”A fun thing I like to tell people about this song cites the 3rd verse. ‘Now the ferry way back 88, while John sang Crain and Hearst’. The ‘Ferry’ is in reference to my car, The Cripple Creek Ferry, which comes from a Neil Young song. 88 is a highway that cuts through Illinois. John Davey, a fella that sings on my record, is humming along with songs by Samantha Crain and Cary Ann Hearst (Shovels & Rope). Sort of a loaded couple of lines!
I wrote the song in the wake of moving out of a town in Michigan called Kalamazoo. There are references to places around the area like Water St., and Scio county. Getting Samantha Crain involved is a pretty simple task for Small Houses. She sings with me whenever we get the chance. When we were still recording, Samantha was on her way overseas to do a string of shows with Neutral Milk Hotel. I told her to make sure her layover was in Atlanta so we could fit in a day of catching up. I picked her up from the airport, we went straight to the studio, sang some songs, and within a few hours I was driving back towards the plane.”
The Fat Angel Sings 