– The Golden State (John Doe – The Golden State) Max @ Powerpop
In February this year, Max at PowerPop published an article (see above) about this wonderful duet from John Doe and Kathleen Edwards. It’s exuberant country rock where their voices entwine with great chemistry, as they describe each other – as a “symptom”, “body part” or “feeling” of the other – capturing how deeply intertwined and dependent they are. It’s a very cool lyrical device that underlines the vulnerability at the heart of the song. As the track progresses, I like when they both deliver the line – “when you walk away,” the melody shifts, with a new openness like the heart cracking open – almost feels like another song completely.
Biography
John Doe, born John Nommensen Duchac in 1953, is a figure in American punk and roots music. Best known as the co-founder and bassist of the influential Los Angeles punk band X, Doe helped shape the raw, poetic sound of the late ’70s West Coast scene. His creative spirit, however, refused to be caged by genre – over the decades, he has built an impressive solo career blending punk, country, folk, and rock, while also establishing himself as a respected actor in film and television (Great Balls of Fire!, Road House, Law & Order).
Doe recorded The Golden State in 2007 on his solo album A Year in the Wilderness, with Canadian Kathleen Edwards on the original album. Another version features here with Eddie Vedder and Corin Tucker.
You are the hole in my head
I am the pain in your neck
you are the lump in my throat
I am the aching in your heart
we are tangled
we are stolen
we are living
where things are hidden
you are something in my eye
I am the shiver down your spine
you are the lick of my lips
I am on the tip of your tongue
we are tangled
we are stolen
we are buried up to our necks in sand
we are luck
we are fate
we the feeling you get in the golden state
we are love
we are hate
we are the feeling I get when you walk away
you are the dream in my nightmare
I am that falling sensation
you are my needles & pins
I am your hangover morning
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
The names John Doe and X sounded familiar, probably because of Max and CB. I like “The Golden State” and agree Doe’s and Kathleen Edwards’s vocals neatly blend.
This is what I call a ‘suitably’ underrated song. Kathleen’s voice here is fantastic and her delivery of certain lines like in the beginning with her rolling the voice on ‘I am’ just really does it for me.
The only thing wrong with this take is it will send me of into Doeland, ignoring other music for a while.
Hey CB! Long time between drinks. It was cool to read you were the inspiration for Max’s article. Great song! I must delve into his other stuff.
“Delve”lots to discover and like. He is pretty prolific and does a lot of collaborations.