The Top 20 Jeff Tweedy Songs: #16, “I Can’t Keep From Talking”

Album: Weird Tales (1998)
Band: Golden Smog
Key lyric: “I know you don’t know me, but I know a lot about you. You’re the one who knows me better than I do.”

Every song Jeff Tweedy has donated to Golden Smog, the folk-rock supergroup he shares with members of the Jayhawks and Soul Asylum, seems to have fallen out of the sky perfectly formed. Each one is a laid back, understated nugget of pure pop perfection. “I Can’t Keep From Talking” is another in a long line of Jeff Tweedy song about the powerful unspoken relationship between artist and the fan (see also “Radio King,” “The Lonely 1”). “Hey, ain’t it great, for us to be alive,” it starts, innocently enough. “I’m layin’ in wait, for you to come outside.” Is he crazy, or just crazy about music? Probably a little of both. Either way, he “can’t keep from talking ’bout you.” The best part? Tweedy’s sweet falsetto when he sings “thank you for doin’ what you do.”

Listen:

20.“The Long Cut”
19. “That’s Not the Issue”
18. “Promising”
17. “She’s A Jar”