12/2/08: The Mutton Birds “A Thing Well Made” (1992)

Are we still at the start of the Next Great Depression? It was hard to tell from the traffic we put up with after Thanksgiving. Let’s assume that the world is saved—at least for a while—with this entry that’s a tribute to one fine retailer. “A Thing Well Made” is from the 1992 debut album by The Mutton Birds, who are a sadly neglected music act from Australia. They enjoyed a quick four-album arc of moody rock tinged with country influences. In fact, The Mutton Birds were so moody that some will tell you that “A Thing Well Made” is actually some kind of scary insight into the life of a guy who owns a gun shop.

People in a hurry can judge the song for themselves from this YouTube clip. Otherwise, here are lyrics worthy of reading as a fine little character sketch:

         She’s wearing her “Don't-talk-to-me” face
         As she makes the kids’ lunches
         I oblige and quietly shut the front door as I leave
              I drive into town before the fog lifts
              I sell sporting goods
              I’ve got a shop not far from Cathedral Square

         I like to open up early
         So fellas can come in on their way to work
         And daydream around the rods and reels
         While their breakfast’s still warm inside them
              Why don’t you take a look?
              I’m proud of my shop
              Almost everything’s from overseas
              You won’t find a better selection

         Look at the way this gun fits the crook of your arm
         To make a thing like that, you'd need to know what you were about
         You’d need to know where you were going
         And go there in a straight line
         And everything else you’d have to shut right out

         Can you see the man who made that?
         Can you see him putting it down and standing back?
         Can you see the moment when he said,
         “That’s it—that's perfect.”

         At a time like that
         You wouldn’t care about your job
         Or your mortgage
         Or the fight you had with your wife

         ’Cause when a man holds a thing well made
         When a man holds a thing well made
         There’s connection
         There’s completeness
         When a man holds a thing well made

         It’s Wednesday
         So I do the mail orders
         There’s nothing much
         Some oilskins and a 303
         For a hunter over in Westland
         And…
              Oh, yes, one of those AK-47’s
              For some collector down the line

We’ve been accused of forcing our own views on plenty of songs and movies. In that same spirit, we’re not too impressed by charges that “A Thing Well Made” has a sense of foreboding because of the use of a euphonium—which is pretty much a soulful tuba. We think the song just sounds like a pleasant Wednesday morning. To be fair, the next Mutton Birds album had a song called “King’s English,” which is mainly enjoyable because the sarcasm can be ignored. Otherwise, the Mutton Birds are a workingman’s band for everybody.

Make it your own: Here’s that YouTube clip again. “A Thing Well Made” is fairly typical of The Mutton Birds. If you like the song, go on to the Flock compilation, the main catalogue, and assorted spin-off acts—all of which are easily found at SmokeCDs.com, which is always a reliable source for Australian and New Zealand music.

 

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