Ayle… Read Full Bio ↴Barns Courtney (born Barnaby George Courtney on 17 November 1990 in
Aylesbury, England) is an English singer, songwriter and musician.
Courtney spent a large part of his childhood in Seattle,USA, before returning to home country UK as a 15-year-old. This change of scenery comes across as clearly in his eclectic mix of US blues-rock, hip-hop and grunge with British indie melodic sensibilities, as it does in his hybrid US-British twang.
Playing in various projects and bands growing up whilst developing his sound, Barns incarnation as a solo artist has been an unexpectedly fast paced one. At the end of 2015, his first track ‘Glitter & Gold’, with its rocking gospel-blues and Barns’ honey & sand delivery, soared to #1 on the UK Spotify Viral Chart, #2 on the iTunes Alternative Chart, was added to the BBC Introducing Playlist, clocked hundred of thousands of plays on YouTube, and was featured on the ITV Winter 2015 drama reel, all in the span of two months.
‘Goodbye John Smith’, a poignant piano ballad that channels ageless song-and-voice men such as Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, hit the radars of tastemakers online and further spread the word about Barns, earning him a spot as one of Channel 4’s Future Sounds artists that year.
Barns Courtney released his debut EP, ‘Hands’, a four-track collection, in 2016 on Virgin EMI.
Hobo Rocket
Barns Courtney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they bring it like more focused
And you got it, and that's it
You're just good as anybody
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
When my feet touch down on the foreign land
I buried all my money in a coffee can
And I've been hobo skipping just to hide from the weather
Only got two pennies better rub them together
Because I keep it on my sleeve
I wear it on my shirt
I got a living room full of dust and dirt
And it's a jumped up living in the city of smoke
I better suck it up before I'm gonna fly
I'm a hobo rocket
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
Wanna die, nothing in my pocket, yeah
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
When my shoes got holes in the cobble streets
And now it feels like heaven underneath my feet
I'm like a lone crusader on a holy endeavour
Living five pound daily in a charity sweater
Because I'm beating on my drum
I'm tapping on my knee
A street rat jamming to a Beck CD
You know I still got rhythm if I don't get paid
And i don't give a shit if I'm gonna fly
I'm a hobo rocket
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
Wanna die, nothing in my pocket, yeah
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey)
(Who who)
Alright, alright, alright (who who)
Alright, alright, alright (who who)
Alright, alright, alright
I tell them what I tell them and I do it every night (who who)
The song "Hobo Rocket" by Barns Courtney is an anthem for anyone who is down on their luck but still refuses to be defeated. The opening lines suggest that this is a song for the underdogs who are often ignored or relegated to the background, but who are just as capable as anyone else. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm a hobo rocket" as a declaration of the singer's resilience and ability to soar despite their circumstances.
The verses also paint a vivid picture of the singer's gritty reality, living on the streets and relying on a mixture of resourcefulness and luck just to make it through each day. The line "I buried all my money in a coffee can" suggests that the singer has nothing left to lose and is willing to take risks. Yet, even in the face of poverty and constant struggle, the singer still manages to find joy in the simple pleasures of life, such as feeling the cobblestones under their feet, jamming to their favorite music, or making music with whatever they have on hand, whether it be a drum or their own body.
As a whole, "Hobo Rocket" is a powerful tribute to anyone who has ever found themselves in a tough spot, but who still refuses to give up. Its infectious chorus and upbeat melody serve as a reminder that, despite all the obstacles we may face, we can still find joy and purpose if we stay true to ourselves and never lose our sense of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Echo hold the background a bit, right
Lower the volume of the background music a little bit, right
And they bring it like more focused
They bring in the music more clearly and with more focus
And you got it, and that's it
You understand the concept and when you have a grip on that, you're done
You're just good as anybody
You are as good as anyone else
When my feet touch down on the foreign land
As soon as my feet touch down in a new country
I buried all my money in a coffee can
I hid all of my money inside a coffee can
And I've been hobo skipping just to hide from the weather
I've been skipping like a hobo to hide from the bad weather
Only got two pennies better rub them together
I only have two pennies so I better rub them together
Because I keep it on my sleeve
Because I am honest and open about it
I wear it on my shirt
I proudly display it on my shirt for everyone to see
I got a living room full of dust and dirt
My living room is full of dust and dirt
And it's a jumped up living in the city of smoke
Living here is overwhelming in this city full of smoke
I better suck it up before I'm gonna fly
I better deal with it before I leave
I'm a hobo rocket
I am a homeless person who is determined to succeed
Wanna die, nothing in my pocket, yeah
I don't mind dying since I have nothing to lose
When my shoes got holes in the cobble streets
When my shoes got holes from walking on the cobblestone streets
And now it feels like heaven underneath my feet
Now it feels comfortable and nice to walk on
I'm like a lone crusader on a holy endeavour
I am like a lone warrior on a holy mission
Living five pound daily in a charity sweater
I am surviving on only five pounds a day and wearing a charity sweater
Because I'm beating on my drum
Because I am playing my drum
I'm tapping on my knee
I am tapping my knee to the beat
A street rat jamming to a Beck CD
A homeless person jamming to a Beck CD
You know I still got rhythm if I don't get paid
I still have a sense of rhythm even if I'm not getting paid
And i don't give a shit if I'm gonna fly
And I don't care if I have to leave
Alright, alright, alright
Everything is okay
I tell them what I tell them and I do it every night
I tell them the same thing every night and I continue to do it
Writer(s): Barnaby Courtney, Rob Brinkmann
Contributed by Declan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andrew J. Casey
on Golden Dandelions
It's an upbeat song about death a loss.