Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder and lead vocalist/ guitarist BJ Barham. A new lineup was announced in April 2017 with new faces joining the ranks: Crooks drummer Joey Bybee, Damn Quails bass player Ben Hussey and guitarist Shane Boeker – all from Texas – along with Nashville pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, who also fronts Music City's experimental Buck Owens tribute Buck N' Stuff. Bybee left in August 2018 and was replaced by Nashville-based drummer Matty Alger, who in turn left in February 2019. Kurtz left the band after the Mile Zero fest in January 2019, and Hussey left in July 2019.
Their first album, Antique Hearts, was released in 2006, followed by The Bible and the Bottle in 2008.
In 2012, American Aquarium released two albums: Live in Raleigh and Burn. Flicker. Die.
The band released their sixth original album, Wolves, in February 2015.[7] The band's fans helped raise $24,000 through a Kickstarter project to help fund the album's production, and the album was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina at Echo Mountain.
On November 25, 2016 "Live at Terminal West" was released by the band from a live show recording in November 2015 at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia.
Things Change was released on New West Records in 2018, followed by
Lamentations (on New West Records) in 2020.
Cape Fear River
American Aquarium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a 30 minute drive to the south of Virginia
A north star of this great state
At least that’s what the sign said
In a town where either had or you didnt
My Daddy worked a 7 to 5 just to give me
A fighting chance to make it out
Well I aint the man
Half the man my Daddy was
Half the man he wanted me to be
Chorus:
So I packed up, cashed my chips and pointed that car east
No idea where I was going
Anywhere but here’d worked for me
Somehow I still think I made him proud
Just by getting out
Either you get locked up or you join the core
You work the grill and Pete’s burgers and more
You buy a map and pick a spot, drive as fast as you can
Cause falling down here is all too real
Broken dreams and tobacco fields
Hollow shells with hardened eyes
That didn’t make it out
Their either Dropped Out or Knocked Up
That high school girl that they thought they loved
Now their life revolves around diapers and direct tv
We aren’t the men
We aren’t the men our fathers were
We aren’t the men they wanted us to be
Chorus:
So I packed up, cashed my chips and pointed that car east
No idea where I was going
Anywhere but here’d worked for me
Somehow I still think I made him proud
Just by getting out
Well I was born in the valley of the Cape Fear river
About a 30 minute drive to the south of Virginia
A north star of this great state
At least that’s what the sign said
American Aquarium's song "Cape Fear River" is a tribute to the singer's home state of North Carolina and the struggles that many people face growing up in small towns in the South. The song, with its reflective lyrics and mournful melody, paints a picture of a place where the only way out is to leave, and the only options for those who stay are to get "locked up" or join the military.
The song begins with the singer describing his birthplace in the "valley of the Cape Fear river" and the sign that proclaims it a "north star of this great state." However, the song quickly turns to the harsh reality of growing up in a town where "either you had or you didn't." The singer's father worked hard just so his son would have a better life, but the son still feels like he is not the man he wanted to be.
The chorus is a powerful statement about the singer's decision to leave home and strike out on his own. He packs up, cashes in his chips, and heads east with no real destination in mind. He may not know where he's going, but he knows he doesn't want to stay where he is. Despite his doubts, he still hopes that he has made his father proud by choosing to leave and seek a better life.
Overall, "Cape Fear River" is a song about the struggle to escape the limitations of small-town life, the love and respect we have for our parents, and the hope that someday we'll find our place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I was born in the valley of the Cape Fear river
I was born in a town located in the valley of the Cape Fear river.
About a 30 minute drive to the south of Virginia
The town was located approximately 30 minutes south of Virginia.
A north star of this great state
The town was a significant landmark in the state.
At least that’s what the sign said
The town had a sign that touted its significance.
In a town where either had or you didnt
The town was a place where you either had something or you didn't.
My Daddy worked a 7 to 5 just to give me
My dad worked long hours to provide for me.
A fighting chance to make it out
He wanted me to have a chance to leave the town and succeed in life.
And not end up like him
He didn't want me to end up stuck in the town like he was.
Well I aint the man
I'm not the same kind of man as my father.
Half the man my Daddy was
I feel like I'm not as good of a person as my father was.
Half the man he wanted me to be
I know I haven't lived up to my father's expectations for me.
Either you get locked up or you join the core
In the town, it seemed like the only options were to go to jail or join the military.
You work the grill and Pete’s burgers and more
Many people in the town worked at fast food restaurants, including Pete's Burgers.
You buy a map and pick a spot, drive as fast as you can
The only way to leave the town was to buy a map and figure out where to go, and then leave as quickly as possible.
Cause falling down here is all too real
It was easy to fall into a bad situation in the town.
Broken dreams and tobacco fields
The town was full of unfulfilled aspirations and tobacco fields.
Hollow shells with hardened eyes
Many people in the town had lost hope and become numb to the world around them.
That didn’t make it out
Some people were never able to escape the town and its problems.
Their either Dropped Out or Knocked Up
Some people left school before finishing, and others became parents earlier than planned.
That high school girl that they thought they loved
Many young men fell in love with a girl in high school and started a family with her, only to later regret their decision.
Now their life revolves around diapers and direct tv
Those who became parents early have become consumed with raising their children and watching TV.
We aren’t the men
We are not like our fathers.
We aren’t the men our fathers were
We have not lived up to our fathers' standards.
We aren’t the men they wanted us to be
Our fathers had different hopes and expectations for us.
So I packed up, cashed my chips and pointed that car east
I left town with whatever belongings I had and drove east, not knowing where I was going.
No idea where I was going
I had no particular destination in mind.
Anywhere but here’d worked for me
Leaving town was the best decision I made.
Somehow I still think I made him proud
Even though I haven't lived up to my father's expectations, I think he would be proud of me for leaving town and trying to make a better life for myself.
Contributed by Elena E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.