The band was formed in Nashville by co-leads Gary Bennett and Chuck Mead. Their music, referred to as alternative country or neotraditional, contains elements of western swing and rockabilly. They eschew modern Top 40 pop-country for a more raw, honky-tonk sound, with songs about 50s pin-up/dominatrix Bettie Page and The Ramones. They took their name from a telephone number regularly used in a Junior Samples sketch on the television show Hee Haw.
BR549 toured with Bob Dylan, the Mavericks, Junior Brown, the Black Crowes, and Brian Setzer. Whike on hiatus, multi-Instrumentalist Don Herron is touring with Bob Dylan, and lead vocalist Chuck Mead is performing with the honky-tonk country supergroup The Hillbilly All-Stars, along with Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin of the Mavericks and solo recording artist/actor Mark Collie. Former co-lead vocalist, and co-founder, Gary Bennett released his solo debut, Human Condition, in February of 2006, and former bassist Geoff Firebaugh is a member of the Nashville based rockabilly outfit Hillbilly Casino. Despite shows in Europe in 2007 it's unclear if the band will return to its capacity as a full-time touring band.
The group disbanded, and Chuck, Shaw and Donnie returned to Lower Broadway to play weekly gigs with musical collective The Hillbilly All-Stars. The three were soon revitalized to again play music within an unpredictable scene, leading them to reform BR549 in 2004 with bassist Geoff Firebaugh and singer/guitarist Chris Scruggs for their Dualtone debut Tangled In The Pines. But following victorious tours of the U.S. and Europe (marred only by two separate thefts of their instruments and gear), BR549 was faced with their ultimate challenge when Donnie Herron was invited by Bob Dylan to become the new fiddle and steel guitar player in his band.
“It was a real test of our abilities as a family,” admits Mead. “Donnie went on the road with Dylan. Shaw moved to Arizona. I’d moved on to other projects. But for us, BR549 had always been something that needs to be respected and nothing we could ever take lightly.” Following months of heart-to-heart phone calls, plate-spinning scheduling and the addition of new bassist Mark Miller, the band finally convened in Athens to record in a way they never had before. “In the past, we’d always made a record coming off the road, with songs we’d been played for weeks and sometimes months on tour,” Chuck remembers “But this time, we were all coming in fresh, making the record then and there. It’s an album that’s truly in the moment.”
BR549 released six albums and two EPs, including three albums on Arista Nashville and two on Dualtone Records. The band's self-titled debut album produced three singles on the Billboard country charts in 1996. The band was nominated three times for the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Poison
BR5-49 Lyrics
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Spinnin' room don't feel right
Spirits they all laugh at me
'Cause of my stupidity
Cold sweat on my brow
Feel it comin' up right now
Alaman-left to the powder room
Steppin' in time to a banjo tune
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
I can't focus, I can't see
TV don't make sense to me
Bubblin' crude comin' up fast
I swore that drink would be my last
Oh, my goodness, oh, my dear
Banjo pickin's all I hear
Spinnin' worlds gotta give
For tomorrow can't forgive
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
Disc go down late last night
Spinnin' room don't feel right
Spirits they all laugh at me
'Cause of my stupidity
Oh, my goodness, oh, my dear
Banjo pickin's all I hear
Cold sweat on my brow
Feel it comin' up right now
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
Poison, get thee out of me
The BR5-49's song "Poison" is a lament about the experience of being poisoned by alcohol. The lyrics describe a late night out where the singer drinks too much and experiences the negative physical and mental effects of alcohol. The "spinnin' room" and "cold sweat" are typical symptoms of alcohol poisoning, and the singer is so disoriented that even the TV "don't make sense." The banjo tune is the only thing that the singer can focus on, and the lyrics convey a sense of desperation to rid oneself of the poison in their system. The repetition of "Poison, get thee out of me" is both a plea and a mantra, as the singer tries to shake off the effects of the alcohol.
The song can be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking to excess and the importance of moderation. The singer's experience is not portrayed in a celebratory way; instead, the focus is on the negative consequences of overindulgence. The use of a banjo in the song also adds to the theme of moderation, as the instrument is often associated with traditional and more restrained forms of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Disc go down late last night
I stayed up late listening to music last night
Spinnin' room don't feel right
I feel dizzy and disoriented
Spirits they all laugh at me
I feel like the ghosts are mocking me
'Cause of my stupidity
I regret making a bad decision
Cold sweat on my brow
I'm sweating and feeling anxious
Feel it comin' up right now
I'm about to vomit
Alaman-left to the powder room
I'm rushing to the bathroom
Steppin' in time to a banjo tune
I hear banjo music in my head and it's affecting my movements
Poison, get thee out of me
I want to get rid of the toxins in my body
I can't focus, I can't see
I can't concentrate or see clearly
TV don't make sense to me
Watching TV doesn't make sense or bring me pleasure
Bubblin' crude comin' up fast
I'm about to throw up oil-like substance
I swore that drink would be my last
I promised myself I wouldn't drink again
Oh, my goodness, oh, my dear
I am shocked and distressed
Banjo pickin's all I hear
I'm hallucinating the sound of banjos
Spinnin' worlds gotta give
My dizzy spell needs to stop
For tomorrow can't forgive
I don't want to regret my actions tomorrow
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TONY ALLEN, MICHAEL BALZARY, DAMON ALBARN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind