Between the potency of his incredibly deep songwriting, his soulful vocals and his subtle, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today. OffBeat magazine named Osborne as the Crescent City’s Best Roots Rock Artist and declared him the city’s Best Guitarist for two years straight. Guitar Player calls him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.”
Since the release of his 2010 Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork and his 2012 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, Osborne has earned hordes of new fans. He has toured virtually non-stop, either with his road-tested trio, as a solo artist, or as a guest with his countless musical admirers, including Toots And The Maytals, Stanton Moore, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Keb Mo, and The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh. He’s appeared on Galactic’s song “Dark Water” from their Ya-Ka-May album, and in 2011 produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Mike Zito. In late 2012, Osborne recorded his new six-song EP, Three Free Amigos, a semi-acoustic collection cut in a relaxed, easygoing atmosphere, with friends joining him in various combinations, creating true musical magic. According to Osborne, the way this EP was recorded “is not what I usually do. I may never do it again. I wanted to keep it loose and give fans something different.”
Three Free Amigos, produced by Osborne and Warren Riker, features six Osborne originals, ranging from the road-diary reminiscence of the title track to the Bo Diddley-flavored “Jealous Love” to the reggae-rocking “Marmalade” to the warmly philosophical “We Move On.” Osborne examines love’s healing power and strength on “It’s Gonna Be OK” (previously recorded by Theresa Andersson) and offers profoundly simple advice in “Never Is A Real Long Time.” He is backed on some tracks by his road band—bassist Carl Dufrene[/bandmamber] and drummer Eric Bolivar—and on others he’s joined by friends Michael Burkhart on Hammond B3 organ, Johnny Sansone on harmonica and accordion, Billy Iuso on acoustic guitar and Maggie Koerne on background vocals. A few songs from the improvisational recording sessions even feature Osborne playing bass and drums.
Since his recording debut in 1989, Osborne has written virtually all of his own material and contributed memorable songs to a wide variety of artists. Two tunes co-written by Osborne appear on Keb Mo’s Grammy-winning 1999 release Slow Down. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders’ song “Watch The Wind Blow By.” Osborne’s compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. His song “What’s Going On Here” appeared in the 1996 feature film Fled, and Osborne, along with Ivan Neville, wrote and recorded the title track for the 2010 Kate Hudson film Earthbound. He can also be seen performing in a recent episode of HBO’s New Orleans-based drama Treme.
When Osborne planted his roots in New Orleans almost 30 years ago, he could not have realized that he would become one of the city’s favorite sons. He was born in Uddevalla, Sweden in 1966. With a love of music, a knack for the guitar and a serious case of wanderlust, Anders began traveling on his own at 16. He wrote constantly, soaking up life experience and honing his craft. In 1985, after landing in New York with only five dollars in his pocket, Osborne hitchhiked to New Orleans to meet up with a friend. “Once I got to New Orleans, everything I heard in my head—the music, the way people treated each other—was happening. I knew I was home.” He naturally absorbed the spirit of the Crescent City into his soul, as he was fully embraced by the city’s vibrant music community. “I just knew I was where I was supposed to be,” Osborne says.
Anders spent his first few years in New Orleans writing and developing his sound and style, all the while continuing to soak up the music of the city. He cut his first two albums for the independent New Orleans-based Rabadash Records in 1989 and 1993. The excitement surrounding those releases led to a major label deal with Sony’s Okeh imprint in 1995. Osborne released a series of critically-acclaimed albums on the Shanachie and MC labels before joining forces with Alligator Records.
With the 2010 release of American Patchwork, Osborne’s fame suddenly reached a whole new level. Critics went wild, with OffBeat saying, “The record is a focused and tuneful triumph. Osborne’s gifts as a guitar player are significant. His voice is so emotionally intense it feels like an explosion. He writes with remarkable eloquence...this is the living definition of great art.” 2012’s Black Eye Galaxy raised the bar even higher. USA Today said, “Black Eye Galaxy contains fiery anthems and dark confessional songs punctuated with incessant, penetrating guitar runs. It sounds like a cry of thanks from a rescued man.”
With Three Free Amigos, Anders Osborne shares his passion for life with his friends and fans. The melodic, accessible songs are lyrically deep, instantly memorable, and soulfully satisfying. With further touring ahead and a full album expected later in 2013, Anders Osborne has no plans to slow down.
www.andersosborne.com.
That's All
Anders Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live for the moment, tryin' to make it last
Day by day, step after step, that's all
Everybody's asking where I've been
What did you bring back, tell us everything
Right and wrong, night and day, that's all
Take your time, from the ground up
My grandpa, the Captain, sailed the seven seas
He says life's an ocean, simple and deep
Don't be afraid, you do what you can, that's all
Life is here, life is now, that's all
Trying to do a good thing, nobody knows
Why our feelings can hurt us so
Piece by piece, beat after beat, that's all
Take your time, build from the ground up, that's all
From the ground up, that's all
The lyrics of Anders Osborne's song That's All are about the rapid changes that happen in life and the need to live in the moment. The singer acknowledges that everything is changing too fast and so they are trying to make the most of every moment. They live day by day, step by step, and that's all they can do. Others are curious to know where the singer has been and what they have brought back. However, the singer knows that life is full of both right and wrong, night and day, and that's all they can expect. The singer advises everyone to take their time, from the ground up. They encourage others to start building slowly and methodically, taking each step as it comes.
The singer shares about their grandpa who was a captain who sailed the seven seas. The grandpa's advice to the singer was that life is simple and deep like an ocean. The grandpa encourages the singer not to be afraid and do what they can, that's all. Life is here, life is now, and that's all that matters. The singer also reflects on how sometimes trying to do good things can be difficult, and our feelings can hurt us. But the singer encourages others to keep building piece by piece, beat after beat, from the ground up.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is changing, too fast
The world changes too rapidly and it's difficult to keep up with the pace
Live for the moment, tryin' to make it last
Focus on enjoying the present and maximizing happiness
Day by day, step after step, that's all
Small progress made over time adds up and is sufficient
Everybody's asking where I've been
People are curious about my whereabouts and activities
What did you bring back, tell us everything
People want me to share stories and experiences from my travels
Right and wrong, night and day, that's all
There are only two states, right/wrong and day/night, and this simple framework defines much of life
Take your time, from the ground up
Take a methodical approach and build step-by-step from the foundation
My grandpa, the Captain, sailed the seven seas
My grandpa was an experienced sailor who travelled extensively
He says life's an ocean, simple and deep
My grandpa sees life as being both straightforward and profound
Don't be afraid, you do what you can, that's all
Don't be fearful and make the most of what's under your control
Life is here, life is now, that's all
Life is present and immediate and should be appreciated as such
Trying to do a good thing, nobody knows
It's often difficult to know how to improve a situation, even with good intentions
Why our feelings can hurt us so
The emotional impact of events can be significant and difficult to overcome
Piece by piece, beat after beat, that's all
Change happens incrementally and rhythmically
Take your time, build from the ground up, that's all
Work carefully, diligently, and methodically to achieve goals
From the ground up, that's all
Starting with the foundation is key to building anything successfully
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDERS OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Freejamming
This song is just one of the best. The way it´s put togheter is amazing. Makes me proud to be a swede :) Thanks for uploading!
j gee
Always calms me,on my list of songs for my memorial
kajunmoon
thank you for posting this gem!!!!!