The Medusa Fora

Can anyone explain the reference to the Bexar County Jail in "Trouble Pilgrim"? I have wracked my brain to no avail. Some things eventually pop into your head and you think, "Duh,how did that get past me," but I'm stuck on this one.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Bexar+County+Jail

Seems to be a jail in San Antonio, TX.

Beyond that - well, I got nothing.

Aine wrote:Can anyone explain the reference to the Bexar County Jail in "Trouble Pilgrim"? I have wracked my brain to no avail. Some things eventually pop into your head and you think, "Duh,how did that get past me," but I'm stuck on this one.

My first time in San Antonio, Texas, I stayed a few nights in a cheap and cheerful Westside hotel - a Best Western or something - before moving on to the more interesting and historic (it has a rearview of The Alamo) Davy Crockett Hotel. I love the Westside of San Antone - it's the original Chicano downtown, before the gringoes moved that up closer to the Alamo, and my favourite shoe shop in the world is down there, but they're a bit light on Hotels, it has to be said. Nevertheless, the Best Western claims its own history, as the building is in fact the original Bexar (pronounced "Bear", despite my scanning licence in the song) County Jail, as the photos on the wall in the Lobby proudly boast. The room rate was about double the $50 quoted in the song, but $100 seemed a bit much for a supposedly down-at-heel hotel, so I slashed their rates.

http://www.comfortinnsanantonio.com/

http://crocketthotel.com/page/13hjk/History.html

http://www.pennersinc.com/about.shtml

"The year was young and I had just done hibernatin'
I woke up in a 50 dollar bed in the Bexar County Jail.
Oh-oh, had me a hankerin' for heaven
or failing that, a handsome stranger
Oh-oh, this time I'm bustin' loose
I'm graspin' the nettle of danger.

Well, pardon-me-all-to-hell
Life's a bitter pill, Jim
Another day on Earth and it looks like
trouble, pilgrim
trouble, pilgrim"

etc

etc etc

philipchevron wrote:favourite shoe shop in the world is down there

So Penner's is the shoe shop? Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting Sam Penner?

We are heading to Austin next week however I doubt we will have time to make it down to San Antonio this trip. Will have to keep this place in mind for next year.

Clash Cadillac wrote:

philipchevron wrote:favourite shoe shop in the world is down there

So Penner's is the shoe shop? Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting Sam Penner?

We are heading to Austin next week however I doubt we will have time to make it down to San Antonio this trip. Will have to keep this place in mind for next year.

Never met Sam Penner, no, though his son Matt has some of the same frontier spirit.

Oh-oh, had me a hankerin' for heaven
or failing that, a handsome stranger

That's one of the lines I most enjoy on the album. I make everyone who hears the CD pay close attention.

Thanks for the explanation of the jail reference. It's fun to know, somehow, why certain lines are included in poetry and song lyrics.

philipchevron wrote:My first time in San Antonio, Texas, I stayed a few nights in a cheap and cheerful Westside hotel - a Best Western or something - before moving on to the more interesting and historic (it has a rearview of The Alamo) Davy Crockett Hotel. I love the Westside of San Antone - it's the original Chicano downtown, before the gringoes moved that up closer to the Alamo, and my favourite shoe shop in the world is down there, but they're a bit light on Hotels, it has to be said. Nevertheless, the Best Western claims its own history, as the building is in fact the original Bexar (pronounced "Bear", despite my scanning licence in the song) County Jail, as the photos on the wall in the Lobby proudly boast. The room rate was about double the $50 quoted in the song, but $100 seemed a bit much for a supposedly down-at-heel hotel, so I slashed their rates.

San Antonio is soooooo much more fun when you're around! and, by the way, you pronounce it properly in the song, as it originally was pronounced.

I am spending a week in San Antonio. Tried to sneak in to the Majestic Theater but the private tour guide kicked me.
Loved the downtown area. Never thought I would hang out for a while on a street corner outside the Hilton with the faux
Dirty Nelly's listening to a great bagpiper!! I know you shouldn't expect much from a faux pub, but for the first time in my
life I stiffed someone on a tip. The bartender basically fast poured the pint and practically threw it in front of me. Oh, well
plenty of other places to check out.

to Mike from Boston -- visit Waxy O'Connor's on the riverwalk for the best pint of Guinness in town.