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.
Hurricane
American Aquarium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a storm blowing in
And I can tell by the way the wind blows
That she ain't coming to make friends
I can see you coming from a mile away
I can tell she's going to be rough
What took me my whole life to build
Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course
And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane
A wish followed me through Florida
About as calm as a gun for hire
But it wasn't till south Georgia
That girl really set my chest on fire
When it comes to women
Well, I figured she'd just burn out like the rest
But that damn girl nearly stole my heart
When she stepped out of that black dress
Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course
And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane
Well they say that the eye of the storm
Is the safest place to be
But if I spend one more moment in those eyes
My God, it's gonna be the death of me
I didn't get her
Hell, that's for sure
She stung me like a hornet's nest
I just can't wait to get back to Carolina
So I can lay those storms to rest
Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course
And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane
In American Aquarium's song "Hurricane," the singer finds himself in the midst of a storm, both figuratively and literally. He describes how he's boarded up the windows, indicating that he knows a storm is coming. He can "tell by the way the wind blows that she ain't coming to make friends," implying that he's encountered something or someone that will be difficult to handle. The storm becomes a metaphor for the woman he's encountered, and he describes how she nearly took his heart when she stepped out of her black dress. However, he questions whether she was targeting him, or if he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The line "tell me baby, was I a target, or was I simply in the way" highlights his confusion and uncertainty about the situation. He also uses imagery of the eye of the storm being the safest place to be, but acknowledging that if he spends one more moment there, it will be the death of him. This suggests that staying with this woman, despite the danger and chaos she brings, might be his undoing. The song ends with the singer expressing a desire to leave the storms behind and return to Carolina.
Line by Line Meaning
Wears boards on all the windows
Preparing for the storm by boarding up windows to protect from the approaching hurricane
There's a storm blowing in
A hurricane is approaching
And I can tell by the way the wind blows, That she ain't coming to make friends
The wind indicates that the hurricane is going to be severe and destructive
I can see you coming from a mile away, I can tell she's going to be rough
The singer knows that the hurricane will be rough and destructive
What took me my whole life to build, Took her one night to fuck it up
The hurricane destroyed everything the singer had built over his lifetime in just one night
Tell me baby, was I a target Or was I simply in the way
The singer wonders if the hurricane was specifically targeting him or if he was just in the path of its destruction
When the wind has lost it's force And the rain has run it's course And all you're left with is a name The name of your hurricane
After the hurricane has passed, all that remains is the memory of its destruction
A wish followed me through Florida About as calm as a gun for hire But it wasn't till south Georgia That girl really set my chest on fire
The singer thought he had escaped the hurricane's path until it unexpectedly hit him in Georgia
Well, I figured she'd just burn out like the rest But that damn girl nearly stole my heart When she stepped out of that black dress
The singer didn't think the hurricane would be as severe as it was, but it ended up being more destructive than expected
Well they say that the eye of the storm Is the safest place to be But if I spend one more moment in those eyes My God, it's gonna be the death of me
The eye of the hurricane may be the calmest place, but the singer knows that if he stays any longer, it will be deadly for him
I didn't get her Hell, that's for sure She stung me like a hornet's nest
The singer couldn't fully comprehend the hurricane and its destruction, but it hurt him deeply like a hornet's sting
I just can't wait to get back to Carolina So I can lay those storms to rest
The singer wants to return home to Carolina where he can leave behind the destruction of the hurricane
Contributed by Alice F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Suitt Entertainment
I'm so digging this groove!!!!
stephen smith
best track of this century. (by a mile)
DEACON006
Looking forward to Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2015. Seems this old NC band is on the radar in the TX music scene and beyond (Euro zone). Check their touring schedule. It is relentless and has been for many years. Hard work pays I hope. I wish them well.
meathdetal
yep! they are incredible
Cash 1969
great song
keith braithwaite
simply great trying to buy all of their albums but cannot get the first one in the uk
whitetrashscumbag
keith braithwaite the best album they ever made
Amanda Catlett
Miss you chase.
happydeepsiggi
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