Austin Willacy is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has toured t… Read Full Bio ↴Austin Willacy is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has toured the U.S., Europe and Japan with The House Jacks, a groundbreaking all-vocal rock band. He’s appeared in Rolling Stone and has performed with Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, James Brown and rising stars like Jem, Rachael Yamagata & Amos Lee. Austin has been touring extensively as a solo artist since 2005 while continuing his domestic and international touring with The House Jacks.

Austin is the director of ‘Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group and has facilitated over 30 youth retreats. He also donates his time and musical talent to a wide range of educational, social and environmental organizations (including The Freight & Salvage and Bread & Roses). He has co-facilitated three of YES!’s Leveraging Privilege for Social Change Jams and recently retired from the board of Rainforest Action Network where he served for 3 years.

Austin’s music has been featured on TV (NBC’s The Sing Off and MTV’s Road Rules) and on the soundtrack of two indie documentaries, (“Word Wars,” and “A Lawyer Walks into a Bar…”). He was hired to co-write the theme song to THRIVE!,a feature-length film slated for wide release in Spring 2011.

Austin loves many different types of music and has been able to use that love (and his wide-ranging vocal ability) to help recreate dozens of rock and pop classics for Guitar Hero (Queen, Wolfmother, Sum 41 & Incubus) and Karaoke Revolution (Jay-Z, Billy Joel, Boy George, Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees, Maroon 5, Michael Jackson and many more!).

At present, Austin is hard at work on the 7th House Jacks CD (due Summer 2010) his 3rd solo EP (due Summer 2010) and his 4th solo CD (due Spring 2011).

Anymore
Austin Willacy Lyrics

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the grass is always kinder in july
give your sister wings and she'll go high
and pluck the cotton candy from the sky
melt the fluff to syrup as you cry

i always tried to
almost died to
you don't seem to understand

i always loved you
always had to have you
you never want to play anymore

all my teeth are waitin' in my hand
blasted loose by jets of stingin' sand
it's ok i don't know my demands
but my bums are bleedin' thinkin' 'bout your plans

i always tried to
almost died to
you don't seem to understand
i always loved you

always had to have you
you never want to play anymore

Overall Meaning

In Austin Willacy's song "Anymore", the first verse starts with the phrase "the grass is always kinder in July", indicating that he is reminiscing about a better time in his life when things seemed brighter and more hopeful. The next line, "give your sister wings and she'll go high", suggests that he is envious of his sister's ability to fly high and succeed in life. The imagery of "plucking cotton candy from the sky" and "melting the fluff to syrup as you cry" evoke a sense of childlike wonder and innocence that brings to mind the feeling of carefree summer days.

Despite these fond memories, the second verse takes a darker turn with references to the pain and suffering that the singer has endured. He speaks of "all his teeth waitin' in his hand" which has been "blasted loose by jets of stingin' sand". This paints a picture of physical violence and agony that he has experienced. He acknowledges that he doesn't know what he wants or what his demands are, but his "bums are bleedin' thinkin' 'bout your plans". Perhaps he is referring to a past relationship or a friend who has let him down.

Throughout the song, Willacy's lyrics come across as deeply personal and vulnerable. The chorus repeats the lines "I always tried to, almost died to, you don't seem to understand, I always loved you, always had to have you, you never want to play anymore" driving home the feeling of disappointment and heartbreak that comes with unrequited love or a failed relationship. The song ends on a bittersweet note with the feeling that time has passed and things are different now.

Line by Line Meaning

the grass is always kinder in july
Things may seem better in the summer, but it's just an illusion.

give your sister wings and she'll go high
Empower others and they can achieve great things.

and pluck the cotton candy from the sky
Take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

melt the fluff to syrup as you cry
Find sweetness in life's difficulties.

i always tried to
I put in effort to make this work.

almost died to
I went through extreme hardships for this.

you don't seem to understand
You're not seeing my point of view.

i always loved you
My love for you has always been there.

always had to have you
I couldn't imagine being without you.

you never want to play anymore
You don't seem interested in being with me anymore.

all my teeth are waitin' in my hand
I'm ready to fight for what I want.