Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Wilco Live – Live at Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL December 19, 2019
There are a lot of forums and blog spaces dedicated to the what “Spiders” is about. My favorite response is, “It’s about 10 minutes long.”
“Spiders (Kidsmoke)” is hypnotic. The rhythm and noise the band makes out of this riff are intoxicating live. I have seen Wilco many times, and I always look forward to this song being played.
I loved that it was included in The Bear (Season 2 Episode 7). Even better … all ten minutes of the song were played! Given the chaos of the kitchen, it was not surprising to hear this song on that show.
And that is what it is about for me.
The band sounds like they have a unifying rhythm but they are teetering on the edge of being out of control. The chaotic noise erupts into a unified instrumental chorus—and from there, they drive it home with ferocity.
Jeff Tweedy has talked about using the Word Ladder method for writing lyrics. I suspect he secretly enjoys watching people try to decode what was never meant to be solved. “Spiders are getting along” might not mean much — but man, it feels right when the room is shaking.
The fun here is hearing and seeing the band erupt into the defining rhythmic instrumental chorus of the song. This is a guitar-driven song, despite the hypnotic keyboard rhythm that drones on and on under all the noise. And the live version features an ascending, furious guitar build up worthy of “A Day in the Life.”
It’s the sound of something about to fall apart—and then pulling itself together just in time. I guess I don’t care what it’s about. I am here for the guitar worship.
The Good Noise 