Perfectly Good Podcast - John Hiatt from A to Z

Hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth are joined by returning special guest Judy Groth Smith (aka Sylvan's mom) for our discussion of this song from John Hiatt's 1995 album Walk On.

Before diving into the lyrics, we share memories of the time this song was released, including one wild weekend when the Groth girls stalked John Hiatt through a snow storm and the start of their shared fan project, Slow Turning: the John Hiatt Fanzine. (Still available online, thanks to thejohnhiattarchives.com)

Also, stay tuned for the end of the episode for a contemporary song from a band that shared festival stages with John Hiatt, Entrain.

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Hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth discuss the first John Hiatt song in the N's of our A to Z countdown. Join us as we look back at the history surrounding "Nagging Dark" a song from the album Beneath This Gruff Exterior.

This episode (and the song) deals with themes of mental health and addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling, there is many resources for help, including dialing 988.

Link to article by Tim Porter in Paste Magazine Sylvan quotes with a great interview: https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/john-hiatt/john-hiatt-3

The book Sylvan mentions is available on Amazon: God's To-Do List by tRon Wolfson

Finally, remember that friend of the podcast Jake Thistle will be appearing on American Idol - premiering the same day as this episode.
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It's been a wonderful letter! Hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth look back at the Perfectly Good Podcast episodes for both M songs and the calendar year 2025.

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In this final episode of our M-songs, Jesse and Sylvan discuss the song "Mystic Pinball." They review the technicalities that allow this song to be part of season one, though some Hiatt fans may not consider it part of any of John Hiatt's official albums.

Sylvan shares some quotes from John Hiatt about the inspiration and the two fans discuss the lyrics before rating the song on our 5-star scale.
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Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth discuss the John Hiatt song "My Sweet Girl" from 1997's Little Head.

The two fans break down the lyrics and rate on our 1 to 5 star scale.
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