Washburn says she never set out to be a songwriter or a recording artist. In 2005 when she found herself on stage in a smoke-filled Beijing club playing her banjo and singing old-time Appalachian mountain music in Chinese to a packed house, she was as surprised as anyone. “A daring, definite talent, whose feel for the folk idiom results in moving material. Soulful is the word,” hailed the Wall Street Journal at the time. “On stage, her voice resonated with the power of a seasoned performer and her poetic hill tunes sounded all the more evocative in Chinese.”
It was in Tennessee in 2000 that Washburn met KC Groves, one of the founding members of the band Uncle Earl, and she went on to spend five years touring with the band. In 2005, in the midst of touring with Uncle Earl, Washburn released her first solo debut, and bilingual album, Song of the Traveling Daughter, (Nettwerk). At that point Washburn joined cellist, Ben Sollee, in performing her music around the globe. In 2005 Washburn, Sollee and a few friends—Béla Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle- toured China and recorded as Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet. In 2006, the US State Department and the American Center for Educational Exchange requested that the group come back to lead the first official tour of a US band in Tibet.
In 2010, Washburn released "City Of Refuge".
As a member of The Wu Force, they played their first show together at the Yugong Yishan music club in Beijing in late 2011 and came back together in early 2014.
Beginning in August 2013, Washburn began performing and recording as the duo Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with her husband Béla Fleck.
In 2020, Washburn released an album as Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn.
Burn Thru
Abigail Washburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Started out clean
Like a starlit night
Smell of rain
The day stacked up
And the air grew thin
Gravity pulling
Push up from the bed
Feel my hit the floor
Dreamt I was running
Through a field of fire
Shadows in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Hey I’m trying so hard
To see the light
To see the light
To see it burn thru hey hey hey
Not going down with the rest of you
I’m not going down with the rest of you
Now you’re asking for answers
You want a clarion call
But you’re drowning in echos
Bouncing off walls
I ain’t no prophet
I got no horn to blow
So let the darkness fall
Let the sky charred up black
Let the animals out
Let the plate come back
So you rock me in the morning
Wake my body up
Till the light comes through
Till you gotta shout
Hey I’m trying so hard
To see the light
To see the light
To see it burn thru
Hey I’m trying so hard
To see the light
To see the light
To see it burn thru hey hey hey
Not going down with the rest of you
I’m not going down like you want me to
We all want something else
We all want something else
Now you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Now you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Now you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Oh you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Now you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Oh you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
Now you’re running in my tracks
But I ain’t looking back
At the rest of you
We all want something else
The lyrics of Abigail Washburn's song "Burn Thru" talk about the struggles, doubts, and determination to find the light amidst darkness. It starts with a serene and fresh environment, symbolized by a starlit night and the scent of rain. However, the mood shifts as the day piles up, and the weight of life's challenges pulls the singer down. She dreams of running through a field of fire, facing her fears and leaving behind the shadows.
The refrain "Hey I'm trying so hard to see the light, to see it burn thru" shows the desperation and hope in the singer's voice, as she seeks to rise above the struggles and find a way out. Her determination to not go down with the rest of the people around her and her refusal to settle for less than what she wants, demonstrate her confidence and resilience.
The song portrays a transformative journey from darkness to light, from fear to courage, and from doubt to clarity. It reflects the universal struggle of human beings to find meaning and purpose, to overcome obstacles, and to reach their full potential. The repetition of the lines "Now you're running in my tracks, but I ain't looking back at the rest of you" affirms the singer's self-belief, independence, and inspiration to those who follow her.
Line by Line Meaning
Started out simple
Things didn't seem complicated at first
Started out clean
There were no problems initially
Like a starlit night
Things looked beautiful
Smell of rain
There was a sense of freshness
The day stacked up
As time passed, things became more challenging
And the air grew thin
It became difficult to breathe
Gravity pulling
The weight of the situation was taking its toll
Pulling me down in
It was becoming overwhelming
Push up from the bed
Trying to find the strength to get up in the morning
Feel my hit the floor
The reality of the situation hits hard
Dreamt I was running
A desire to escape
Through a field of fire
A risky or dangerous path
Shadows in my tracks
Memories or past experiences still haunting
But I ain't looking back
Trying to move forward
At the rest of you
Not being held back by others
Hey I'm trying so hard
Putting in a lot of effort
To see the light
Finding hope or positivity in a difficult situation
To see it burn thru hey hey hey
Hoping for a breakthrough
Not going down with the rest of you
Not giving up and succumbing to the challenges like others
Now you're asking for answers
Others looking for guidance
You want a clarion call
Looking for a solution or a call to action
But you're drowning in echos
Overwhelmed by similar voices or opinions
Bouncing off walls
Not getting anywhere with the current approach
I ain't no prophet
Not having all the answers
I got no horn to blow
Not having a grand announcement or revelation to make
So let the darkness fall
Accepting the difficult situation
Let the sky charred up black
Acknowledging the destruction or chaos around
Let the animals out
Letting go of control and allowing instincts to take over
Let the plate come back
Accepting the consequences of actions
So you rock me in the morning
Finding comfort or support from someone
Wake my body up
Feeling more alive or alert
Till the light comes through
Finding hope or positivity
Till you gotta shout
Expressing joy or relief
We all want something else
Everyone has different desires or goals
Writer(s): Abigail Washburn Copyright: Abbyinchina Music
Contributed by Connor J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.