Bingham dropped out of school at 17 and was introduced to rodeo bull riding. He learned the emotional aspect of pain early in life, when shuttling between small towns and family members in the hardscrabble ranching communities of West Texas and Hobbs, New Mexico -- and became well-acquainted with the physical facets of pain during his years on the Southwestern rodeo circuit.
That ache is palpable in the grooves of Mescalito, Ryan Bingham’s Lost Highway debut, but what’s even more plain is the steely strength needed to overcome it -- a tenor that’s evident in both the singer-songwriter’s preternaturally wizened voice and his remarkably poignant songs, which resonate with roadhouse wisdom and rough-and-ready border-town piquancy.
The Beg For Broken Legs Songfacts reports that Bingham's fourth album, Tomorrowland, was recorded in Malibu, California with producer Justin Stanley and self-released through Bingham's new independent record label Axster Bingham Records on September 18, 2012.
He has won an Oscar for the best film song (Crazy Heart - The Weary Kind) in 2010.
Influences include Bob Dylan among others.
Southside Of Heaven
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, won't You put my soul up on a train
Won't You send it southbound
Give a cool blues man name
'Cause I've been lost on them back roads
And many times, I've gone blind
Losing faith in my family
Had drew me out my damn mind
But on the south side of heaven
Won't You take me home
'Cause I've been broke down for so long
And Lord, it's getting cold
I've been a desperado in West Texas
For so long, Lord, I need a change
For ten long years
This old place ain't seen a drop of rain
Now the wind blows everyday, Lord
Oh, like a desert snow
Like a lost bound train
Running on cocaine and out of control
But on the south side of heaven
Won't You take me home
'Cause I've been broke down for so long
And Lord, it's getting cold
Long down the Louisiana byways
Lonesome highways roll on
Oh, won't You take me where the poor man lives
It's where I call my home
Can't you see that breeze
Nothing but a change in pace
Money can't buy my soul
'Cause it comes from a hard earned place
But on the south side of heaven
Won't You take me home
'Cause I've been gone for so long
And Lord, it's getting cold
But on the south side of heaven
Won't You take me home
'Cause I've been gone for so long
And Lord, it's getting cold
The song "Southside of Heaven" by Ryan Bingham is an emotional ballad about a man who has been through a lot of hardships and is ready to leave this world. The lyrics hint at the fact that the singer is tired of living a hard life in the Western US and is looking for solace in the southern states, particularly Louisiana. The first few lines make it clear that the singer is aware of his circumstances and is accepting of his fate. He calls on the Lord to take his soul on a southbound train after he dies and give him a blues man name.
The singer speaks of how he has been lost on back roads and has gone blind numerous times, losing faith in his family which drove him out of his mind. But the southside of heaven represents hope to him, a place where he can rest his soul and find solace from his troubles. He sings of how he has been broke down for so long and how it is getting cold, possibly alluding to the fact that his time is running out.
The final part of the song speaks of how much the singer misses the life he used to have, particularly in Louisiana which he considers his home. He mentions how money cannot buy his soul as it comes from a hard-earned place. The song's final lines repeat the plea for the Lord to take him home on the south side of heaven, a place where he can finally rest.
Line by Line Meaning
When I die, Lord
When the singer dies, he is asking God to help him move on from this world.
Oh, won't You put my soul up on a train
The singer is asking God to transport his soul in a train to a better place.
Won't You send it southbound
The singer is asking God to send his soul towards the southern regions of heaven.
Give a cool blues man name
The singer is asking God to give him a name associated with blues music, which is of great importance to him.
'Cause I've been lost on them back roads
The singer has been lost on the not-so-well-known roads for a long time.
And many times, I've gone blind
The singer has faced numerous obstacles in his life that blinded him from the right path along the way.
Losing faith in my family
The singer lost his trust in his family members.
Had drew me out my damn mind
His family issues made him go crazy.
But on the south side of heaven
The southern region of heaven is a place where the singer hopes to find peace.
Won't You take me home
He is asking God to let him live in peace at the southern side of heaven.
'Cause I've been broke down for so long
The singer has been struggling in life for a very long time and needs help.
And Lord, it's getting cold
Life has been tough for the singer and it has started to get colder.
I've been a desperado in West Texas
The singer has been a reckless outlaw in West Texas for a long time.
For so long, Lord, I need a change
The singer realizes that he needs a change in his life for the better.
For ten long years
The singer has been struggling for ten years.
This old place ain't seen a drop of rain
The place he is referring to has been dry for a long time without any sign of rain.
Now the wind blows everyday, Lord
The winds in that area blow heavily each day without fail.
Oh, like a desert snow
The heavy winds make everything appear as if it were snowing in the desert, although it's just the sand being whipped up.
Like a lost bound train
The singer refers to his life as a runaway train, lost and bound for disaster.
Running on cocaine and out of control
The singer's life is depicted as being fueled by drugs and spiraling out of control.
Long down the Louisiana byways
The singer is asking God to take him on a journey on the long highways of Louisiana.
Lonesome highways roll on
The highways in Louisiana are long and lonely, devoid of any companionship.
Oh, won't You take me where the poor man lives
The singer is asking God to take him to a place where the poor live, as he relates to them more than the rich.
It's where I call my home
The singer feels more at home with the poor and therefore likes to be around them.
Can't you see that breeze
The singer is calling attention to a refreshing breeze that is blowing.
Nothing but a change in pace
The breeze signifies a change in the pace of things, possibly indicating a new beginning or fresh start.
Money can't buy my soul
The singer feels that his soul cannot be bought with money and is therefore priceless.
'Cause it comes from a hard earned place
His soul comes from a place where he had to work hard in life to attain peace and happiness.
But on the south side of heaven
The southern region of heaven is where the singer hopes to find peace and solace.
Won't You take me home
The singer is asking God to take him to the southern side of heaven, which is where he wants to live.
'Cause I've been gone for so long
The singer has been away from home for a long time.
And Lord, it's getting cold
The harshness of life is getting colder, and he needs a break from it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE RYAN BINGHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliott P
on Western Shore
"Loud on the Western shore, you're no longer brave"
You used to be scared, but now you are bravely living your life out loud
Think you missed this one
More than once
Significant I think that he ended the song with "you are no longer brave".
Think it was easy for him to have been brave previously because he had nothing to lose as he also points out in What would I've become. He does now and that's changed him