A master of the guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Strings is a singer and instrumentalist whose music starts with the sound and speed of bluegrass and folds in elements of rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Strings deals in acoustic music, but his lyrics are rooted in contemporary issues ("Dust in a Baggie" sounds like a classic bluegrass breakdown, but the lyrics deal with crystal meth addiction), and the music reinforces this fusion of past and present, melding modern melodic frameworks with fiddles and banjos. Strings's music was presented in its most traditional form on his 2016 self-titled EP, 2019's Grammy-winning Home added a more rock-oriented production style and extended jams to his formula, and 2021's Renewal featured some of his most personal songwriting and ambitious music to date.
Born in Lansing, Michigan, his family relocated to Morehead, Kentucky, for a spell before later settling in Muir, a small town in Michigan. Billy's father and uncle were both accomplished musicians, and the youngster was surrounded by acoustic music practically from birth. At the age of four, Billy asked his father for a guitar, and he was soon learning to play a second-hand instrument that cost 25 dollars. By the time he was six, he was good enough to join his dad for bluegrass picking parties, and his aunt nicknamed him Billy Strings. By the time he was in middle school, he had picked up an electric guitar and was playing in a heavy metal band. However, it led him into a circle of friends who were abusing drugs, and Strings believed it was leading him into a dark place.
Determined to find a better path, Strings returned to playing bluegrass, and after completing high school, he moved to Traverse City, a city in Northern Michigan with a lively music and art scene. When Strings performed at an open-mike night at a club called the Hayloft, local pickers were impressed with his skills, and he soon found a mentor and picking partner in mandolinist Don Julin, who recorded a duo album with Strings titled Rock of Ages. (Strings also independently released a home-brewed solo album in 2014, Fiddle Tune X.) He also played with a bluegrass combo called M-23 Strings, and earned a reputation as one of the most promising talents in the Mitten State.
In early 2016, Strings left Traverse City for Nashville, where the talented newcomer did not go unnoticed. In September 2017, he released Turmoil & Tinfoil, an effort that found him adding a wider variety of sounds and influences to his music. The album was produced by Glenn Brown, who had previously worked with Greensky Bluegrass and Luke Winslow-King. After landing a deal with roots music specialists Rounder Records, Strings returned in 2019 with his second solo outing, Home. It won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020, Strings had more time to devote to his songwriting, and 2021's Renewal found him exploring darker and more personal themes as well as broadening the instrumental palette of his band.
Biography by Mark Deming
Heartbeat Of America
Billy Strings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had a double headed nickel and a bill to pay
There was bubblegum a'blistered on the hot cement
And I was waiting like patience on a monument
Well I rolled a little spliff and tightened up my shoes
And I went to the corner where I lit the fuse
Disgusted by the loneliness I couldn't lose
I sat and wrote a little verse to the 'rona blues
I said I always wanna do the things I used to do
But everybody got a job and works enough for two
We could have a little party at the end of the day
But everybody had a family and moved away
So I'm sitting with a paper soakin' on my tongue
And feeling better than I did back when I was young
Now I'm seeing music that nobody else can see
With all the colors like a symphony surrounding me
The lyrics of Billy Strings's song Heartbeat Of America paint a picture of nostalgia and longing for simpler times. The singer describes walking down a street with a double-headed nickel and a bill to pay, reminiscing about bubblegum stuck to the hot cement. The singer is waiting like patience on a monument, feeling lonely and disgusted by the fact that everyone around them has jobs, families, and responsibilities that prevent them from just having a good time together. Despite the loneliness, the singer rolls a little spliff and writes a verse to the 'rona blues, referencing the isolation and hardship that many of us have experienced during the pandemic.
The second verse continues this theme of nostalgia and longing, with the singer saying that they always want to do the things they used to do, but everyone else has moved on with their lives. The singer is sitting alone with a paper soaking on their tongue, feeling better than they did in their youth but still missing the past. Then there's a shift in tone as the singer describes seeing music that nobody else can see, with all the colors like a symphony surrounding them. This could be interpreted as a moment of beauty and transcendence, suggesting that even though life is not what it used to be, there are still moments of magic to be found.
Overall, the lyrics of Heartbeat Of America evoke a sense of wistfulness and yearning for simpler times, while also acknowledging the difficulties of the present moment. The singer finds solace in music and in the beauty they perceive around them, suggesting that even in the midst of hardship, there is still room for hope and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I was walking down the street just the other day
Billy Strings describes a regular day in his life.
I had a double headed nickel and a bill to pay
Billy Strings had some money with him but also bills to pay.
There was bubblegum a'blistered on the hot cement
He describes the environment around him and the heat.
And I was waiting like patience on a monument
Billy Strings was waiting for something, like a statue.
Well I rolled a little spliff and tightened up my shoes
To pass the time, Billy Strings smoked a joint and prepared to leave.
And I went to the corner where I lit the fuse
He went to a particular corner where he did something to initiate an action.
Disgusted by the loneliness I couldn't lose
Despite trying, Billy Strings couldn't shake off the feeling of loneliness.
I sat and wrote a little verse to the 'rona blues
He used his loneliness as inspiration to write a song about the coronavirus blues.
I said I always wanna do the things I used to do
Billy Strings misses doing things he used to do in the past.
But everybody got a job and works enough for two
He notices that people these days have to work very hard to make ends meet.
We could have a little party at the end of the day
He suggests having a small get-together to celebrate the end of the day.
But everybody had a family and moved away
He realizes that everyone he knows has grown older and moved on with their lives.
So I'm sitting with a paper soakin' on my tongue
To write a song, Billy Strings writes down his emotions on paper while also feeling some anxiety.
And feeling better than I did back when I was young
Despite everything, Billy Strings feels better now than when he was younger.
Now I'm seeing music that nobody else can see
He expresses his love for music which has become a source of comfort and solace for him.
With all the colors like a symphony surrounding me
Billy Strings sees different colors and hears music which he describes as a symphony.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Billy Strings, Aaron Allen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
oldsoundz
Well I was walking down the street just the other day
I had a double headed nickel and a bill to pay
There was bubblegum a'blistered on the hot cement
And I was waiting like patience on a monument
Well I rolled a little spliff and tightened up my shoes
And I went to the corner where I lit the fuse
Disgusted by the loneliness I couldn't lose
I sat and wrote a little verse to the 'rona blues
I said I always wanna do the things I used to do
But everybody got a job and works enough for two
We could have a little party at the end of the day
But everybody had a family and moved away
So I'm sitting with a paper soakin' on my tongue
And feeling better than I did back when I was young
Now I'm seeing music that nobody else can see
With all the colors like a symphony surrounding me
Brentan Llewellyn
I have too say,
Billy strings,
Your music really motivated me recently.
I came off 6 years of disability payments after getting 4 hernia from a scaffolding incident where i saved 2 over my mates lives.
You inspire me.
To do better.
I have not been this happy for a long time.
THANKS
Thank you
Flap Jackson
Newgrass? Acidgrass?
Kickass! Jerry would be proud!
Loved the visuals too! 🤙
rowinfun
Phycograss!
Gary Highley
THC grass
Adam Rue
Ugh to watch them trade licks would have been epic
Logan Vincent
💜
Just A name
Jerry would be proud indeed. Music is so fucking powerful.
John Watts
I've been saying for years Billy will be a house hold name like Elvis and Johnny Cash. We are so fortunate to witness these young playing and enjoying doing what they love to do! Hugs Love and Smiles to all!!
Челси Шульц
He just never knew I felt that way…
Челси Шульц
Same. Since I met him when he was 19
En No
You can’t become great if you simply repeat things