Hollow Log
By: Beck Hansen

Written by: Beck Hansen

Alternate Titles:

a.k.a. Go Where U Want
a.k.a. Go Where You Want

Versions:
  1. Desire (2:26)
    Available on Golden Leftovers and 1 other release.
  2. Hollow Log (3:04)
    Available on Don't Get Bent Out Of Shape and 1 other release.
  3. Hollow Log (2:36)
    Available on Beck, Like The Beer.
  4. Hollow Log (1:52)
    Available on One Foot In The Grave.
    Credits
    Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Vocals
    Calvin Johnson: Producer
 
Lyrics:
Hollow Log [Version (b)]:

Go where you want to
Do the things you feel
Walk around with a broken leg
And a hundred dollar bill

Get yourself a pistol
Get yourself a dog
Stay up all night gettin' drunk
Sleepin' on a hollow log

Walk till you're restless
Sleep till you're tired
Wake up without thinking
That you're the one that I desire
 
The Song:

One of the oldest versions of "Hollow Log" is from the short 1992 demo tape labeled Beck, Like The Beer. I am not quite sure if this pre- or post-dates Don't Get Bent Out Of Shape, but listening to the two, it sounds more like we know it from One Foot, so I guess it came later.

A little more famous than that is the recording from Don't Get Bent Out Of Shape (which was also included on Fresh Meat and Old Slabs). This version is a bit sloppy, as he seems to still be figuring out the melody and Mississippi John Hurt-like guitar line. It hasn't been quite finalized yet. He even skips the normal title line, singing "Sleepin' in a log" instead of "Sleepin' on a hollow log."

In 1993, Beck recorded Golden Feelings. One of the tracks he recorded was called "Desire," though this version of the song did not make the final cut of the album. Why it was left off would be anyone's guess, as it's certainly as good as some of the stuff that did make it on Golden Feelings. The only difference in the lyrics is that he originally sang "wake up without knowing you're the one that I desired."

Fortunately, Beck returned to the blues song a year later when he was recording One Foot in the Grave. Perhaps it was cut from Golden Feelings, because Beck knew he could get a better performance in time. The guitar on the One Foot version is recorded, and played, much cleaner, more expertly.

Anyway, it is songs like this that show Beck's skill at mastering and writing in the language of the styles he loves. "Hollow Log" is not a blues imitation, or a blues impersonation, but a blues song in its own right. It's a fine line, but Beck usually comes out on the right side. Here he uses traditional blues images (hollow logs, pistols, walking, gettin' drunk), while at the same time turning them slightly inside-out—"walk around with a broken leg," "sleep 'til you're tired." The last line is a strong one as well, which is proved by the early titling of the song "Desire." Knowing that the one you desire will wake up not knowing it is certainly a hollow feeling.
 
Live:

Played live 65 times:
Earliest known live version: April 11, 1994
Latest known live version: August 14, 2023

There have been a number of "Hollow Log"s on stage over the years. It's not frequent or regular, but pops up from time to time. Really, every one I've heard is just lovely. You can't go wrong with any one you find. It's a pretty song, and when Beck is playing acoustic blues alone, well, it just does not get any better.

Beck tends to introduce the song by commenting on its low-key nature. On March 18 1996, he slyly added, "We're gonna bring the noise right now." On June 10 1998, he explained, "Sometimes the drum machine begins to overheat. You got to turn it off awhile, let it meditate by itself" before playing a few One Foot in the Grave songs.

Ironically, the song was not played much in the first few years of Beck's touring (1994/1995), but did show up a decent number of times in 1996/1997/1998 in acoustic sets on the Odelay tours.

On the Vultures tours, Beck included "Hollow Log" in his 2-song solo acoustic set on February 1 2000 in Columbus, Ohio, thanks to a pre-show request made by a fan to bassist, Justin Meldal-Johnsen (hi Josh!). The success of the song on that night led to it being played a few mores times before the end of February.

After the Vultures tour, Beck did a quick run of shows with Neil Young, where he and a smaller band played quieter, more introspective sets. They did "Hollow Log" one time, but notable because it was given a band arrangement. But after that one time, it drifted back to being a solo folk song.

On the Sea Change tours of 2002/2003, Beck alternated touring by himself and with a band. In August 2002, he played 20 shows alone and played "Hollow Log" four times. Then in April 2003, he did a solo tour of Europe and played it twice.

The song then mostly vanished on the Guero/Info tours of 2005/2006/2007, though it did show up in an acoustic set once in 2006 in Los Angeles. The same sentence can be written about 2008/2009 on the Guilt tour--the only time it showed up was at a show in LA.

The song then disappeared for a bit until July 2013, when Beck was playing some lowkey, mostly acoustic sets (sort of supporting Song Reader). Beck dug out "Hollow Log" and played it five times that month.

It disappeared again during Morning Phase tour of 2014, and was brought back out for a one-time solo acoustic show in London, 2015.
 
Notes: