MOG

I had a buddy of mine that I worked with in San Antonio whom we all called Dirty. It was his nickname because that’s the word that used to describe everything. Instead of say hey that band is cool, he’s say…they're "dirty." But it was in a good way. Everything and everyone was Dirty.

Dirty had two favorite bands Pearl Jam and Wilco, and of the two he and his wife would take road trips to see Wilco live. I remember Dirty was always trying to get me to listen to Wilco. This was just before Summertime came out. I would go over to Dirty’s crib we’d smoke out and the following conversation would eventually come up.

"You listened to Wilco, yet?" he would ask puffing on the herbal cigarette as he passed it to me.

"Nope, not yet Dirty." I’d say taking a massive hit.

"Dude you got to listen to them. I know the music that you like. You’d like them, they’re so Dirty, Dirty."

Oh yeah, not only would use the word as an adjective but he call just about everyone else Dirty. You could imagine around our circle of friends we must have used that word over a million times that summer.

Cut to an R.E.M. show in San Antonio, later on that year. Wilco’s opening for R.E.M. I tell Dirty and he warns me just before the show.

"Just you wait, dirty. Once you see them, y’ll be hooked."

"We’ll see." I said to him, famous last words.

"Just promise y’ll call me after the show and let me know what you thought."

"No worries, Dirty. I will."

So I go to the R.E.M. show not expecting much from the opening acts. Mercury Rev was very blah. I guess I needed to be a little more stoned. Then Wilco came on. And from the opening song, I was taken aback. Woeee….who are these guys, I thought, not bad.

Then they played this one song, "Misunderstood," and everything changed. You see I was in the middle of a very unhappy dysfunctional relationship. This girl who we’ll call Louisa was younger than me and we really had nothing in common. We had this chemistry but everything I liked she hated and vice versa. I still don’t know why we went out. I remember Louisa tell me once that the reason she decided to date her former boyfriend was because she was bored and tired of being alone. That statement should’ve been a warning to me. But I was younger, naïve, stupid and blinded by lust.

During my whole life in San Antonio, I felt like an outcast, like I didn’t belong. At my job, with mi familia, with my friends and even with my girlfriend I felt like nobody really knew how it was to be in my shoes. Then I heard the opening lyrics to "Misunderstood."

"When you're back in your old neighborhood
The cigarettes taste so good
But you're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood

There's something there that you can't find
You look honest when you're telling a lie
You hurt her but you don't know why
You love her but you don't know why"

As Jeff Tweedy held his acoustic guitar and sang those words it felt like he had scanned the thoughts in my brain and singing the lyrics to my life. "Misunderstood" was the one song that did it for me. It was all it took. Dirty was right. I was now a Wilco fan for life.

I went home and called Louisa and told her about the show. One thing I remember is describing to her how it felt hearing Tweedy sing the lyrics to that song. Louisa’s response was, "Why because you feel so misunderstood?" She casually dismissed it as she would do most of all my thoughts, ideas and dreams. It took sometime but I finally cut ties and parted ways with her.

Thankfully, my connection with Wilco has withstood the test of time. And it’s all because of this one song. I just discovered this new acoustic version recorded at a fans house in Chicago. Jeff Tweedy auctioned off a personalized one man acoustic show to the highest bidder. Imagine having Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy sing to you and your closest compadres?

Listen as the crowd sings along to every word. I feel like that Misunderstood is the theme song for every Wilco fan. It's the song that reflects us and simultaneously connects us together.

So this version of "Misunderstood" is classic, stripped down to the bone. If y’re a Wilco fan you know towards the end of the song there’s this part where you need to participate by singing the word "Nothing" along with Jeff over and over again. That one word, nothing, from this one part is the key to "Misunderstood."

"I'd like to thank you all for nothing
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all"

Misunderstood is an anthem, an anthem to the generation X outcast who realizes that she/he can only rely on his/herself to fulfill their dreams and desires. The "Nothing" part is a hit list to everyone who lied, cheated, hurt or didn’t believe in them. When you sing along it’s a primal scream session to let your demons out. After the last "nothing" you feel cleansed and a little more contented in yr own skin.

This is why Misunderstood is my favorite song. Thank you Dirty wherever you are. I did call him after the show. After I told him how that one song and Wilco had changed my life, he just took a giant hit and giggled. "Didn’t I tell you, buddy, they’re so dirty." Dirty, indeed.