Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999.
While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their Top 40 singles "Run-Around" and "Hook". They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album four, released in 1994. Sheehan's death and Popper's struggle with obesity put a damper on the group's success, and A&M dropped the band in 2002.
Big City Girls
Blues Traveler Lyrics
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With your right hand
And the other one
You hail a taxi cab
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
Now I'm on my way back down to New Orleans
From a rich man
With a gold watch
And a fake tan
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
Now I'm on my back down to Tennessee
Big city days
Seeing if it pays
Barely rescued by the hell you're going to raise
She's going to roll you
Through the wasteland
While she takes you
To see the latest band
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
But I'm on my way back down to the Florida Keys
She'll tip your last cash
Past a velvet rope
And you've got to crash
Cause it's your only hope
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
But I'm on my way back home to New Orleans
Big city days
Seeing if it pays
Barely rescued by the hell you're going to raise
Big city night
Hanging on too tight
But she takes my hand and I give up the fight
She's got one eye
On the next bar
And the other one
On exactly who you think you are
Big Apple girls you make a mess out of me
South Jersey girls you make a mess out of me
Hill Country girls you make a mess out of me
Rocky Mountain Girls you make a mess out of me
Sweet Valley you make a mess out of me
Big Easy girls you make a mess out of me
Little easy girls you make a mess out of me
Any easy girls you make a mess out of me
But I always come back home to New York City
The lyrics of Big City Girls by Blues Traveler convey a sense of disorientation and confusion that comes with trying to keep up with the wild, unpredictable lifestyle of big city girls. The singer speaks of being with two girls at once, one of whom he hails a taxi cab with while holding onto the other with his right hand. These big city girls, with their relentless partying and extravagance, have a way of pulling him in despite the chaos they create.
The lyrics of the song also depict the singer's struggles to keep up with the pace of big city life. He speaks of gold watches, fake tans, and velvet ropes that are beyond his means, suggesting a sense of inadequacy or insecurity. However, he also speaks of being helped through the "hell" that these girls tend to create, suggesting that there is a sense of camaraderie among those who try to keep up with the big city lifestyle.
In the end, despite the chaos and mess created by these big city girls, the singer always comes back to his home in New Orleans, indicating a sense of longing for a simpler life. The lyrics of Big City Girls by Blues Traveler thus convey the emotional complexity of trying to keep up with the fast-paced, frenetic lifestyle of big city life.
Line by Line Meaning
You got one boy
With your right hand
You have a boy on your right side, holding your hand
And the other one
You hail a taxi cab
You wave for a taxi with your other hand while walking with the boy
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
Now I'm on my way back down to New Orleans
Women from big cities always cause chaos in my life but now I'm returning home to New Orleans
You got a nice car
From a rich man
You have a luxurious car gifted by a wealthy man
With a gold watch
And a fake tan
You also wear a gold watch and a fake tan, portraying a lavish lifestyle
Big city girls you make a mess out of me
Now I'm on my back down to Tennessee
I'm fed up with city girls and now I'm returning to my hometown, Tennessee
Big city days
Seeing if it pays
Barely rescued by the hell you're going to raise
Trying to earn a living in the city but barely saved from the consequences you'll have to face
She's going to roll you
Through the wasteland
While she takes you
To see the latest band
She will take you through the city's deserted areas while taking you to watch the newest band
But I'm on my way back down to the Florida Keys
Despite being tired, I'm heading towards Florida Keys
She'll tip your last cash
Past a velvet rope
And you've got to crash
Cause it's your only hope
She will make you spend your last cent to pass the exclusive velvet rope and you have no choice but to spend all your money to find any hope
But I'm on my way back home to New Orleans
Despite all the troubles, I'm always coming back home to New Orleans
Big city night
Hanging on too tight
But she takes my hand and I give up the fight
Night time in the city is overwhelming but she takes your hand and you surrender to it
She's got one eye
On the next bar
And the other one
On exactly who you think you are
She's always keeping an eye on the next bar and also knows who you are
Big Apple girls you make a mess out of me
South Jersey girls you make a mess out of me
Hill Country girls you make a mess out of me
Rocky Mountain Girls you make a mess out of me
Sweet Valley you make a mess out of me
Big Easy girls you make a mess out of me
Little easy girls you make a mess out of me
Any easy girls you make a mess out of me
But I always come back home to New York City
Girls from various places leave me in chaos but I still return to New York City, which I call home
Big city days
Seeing if it pays
Barely rescued by the hell you're going to raise
Days in the city are spent trying to make it worth the trouble while constantly raising hell
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AARON CARL BEAVERS, BEN WILSON, JOHN C. POPPER, TAD KINCHLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind