovered by Peter Gabriel, another Radio Paradise resident.
Posted 19 years ago by Fat_Man_Flo    [ Reply ]
trekhead wrote:
"Half a bee,Philisophically, Must ipso-facto half NOT be."
Good one!
Posted 19 years ago by winter    [ Reply ]
This tune rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrocks
Posted 19 years ago by fuh2    [ Reply ]
rah wrote:
just got thrown into the "wish i didn't know what you looked like" category along with christopher cross, toto, and rick astley...
To me he looks like Buster from Arrested Development but more disturbingly, he sounds like Pete Yorn, or at least this song does?
Posted 19 years ago by randomprime    [ Reply ]
Tux wrote:
In my perception this is a very annoying voice, which is enough reason to rate it a 2
At least you weren't the guy that gave it a one...I'm thinking of a number between 6 and 8...
Posted 19 years ago by Gregorama    [ Reply ]
just got thrown into the "wish i didn't know what you looked like" category along with christopher cross, toto, and rick astley...
Posted 19 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]
Never heard this before. Rock on.
Posted 19 years ago by Old_Pool_Skunk    [ Reply ]
This really kicks it up a notch toward the end. Compelling listening. (And I just noticed he has a real Bono kind of thing going on with his voice)
Posted 19 years ago by radiojunkie    [ Reply ]
middleagedhipster wrote:
well done Joe, very similar sound to the latest Ryan Adams, sounds like a Replacements outake like much of Ryan’s album did. Great little piece on Joeseph arthur in the latest Paste magazine
Somehow I didn't get that out of Ryan Adams' lastest. I got slicker poser wanna be rough like the Placemats but can't cut it....his idea of camping is no mint on the pillow...but I like this Joe stuff.
Posted 19 years ago by ChardRemains    [ Reply ]
you know, the first couple of times i heard this, i really wasn't in to it, especially because it seemed like such a departure from the joseph arthur stuff i already know (and liked well enough)... but i have to say, this has really grown on me a lot.
Posted 19 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]
I like his double, triple voices... and kick-ass guitar... Tux, I'll raise you with a 9 ;)
Posted 20 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
In my perception this is a very annoying voice, which is enough reason to rate it a 2
Posted 20 years ago by Tux    [ Reply ]
well done Joe, very similar sound to the latest Ryan Adams, sounds like a Replacements outake like much of Ryan’s album did. Great little piece on Joeseph arthur in the latest Paste magazine
Posted 20 years ago by middleagedhipster    [ Reply ]
"Half a bee,Philisophically, Must ipso-facto half NOT be."
Posted 20 years ago by trekhead    [ Reply ]
Got a 'Semisonic' kinda thing goin' . Nice.
Posted 20 years ago by trekhead    [ Reply ]
excellent as always... very much looking forward to the new album release.
Posted 20 years ago by Platypus    [ Reply ]