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.
Tangled in the Pines
BR5-49 Lyrics
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We used to think there wasn't anything we couldn't do
But they could see right through us we didn't seem to care
We were on a highway that ain't going anywhere
They told us we were wrong a thousand times
We rode out to the country and got tangled in the pines
We tried to take it slowly we tried to understand
We lost our direction you could say we lost our touch
Now all of those petty things don't seem to matter much
I can take your blame if you take mine
We rode out to the country and got
tangled in the pines
Now we're lost forever along the roadway side
But I can't say I'm sorry that we took that foolish ride
We couldn't get along at all no we just disagreed
You drove me to the point where I just drove into the trees
I guess we should have seen the warning signs
When we drove out to the country and got tangled in the pines
The lyrics of the song "Tangled in the Pines" by BR5-49 speaks about the consequences of losing oneself in a relationship. The song talks about a couple who used to be happy and believed in their love, but the world could see that their relationship was not healthy. They were on a path that did not lead anywhere, and they did not care about it. The song hints that the couple was warned a thousand times, but they paid no attention. The couple had come to the point where all their petty problems did not matter anymore, and they started to blame each other. They went on a trip to the countryside where they eventually got tangled up in the pines. The pines here refer to the problems and difficulties in their relationship. They lost their sense of direction and touch and got lost on the side of the road.
The singer explains that the couple tried to take things slow and be careful, but eventually, they lost their way. They could not get along, and petty disagreements escalated into something significant. Eventually, their relationship broke down, and two could not stay together anymore. The song implies that the couple should have seen the warning signs before they took the trip to the country.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to be so happy we used to be so true
We were once content and sincere
We used to think there wasn't anything we couldn't do
We had an unwavering sense of confidence and capability
But they could see right through us we didn't seem to care
Others recognized our flaws and concerns, but we chose to ignore them
We were on a highway that ain't going anywhere
We were aimlessly travelling a path with no real destination or purpose
They told us we were wrong a thousand times
We were warned repeatedly against our choices and actions
We rode out to the country and got tangled in the pines
We attempted to escape our problems by seeking refuge in nature, but ultimately got trapped in complications
We tried to take it slowly we tried to understand
We made efforts to progress methodically and incorporate comprehension
That we'd be on a one way trip if things got out of hand
We acknowledged the possibility of heading towards an irreversible outcome if we couldn't manage the situation
We lost our direction you could say we lost our touch
We became disoriented and our abilities and skills faltered
Now all of those petty things don't seem to matter much
Issues that once appeared significant now appear insignificant
I can take your blame if you take mine
I am willing to accept responsibility and accountability for our shared mistakes
Now we're lost forever along the roadway side
We are now permanently displaced on the side of the highway, with no real direction or purpose
But I can't say I'm sorry that we took that foolish ride
Despite the negative outcome, I don't regret our ill-advised journey
We couldn't get along at all no we just disagreed
We struggled to maintain positive relations and frequently had opposing views
You drove me to the point where I just drove into the trees
You provoked me to the extent where I made a reckless decision and crashed my vehicle
I guess we should have seen the warning signs
We should have been more mindful and attentive to the indicators of trouble
When we drove out to the country and got tangled in the pines
Our misguided attempt to escape reality by entering nature led us into entanglements
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER SCRUGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind