Episodes

  • The Night that Kenny Died

    The Night that Kenny Died
    Feb 23 2026
    Hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth discuss John Hiatt's song about a detested nerd who died in glory from 1979's Slug Line. If you are curious about "World's Greatest Dad" the film Sylvan references, a particularly moving clip of Robin Williams' performance is on youtube. We also include a portion of Patty Griffin's wonderful song "Tony" at the end of the episode. If you or someone you know is suffering, please contact the 988 Lifeline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • New Numbers

    New Numbers
    Feb 16 2026
    "New Numbers" is a John Hiatt song from the album Two Bit Monsters. And... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Negroes were Dancing

    Negroes were Dancing
    Feb 9 2026
    Hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth do their best to dive into the Slug Line Era context and personal biases while discussing John Hiatt's song "Negroes were Dancing." Before getting into their best interpretation of the lyrics for this song, they share facts and some quotes from John about his own cultural journey. We are also joined by Linda Jackson for part of the episode. https://sites.google.com/view/perfectlygoodpodcast/home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Native Son

    Native Son
    Feb 2 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Nagging Dark

    Nagging Dark
    Jan 26 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Wrapping up the M's

    Wrapping up the M's
    Jan 19 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Mystic Pinball

    Mystic Pinball
    Jan 12 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • My Sweet Girl

    My Sweet Girl
    Jan 5 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins