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.
Tied Down and Chained
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
summer night in the distant sirens'
scream. Kids on the street don't think
about nothin', just livin' out some crazy
dream. On the front porch, Cherry
snaps her lipstick shut to the pull of the
radio steel. While folks inside drink
their worlds away. I guess sometimes
Well, folks around here don't talk about
life like it lasts forever. They talk about
life like it's salt instead of sugar. And the
elders sit around on the front porch. The
young ones, they mostly play. Every-
body else watchin' TV screens, watchin'
big time miles, miles away. And the days
go by just like hurricanes. And here
comes that very same old feelin' again.
Another face in the crowd, well baby, I'm
here for the takin'. Just like everybody
else, now, I feel I've been forsaken. Yeah,
Boy Johnny sings like a hurtin' soul,
made ten million dollars in one day,
spent every dime the very same night,
and the tax man takes him away. Yeah,
the judge walks in and he says, "Boy
Johnny, you must be crazy or just lying."
Boy Johnny says, "Judge you may be
right but I had a good time. An' look
at you."
The lyrics of BoDeans's song Tied Down and Chained paints a picture of a small town, where people go through their daily routines without much excitement or hope. The first verse describes the sounds of the city, with distant sirens and kids on the street pursuing their crazy dreams. Cherry, a girl on the front porch, applies her lipstick, while the people inside drink their worlds away. The line "I guess sometimes they must feel tied down and chained" suggests that these people may feel trapped in their lives, with no real escape from their monotonous routines.
The second verse shifts the focus to the elders and the young ones in the town. They spend their days playing and watching TV, while the days pass by like hurricanes. The line "Another face in the crowd, well baby, I'm here for the takin'" indicates a sense of hopelessness and resignation, where people feel like they are just existing without really living their lives. The third verse introduces Boy Johnny, who made ten million dollars in a day but spent it all and is now being taken away by the tax man. When the judge questions him, Boy Johnny responds that he had a good time, suggesting that he was living his life to the fullest, even if it meant facing the consequences later.
Overall, the lyrics of Tied Down and Chained convey a sense of disillusionment with life and the feeling of being trapped in a small town with little to no opportunities for change. However, it also suggests that people can find moments of joy and forget their problems, even if it means facing the consequences later.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the fire city call to the hot summer night in the distant sirens' scream.
The city is alight with activity on a warm summer night, and we can hear the sound of sirens in the distance.
Kids on the street don't think about nothin', just livin' out some crazy dream.
The children on the street are carefree and living out their own wild fantasies without a care in the world.
On the front porch, Cherry snaps her lipstick shut to the pull of the radio steel.
Cherry is sitting on the porch, closing her lipstick while being drawn in by the sound of the radio.
While folks inside drink their worlds away. I guess sometimes they must feel tied down and chained.
The people inside are drinking and feeling trapped in their mundane lives, leading them to feel stuck and helpless.
Well, folks around here don't talk about life like it lasts forever. They talk about life like it's salt instead of sugar.
The people in this town talk about life in a realistic and pragmatic way, instead of with idealistic illusions.
And the elders sit around on the front porch. The young ones, they mostly play.
The older generation sits outside while the younger generation plays around and enjoys their youth.
Everybody else watchin' TV screens, watchin' big time miles, miles away.
The rest of the people are sitting indoors, watching television programs from far away places.
And the days go by just like hurricanes. And here comes that very same old feelin' again.
The days pass quickly and uncontrollably, leaving the artist with the same overwhelming feeling once more.
Another face in the crowd, well baby, I'm here for the takin'. Just like everybody else, now, I feel I've been forsaken.
The artist feels lost in the crowd and like they have nothing left to give, just like everyone else around them.
Yeah, Boy Johnny sings like a hurtin' soul, made ten million dollars in one day, spent every dime the very same night, and the tax man takes him away.
Boy Johnny sings soulfully, but he made and lost a lot of money quickly, and now the government is coming for him.
Yeah, the judge walks in and he says, 'Boy Johnny, you must be crazy or just lying.' Boy Johnny says, 'Judge you may be right but I had a good time. An' look at you.'
The judge questions Boy Johnny's sanity or honesty about his situation, but Boy Johnny defends himself by saying he had fun and reminding the judge of his own flaws.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.