R.I.P., Todd Snider
Talkin' Bonafide Troubadour Gone Too Soon Blues
To many ‘90s rock fans, he was the singer of that “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” song, a tongue-in-cheek, yet necessary takedown of the media overhype surrounding the grunge movement at the time. But to many of us who picked up Songs For the Daily Planet, it was the start of a beautiful relationship that lasted for more than thirty years.
During that time, he got to see ‘90s country star Mark Chesnutt have a hit with his song, “Trouble;” he saw Garth Brooks and George Jones have a hit with a song called “Beer Run” that just so happened to have the same title as a song he’d recently written, causing him to respond with a song of his own called “If Tomorrow Never Comes;” and he got to duet record with many of his heroes and colleagues through the years—including no less than Loretta Lynn.
Sadly, word came down early on November 15, 2025, that Todd Snider, at the way-too-young age of 59, no longer walked among us. Still, he left us so many great memories, both musical and otherwise.
Todd had a way with words that few possessed. He could tell a simple tale with a twist that made you second-guess your knowledge while marveling at his wordplay. He was a bona fide folk-singing troubadour in the grand tradition of Woody Guthrie, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Townes Van Zandt. He was sharp—an intellectual dressed in hippie clothes. He was also a soft-hearted hippie who could rock it out with the best of ‘em. See my piece from last year on my favorite Todd album, Viva Satellite:
Shuffle It All: Todd Snider's 'Viva Satellite'
Viva Satellite is my favorite Todd Snider album. But it seems to be everyone else’s least favorite; especially MCA, who dropped him because of it.
It’s as if fate intervened over the last couple of years and guided him to re-record much of his catalog for what he called the “Purple Versions.” They were filled with stories—both straightforward and not—of the making of those albums and the songs within them. They proved what most of us already knew: that Todd Snider was a one-of-a-kind storyteller and a once-in-a-blue-moon talent.
Turns out he was much more than just an alright guy.
Find the Apple Music version of the R.I.P., Todd Snider Mixtape by clicking here.
The way he blended storyteling with social commentary was masterful. That Garth Brooks Beer Run situation must have been frustating, but his response showed his wit. The Purple Versions seem like the perfect way to preserve not just his songs but the stories behind them.
Sad day.