Pickwick
Album: Can’t Talk Medicine
Release Date: 2013
USA
Galen Disston talks about Hacienda Motel & Lady Luck
Hacienda Motel
Hacienda Motel is about the conspiracy theories surrounding Sam Cooke’s death. There’s a Netflix documentary about it now [The Two Killings of Sam Cooke]. The only things I’d add are at Cooke’s funeral Etta James noticed his face was all beaten and bruised, which didn’t make sense with the story of how he was killed by the hotel owner.
In our song, there are two men at the funeral that are pleased too see Sam Cooke dead, because they felt like he is becoming too powerful of a local businessman (owning a studio, releasing his songs without a white-owned label).
Lady Luck (feat. Sharon van Etten)
I don’t really feel comfortable writing about the content of Lady Luck because it was written by Richard Swift. But the experience of recording was very straightforward.
I used to work at a hospital, and on my lunch break we picked Sharon up from the venue she was playing at that night in Seattle, and drove her up to our home studio. She explored the song during the recording, and interpreted it in her own way. She was very kind. She agreed to do the song, because her brother had seen us play in Montreal and urged her to do the recording.
Lyrics: Hacienda Motel
That whore she left you bloody
On the motel lobby floor
Even though she took your money
Oh you know she needed more
Well what was she thinking?
I’ll just take what I can get
I’ve got him where I want him
Or should I place a bigger bet?
All the clean lies
That she told herself
Getting ready for that night
All the strings they kept on pulling
‘Till she couldn’t feel how tight
All the mixing and the meddling
As the hit was going down
The naked man was singing
But he didn’t make a sound
At last we see the casket
Oh the widow hides her face
Your head was off your body
And your nose all beaten down
As the preacher bowed his head
Two men hardly make a sound
And now they have the city
And a change is coming down
Lady you shot me oh
I knew it couldn’t last for long
Lady you shot me oh
Now the tent is falling down
Lady you shot me oh
Now the river is running out
Lady you shot me oh
My brother knocked me down
Lyrics: Lady Luck
Lady luck, she is lovely
Lady luck, she is free
But I wish sometimes that lady luck
She would find some time to spend with me
Why do I worry?
Why do I fear?
It’s just the beginning
But I feel the end is near
I look around
And I don’t feel like myself
Tell me please, tell me please
Is it my mind or is it my health?
Lady luck, she is lovely
Lady luck, she is free
But I wish sometimes that lady luck
She would find some time to spend with me
No need to worry
There is no need to fear
It’s just the beginning
Though the end is near
Now sing it to me
Lady luck, she is lovely
Lady luck, she is free
But I wish sometimes that lady luck
She would find some time to spend with me
Tracklist: Can't Talk Medicine
1. “Halls of Columbia”
2. “The Round”
3. “Hacienda Motel”
4. “Well, Well”
5. “Myths”
6. “Brother Roland”
7. “Letterbox”
8. “The Shadow“
9. “Lady Luck”
10. “Can’t Talk Medicine”
11. “Staged Names”
12. “Window Sill”
13. “Santa Rosa”
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Credit: Lindsey Blane 
Credit: Lindsey Blane
