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about

In 2019, Mark Erelli was nominated for “Song of the Year” by the Americana Music Association for “By Degrees,” an ensemble missive on gun violence that featured vocal performances from Rosanne Cash, Josh Ritter, Lori McKenna, Sheryl Crow, and Anaïs Mitchell. Here, he contributes “Hollow Man”, a song written twenty years ago about a dangerous mix of reality TV and politics, but today, its lyrics seem more poignant than ever.

lyrics

Hollow Man
written by Mark Erelli (Hillbilly Pilgrim Music/ASCAP)

They picked another one off the vine
Scooped out the seeds in the back of his mind
Filled up his head with half-truths and lies
And put the finishing touch on the perfect disguise
They rolled out a carpet and threw a parade
Convinced everyone he had something to say
They smiled as they watched from the two-way mirror
As he told all the people what they wanted to hear
Hey, have you heard the story?
It's the same old song, same old dance
Hey, he's bound for glory
But he ain't nothing but a hollow man
Basked in the glow of the fortune and fame
Even threw the first pitch at the World Series game
He always maintained he had nothing to hide
No one ever suspected he was empty inside
Hey, he don't know what he's doing
They set him up so high, he never had a chance
Hey, you can see right through him
He ain't nothing but a hollow man
Then came the day his cover was blown
Their little Frankenstein monster got out of control
So he looked to the ones who had saved him before
Only to find that they'd changed all the locks on the doors
The press circled round with blood in their eyes
Each one wanting a piece of his tragic demise
Then they cast him aside when from glory he fell
Now he's just another bum with a story to tell
Hey, he's less than zero
The greater the height, the harder you land
Ain't it hard when you find your hero
Ain't nothing but a hollow man

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U.S.P.S. - United Songwriters for the People's Sovereignty Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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