The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
Pick Up The Pieces
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Where to run baby, where to hide?
Caught in the rain on the losin' side
All you wanted was some kind of friend
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces, baby, start it again
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces, baby, start it again
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Well, it's true, baby, what they say
Fools are fallin', fade away, yea
Losin' love in a passing wind and
Don't know why it's so hard to win
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Love's slippin' away
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Love's slippin' away
Where to run baby, where to hide?
Caught in the rain on the losin' side
All you wanted was some kind of friend
All you got was some heartache instead
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again and
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again and
Whoa, whoo, my little angel
Pick up the pieces baby, start it again
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh
The lyrics in BoDeans's song Pick Up The Pieces depict a story of heartache and disappointment. The song begins questioning where to run and hide when one is caught in the rain on the losing side. It speaks to the struggle of finding a friend and instead being met with heartache. The chorus then urges the singer, referred to as "my little angel," to pick up the pieces and start again.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of loss and a feeling of failure. The line "Fools are fallin', fade away" speaks to the idea that those who are foolish in love often do not succeed and disappear. The lyrics also highlight the fleeting and unpredictable nature of love - "Losin' love in a passing wind and Don't know why it's so hard to win."
Overall, the song is an emotional plea to keep going despite disappointment and to find the strength to start over. It is a reminder that even in the face of heartache, it is possible to pick up the pieces and begin again.
Line by Line Meaning
Where to run baby, where to hide?
Feeling trapped and uncertain of where to go next in life
Caught in the rain on the losin' side
Experiencing hardships and feeling like everything is going wrong
All you wanted was some kind of friend
Craving companionship and emotional support
All you got was some heartache instead
Ended up with disappointment and sadness instead of love and friendship
Pick up the pieces, baby, start it again
Encouraging to recover from the pain and try again despite how difficult it may seem
Fools are fallin', fade away, yea
Acknowledging that people who make poor choices often suffer the consequences and ultimately disappear
Losin' love in a passing wind and
Feeling like love is fleeting and cannot be relied on
Don't know why it's so hard to win
Feeling defeated and confused about why things are not working out
Love's slippin' away
Love is fading and slipping out of grasp
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GENE GRIFFIN, CURTIS HARMON, JAMES KOWAN LLOYD, PRESTON MIDDLETON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind