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.
Wild World
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoot, Hoot, Hoot!
yeah yeah!
Standin' here,
This night,
I hold,
Warm embraces and pictures,
like diamonds and gold,
I lost everything and now I know,
It's a poor fool who stumbles this way,
Just another drink and I end another day,
Cause' I believe I will leave all this darkness and pain,
like superman, here I go go again!
Chorus:
Singing yeah yeah!
Its a wild world ya know!
People change their lives everyday!
Yeah yeah!
Its a crime girl ya know!
taking your sweet salvation so far, far away!
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Tellin' friends now why you went away,
Out of your head maybe you gone crazy,
Let em' see that I'm somethin' in spite of my pride,
Never show them what I'm keepin' inside,
(repeat chorus)
(Kurt Solo)
(Sammy Says) Breakin' my heart right from the start,
when my love is true what's a poor boy to do yeah? oo oo
(back to kurt)
Rakin' leaves now that fall to the ground,
Wonder what lifes like on your side of town,
'cause I believe I will see see the day come around,
when I lay this dark darkness down, (down)
want to lay this dark darkness down,
(repeat chorus)
ah
woo
yeah!
The BoDeans' song Wild World tells the story of a man who has lost everything and has hit rock bottom. The song creates a vivid picture of his state of mind, with references to warm embraces and pictures, diamonds and gold. The singer acknowledges he has stumbled and that he is just one drink away from ending another day. But he believes he will leave all this darkness and pain behind, and start anew, like Superman. The chorus asserts that it's a wild world, where people change their lives every day, but it's also a crime to take your salvation too far away.
The song's lyrics convey a sense of struggle and longing that many people can relate to. The idea of hitting rock bottom and starting anew is a common theme in music, literature, and movies. The song uses vivid imagery to portray the singer's state of mind, and the chorus creates a sense of urgency and hopefulness. The song's upbeat tempo contrasts with its introspective lyrics, creating a powerful emotional effect.
Line by Line Meaning
Three, Four!
Counting off the beginning of the song
Hoot, Hoot, Hoot!
Adding a fun, energetic sound effect
yeah yeah!
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
Standin' here,
Describing the current physical location of the singer
This night,
Setting the scene and the time of day
I hold,
Referring to items or memories being held in the mind or heart
Warm embraces and pictures,
Reflecting on positive past experiences
like diamonds and gold,
Highlighting the value and importance of those experiences
17 weeks, and 5 days, and 3 hours ago,
Adding a specific and detailed timeframe to the story being told
I lost everything and now I know,
Explaining a difficult and emotionally challenging experience
It's a poor fool who stumbles this way,
Acknowledging one's own mistakes and shortcomings
Just another drink and I end another day,
Using alcohol as a coping mechanism or escape
Cause' I believe I will leave all this darkness and pain,
Expressing hope and optimism for a better future
like superman, here I go go again!
Comparing oneself to a superhero who perseveres and prevails
Chorus:
Introducing the repeated and memorable chorus section
Singing yeah yeah!
Encouraging listeners to join in and sing along
Its a wild world ya know!
Acknowledging the unpredictable and sometimes challenging nature of life
People change their lives everyday!
Recognizing that personal growth and transformation are possible
Yeah yeah!
Repeating the catchy phrase and engaging the audience
Its a crime girl ya know!
Commenting on a negative behavior or action
taking your sweet salvation so far, far away!
Expressing disapproval of someone's actions that have negative consequences
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Continuing the chorus and adding rhythm and energy
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Building up the intensity and enthusiasm
Tellin' friends now why you went away,
Revealing the reason for someone's absence or departure
Out of your head maybe you gone crazy,
Speculating on someone's mental state or emotional stability
Let em' see that I'm somethin' in spite of my pride,
Demonstrating a desire for recognition or respect
Never show them what I'm keepin' inside,
Hiding one's true thoughts or feelings from others
(repeat chorus)
Recalling the memorable chorus section
(Kurt Solo)
Introducing a new musical section or solo
(Sammy Says) Breakin' my heart right from the start,
Adding a spoken phrase or interlude within the song
when my love is true what's a poor boy to do yeah? oo oo
Expressing frustration or disappointment in a romantic situation
(back to kurt)
Returning to a previous section or theme
Rakin' leaves now that fall to the ground,
Depicting a mundane or simple task to contrast with more complex emotions or themes
Wonder what lifes like on your side of town,
Reflecting on the differences and similarities between oneself and others
'cause I believe I will see see the day come around,
Reiterating the theme of hope for a better future
when I lay this dark darkness down, (down)
Wishing to overcome and move past emotional pain or hardship
want to lay this dark darkness down,
Emphasizing the desire for change and growth
(repeat chorus)
Repeating the chorus section again to create a memorable and unifying element
ah
Adding a vocalization or sound effect
woo
Adding a concluding sound effect or exclamation
yeah!
Ending the song on a positive and exciting note
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Kurt Neumann, Sam Llanas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LaManchaST
As always, really good. Full song please.