Heartland Feeling is a song originally by singer-songwriter Beck, released on his 1993 album Golden Feelings. It has been covered by the Mountain Goats during a few live shows, with bassist Peter Hughes singing lead vocals during all known performances of the song.
Lyrics[]
Old man Johnson got his head in his hand Makin' his way across state in a fiddlin' band With hair all down in his eyes And the microphone all covered with flies When he gets done playin', goes back to his room Climbs in the bed in his cowboy boots And he picks up a magazine, turns on the TV Lights a cigar as he's fallin' asleep Well he's only a person Who doesn't know shit Yeah, nothin' happenin' That's about it Well little Rosanna came from Texarkana Had fourteen dollars wrapped in a bandana Came into town not lookin' for much Well she found a hound dog and she named him Dutch She got a job at the arcade takin' quarters But she was never too good at takin' orders So one night she stopped givin' out change She kicked the boss in the shin and unplugged the games She's only a person Who doesn't know shit Nothin' happenin' That's about it Sam got canned at the cannery She punched out the clock that night His knuckle was bleeding as he walked home He was cold and he had a headache Well his wife was cookin' canned beans He took out all the money out of his jeans And he set it on fire in the kitchen sink As his wife handed him a drink He was only a person Who didn't know shit Nothin' happenin' That's about it Smiley was lookin' for handouts Sleepin' in an abandoned lighthouse Down at the mini-mall shakin' his hat Washin' windows with his bare hand He found a sports car with the keys In the ignition it just seemed so easy He took a joyride, drove it into a hedge Came out with the steering wheel wrapped around his head Well he's only a person Who doesn't know shit Nothin' happenin' That's about it Well Janie was born in a small town Everybody just standin' around They had bingo games and the raffle Everybody chewin' tobacco Well she grew up kinda restless All her boyfriends wanted to be dentists Well, she got a job at the truck stop And she got old fast and never did what she wanted She's only a person Who doesn't know shit Nothin' happenin' That's about it