Met.
Fell in love.
Made a baby boy.
Got married.
Made a baby girl.
Started a band.
The end result is White Hat, the full-length debut for Omaha's Saddle Creek. The songs range from gun-in-her-garter saloon narratives and paranoid soul struts to intimate ballads of quiet resignation and open-hearted love songs. The recordings are raw and un-fussed over, with the spirited energy and honest emotion of live performance. Drawing from the classic country and folk of Senseney's childhood and anchored by Drootin's rock-solid rhythms and indie-punk roots, White Hat contains echoes of artists from Townes Van Zandt to Nick Cave, Willie Nelson to Captain Beefheart. Fitting for a couple in no rush to slow down, White Hat was recorded at LA's Nightingale studios in a mere three days. Rilo Kiley bassist Pierre de Reeder recorded the album and drums were handled by Chris Phillips.
While currently based in Los Angeles, the pair have long connections to Omaha. Drootin, a member of The Good Life, has toured and recorded with acts such as Bright Eyes, She & Him, and Azure Ray. It was actually on a tour with The Good Life that she was swept off her feet by the handsome guitarist in the opening band, Art in Manila. Drootin is also the founder of Omaha Girls Rock!, a rock 'n' roll camp for girls that opens its doors in July 2011.
White Hat will be released September 13 on Saddle Creek. The band is ready to rev up the minivan and hit the trail this fall, kids and trailer in tow.
Good News
Big Harp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then let’s go up and years tripped up
‘Cause I got the good news that lifted up
I’ve seen the shape of what’s to come
(Verse)
Ain’t no abuse, ain’t no debt
Ain’t no shirt stainless sweat
Ain’t no bottle in that club
(Chorus)
Ain’t no place nowhere
Ain’t no sky, just dirt
(Verse)
Gather round me, all you dorks
Bring your sorrows, trials and wars
Let me them fall, just like dirt
From an appraised fate in the yard of a church
(Chorus x2)
Ain’t no place nowhere
Ain’t no sky, just dirt
In “Good News,” Big Harp sings about a world free of the typical struggles and stresses of contemporary life. The song opens with a call to gather around, as the singer announces that he has good news that has “lifted up” his spirits. He goes on to describe a world without the abuses and debt that plague so many people, a world where sweat doesn’t stain clothes and there’s no need for the escapism of a bottle in a club.
The chorus is repeated twice in the song, almost like a mantra: “Ain’t no place nowhere / Ain’t no sky, just dirt.” This line serves as a sort of anthem for the song, emphasizing the idea of a world without a clear destination, where the only certainty is the earth we walk on. In the second verse, the singer addresses the “dorks” in the audience, encouraging them to bring their troubles to him and let them fall away like dirt. The image of “an appraised fate in the yard of a church” suggests that the things we value most may ultimately be inconsequential compared to the natural world around us.
Overall, “Good News” seems to celebrate simplicity and liberation from societal pressures, offering a vision of a world that is stripped of unnecessary luxuries and distractions. It’s a song that invites listeners to let go of their worries and find comfort in the earth beneath their feet.
Line by Line Meaning
Gather round me, all you bucks
Come join me, all you lucky people
Then let’s go up and years tripped up
Together we'll move forward and leave our troubles behind
‘Cause I got the good news that lifted up
I have some great news that will make you feel optimistic
I’ve seen the shape of what’s to come
I have a vision of what the future holds
Ain’t no abuse, ain’t no debt
There is no mistreatment or financial burden
Ain’t no shirt stainless sweat
There is no hard labor or working conditions that leave you sweaty and dirty
Ain’t no chamber, going up
There is no place you're restricted to or trapped in
Ain’t no bottle in that club
There is no alcohol consumption or addiction
Gather round me, all you dorks
Come closer, all you socially awkward people
Bring your sorrows, trials and wars
Bring all your sadness, struggles, and conflicts
Let them fall, just like dirt
Let them go away easily, like dirt falling from your hand
From an appraised fate in the yard of a church
As if it was predetermined by a higher power in a holy place
Ain’t no place nowhere
There is no location or destination
Ain’t no sky, just dirt
There is nothing above us but the ground we stand on
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.