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.
The First Time
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the eyes of your brand new
Your brand new lover boy
You wanna hide
You wanna crawl under the table for a while
To decide, if you should come out
Always gonna be the worst time
Always gonna be the first time
The first time that you say, something stupid
At exactly the wrong time
Like when all of your friends are there
You wanna hide
You wanna crawl under the table for a while
To decide, if you should come out
The first time, always gonna be the first time
Always gonna be the worst time
Always gonna be the first time
The first time that you see, swollen tears
Fallen form your babies eyes
And all you can do is apologize
You wanna hide
You wanna crawl under the table for a while
To decide if you should come out
The first time, always gonna be the first time
Always gonna be the worst time
Always gonna be the first time
The first time, always gonna be the first time
Always always gonna be the first time
Always gonna be the first time
Always always gonna be the first time
Always gonna be the first time
Always always gonna be the first time
Always gonna be the first time
"The First Time" by BoDeans is a song about the challenges of experiencing new things in life, specifically in relationships. The lyrics describe the feelings of uncertainty, vulnerability, and fear that often accompany first-time experiences. The song focuses on three different scenarios – making a mistake in front of a new lover, saying something stupid in front of friends, and seeing your partner cry – and highlights the common thread of the desire to hide and crawl away from the situation.
The chorus, "Always gonna be the first time, always gonna be the worst time," emphasizes the idea that first-time experiences are often difficult and uncomfortable. They can be pivotal moments in a relationship or in life in general, and can create lasting memories or leave lasting scars. The repeated line, "You wanna hide, you wanna crawl under the table for a while, to decide if you should come out," captures the feelings of wanting to retreat and evaluate the situation before moving forward.
Overall, the song paints a relatable picture of the vulnerabilities that come with new experiences and encourages listeners to embrace these experiences despite the potential for discomfort and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time that you do, something wrong
The initial occasion where you mess up or behave improperly
In the eyes of your brand new
In the perspective of your just acquired significant other
Your brand new lover boy
Your new romantic partner
You wanna hide
You desire to disappear
You wanna crawl under the table for a while
You want to be out of sight and unnoticed for some time
To decide, if you should come out
To contemplate whether it's safe or wise to reappear
The first time, always gonna be the first time
The debut occurrence will remain as such
Always gonna be the worst time
It will typically be the most unpleasant experience
The first time that you say, something stupid
The initial moment where you make a foolish statement
At exactly the wrong time
Precisely when it's inconvenient or inappropriate
Like when all of your friends are there
Such as when surrounded by a group of acquaintances
The first time that you see, swollen tears
The first time witnessing emotional tears
Fallen form your babies eyes
From your child's eyes, shed tears
And all you can do is apologize
You are only capable of expressing regret
The first time, always gonna be the first time
The debut occurrence will remain as such
Always gonna be the worst time
It will typically be the most unpleasant experience
The first time, always gonna be the first time
The debut occurrence will remain as such
Always always gonna be the first time
It will forever be the initial moment
Always gonna be the first time
It will persist as the very first occurrence
Always always gonna be the first time
It is guaranteed to always be the initial event
Always gonna be the first time
It will continuously be the debut occurrence
Writer(s): Llanas Samuel J, Neumann Kurt R
Contributed by Dominic K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.