Their first studio album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in 2004. This album produced four straight Top 40 country hits, including the number 11 "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)", plus collaborations with Cowboy Troy, Gretchen Wilson, and Martina McBride. Comin' to Your City was released in November 2005 followed by another Top 20 single the Vietnam War-inspired "8th of November", and two more Top 40 hits. Joining the duo on this album were Cowboy Troy, Wilson, and Kris Kristofferson. Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, released in 2007, produced their only No. 1 single, "Lost in This Moment". Both before and during the duo's hiatus, Rich has worked as a producer and songwriter for several other artists.
After this album, both members went on hiatus and released solo albums in 2009 — Big Kenny's The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy and Rich's Son of a Preacher Man. These also produced the duo's first Top 40 solo entries — Big Kenny with "Long After I'm Gone" and Rich with "Shuttin' Detroit Down". In 2010, Big Kenny released his second solo country album, Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1 and in 2011, Rich released the extended plays For the Kids and Rich Rocks, the latter of which included the Top 40 country single "Country Done Come to Town". Big & Rich reunited in May 2011 to release "Fake ID", a cut from the soundtrack to the 2011 film Footloose. A year later, the duo released their fourth album, Hillbilly Jedi, which produced the Top 20 hit "That's Why I Pray. In July 2013, Rich announced that the duo had begun work on their fifth studio album, Gravity, which was released independently. Another independent album, Did it For the Party, was announced in 2017 for release in September, led by the single "California.
Nobody Told Me
Big & Rich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
There's nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs
Always something happening and nothing going on
There's always something happening cooking and nothing in the pot
They're starving back in China so finish what you got
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Strange days indeed
Everybody's runnin' and no one makes a move
Everyone's a winner and there's nothing left to lose
There's a little yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu
Everybody's flying and no one leaves the ground
Everybody's crying and no one makes a sound
There's a place for us in movies you just gotta lay around
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar mama
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
There's UFO's over New York and I ain't too surprised
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar Mama
Big & Rich's song "Nobody Told Me" is a commentary on the strange and confusing state of the world. The lyrics use surrealistic imagery and paradoxes to express the disorientation and alienation that many people feel in modern society. The first verse describes a scene in which people are talking and having sex, but are disconnected and apathetic to the world around them. The line "there's nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs" suggests a hidden menace lurking beneath the surface of things.
The second verse further emphasizes this disconnectedness, with people running without moving and winning without any stakes. The line "there's a little yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu" could be interpreted as a reference to a Buddha statue, indicating the prevalence of Eastern spirituality in the West. The third verse suggests that people are living in a state of illusion, either through substance abuse or a fixation on consumer culture. The line "there's a place for us in movies you just gotta lay around" implies that people are being sold a false dream of fame and success without having to work for it.
The chorus provides the song's central message: "Nobody told me there'd be days like these." This is a reminder that the world we live in is often confusing and challenging, and it's up to us to navigate it the best we can. The final line "most peculiar mama" is a nod to the surrealistic style of the song, as well as a nod to the Beatles' song "Nobody told me there'd be days like these" which was also featured in a John Lennon posthumous release and contains similar ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's talking and no one says a word
People are communicating but not really listening or saying anything meaningful.
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
Sex has become commonplace and not special or meaningful anymore.
There's nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs
The world is unpredictable and frightening with unexpected threats lurking in everyday places.
Always something happening and nothing going on
Life can be busy and eventful without meaningful progress or change happening.
There's always something happening cooking and nothing in the pot
People can be busy with no actual productive results or outcomes.
They're starving back in China so finish what you got
People in other parts of the world are suffering while we waste resources and take things for granted.
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Life can be unpredictable and surprising, and there's no way to be fully prepared for all challenges and experiences.
Strange days indeed
The world can be confusing and unexpected at times.
Everybody's runnin' and no one makes a move
People can be busy and active without making meaningful progress in their lives.
Everyone's a winner and there's nothing left to lose
In a society where everyone gets a trophy, there's no motivation to strive for true success or excellence.
There's a little yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu
There are strange and mysterious things in the world that we may never fully understand or explain.
Everybody's flying and no one leaves the ground
We can be distracted and live in our own worlds without actually experiencing true freedom or change in our lives.
Everybody's crying and no one makes a sound
People can experience deep emotions and pain without being able to express them or find true empathy from others.
There's a place for us in movies you just gotta lay around
The entertainment industry can give a false sense of success and accomplishment without actual hard work or effort being put in.
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high
People can engage in addictive behaviors without actually feeling fulfilled or satisfied.
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
Our dreams and aspirations may be beyond our reach or unattainable, leading to feelings of emptiness or dissatisfaction.
There's UFO's over New York and I ain't too surprised
We may encounter strange or unexplainable phenomena in the world that challenge our understanding and perception of reality.
Most peculiar mama
The world can leave us feeling unsure and confused, but we keep moving forward and seeking answers.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind