Long recorded the 10-song collection Dirty Pond Songs in his London bedroom, traffic noises and all. “Left to Lie” from Dirty Pond Songs, became an iTunes favorite, topping the site’s “Unsigned” chart and reaching #8 on its Folk Music chart. “The Bounty of Mary Jane” from Dirty Pond Songs and a live version of his “Being a Mockingbird”, recorded at Arlene’s Grocery in New York City, were also released via iTunes. “The Dangerous Summer” tour continued until the end of 2009, logging some 80 performances in all.
Long embarked upon the “Left to Lie” tour of Europe in early 2010 and began to record his first studio CD with producer Grammy winner Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios in London. He also released a collection of live performances from the Dangerous Summer 2009 tour. "My Darling Belle" from that collection went to #2 on iTunes' Singer-Songwriter chart.
On April 23, 2010, Long officially signed on to the roster at ATO Records, the label co-founded by musician Dave Matthews, which is home to such artists as Radiohead, David Gray, Ben Kweller, Liz Phair, and more. They released his debut album, "A Winter Tale", on February 1, 2011. During 2010, he toured with Matt Pond PA during which time he met the Kalob Griffin Band, also known as KGB, who would become his backing band for subsequent U.S. dates that year, including the Mile High Festival in Denver, the xPoNential Music Festival in Philadelphia and the Troubadour in Los Angeles. He did a solo tour of Europe in the fall, followed by North American dates in support of Michael Franti. He ended the year with a fund-raising event at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in Manhattan where he debuted his new touring band.
Long spent most of 2011 promoting the album "A Winter Tale," which began with a tour in North America. He also made an appearance on The Tonight Show on February 3, 2011 and on The Early Show on August 8, 2011. During the summer, as part of the legendary Bonnaroo Music Festival, he played on the Cafe Stage. The Dave Matthews Band Caravan included him in the line-up in Atlantic City, NJ and in Chicago, IL. He played on the BMI stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival in September. Long made "another live" recorded EP called "The Backing Singer" in July 2011, with the producer, Jesse Lauter. In October 2011, he kicked off "The Losing My Brotherhood Tour" with shows in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Long started 2012 by recording his sophomore album, produced by Ted Hutt, and appeared on the Cayamo Cruise in February. On February 23, he announced online that he would be doing a weekly "song of the week," (for an undisclosed period of time), that he records at home. He spent most of April supporting the acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, on tour, but ended the month opening a show for Iron & Wine. In between supporting Steve Winwood on tour in May, Long released his first book of poetry, "Losing My Brotherhood." He stated that a "discipline aspect allowed me to separate the poems from my music.” July consisted of Long opening shows for The Mother Hips in California as well as a performance and poetry reading at Barnes & Noble in L.A. for his book. He followed with shows in the western U.S. and then returned to opening for Steve Winwood on tour in the fall. After Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States in October of 2012, Long donated his 1965 Epiphone Cabellero guitar to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief fund. For the victims, he later participated in the benefit "A Love Letter to New York" that also included Joan Osborne, Matisyahu, and others.
Sick Man Blues
Bobby Long Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though it's not for me to tell
You never treat me kind
You think I'm unwell
It's such a shame
It's such a shame
You tried to give me up and flirted with my time
I guess you broke the promise
Oh, you're a struggle
Oh, you're a struggle
You paid for all my pills that left me in the past
You were a good girl, honey
You just couldn't make it last
And your love carries the rhinestone of a plague
So bear in mind the lives that you could save
'Cause I'm bound to walk the darkness again
And I'm bound to walk the darkness again
I know I'm not that easy to live with day to day
If you painted your own picture,
Then I'd let you have your say
Yeah, I'm a sinner
Whoa, I'm a sinner
But my love, it sits untainted to the rigors of your stare
There ain't anybody like you
And the fairness of your hair leaves me stranded
It leaves me stranded
This life it's too long, too long for me to keep
You should bear that in mind and try the pain you reap
That you reap
That you reap
And your love carries the rhinestone of a plague
So bear in mind the lives that you could save
Your love carries the rhinestone of a plague
So bear in mind the lives that you could save
That you could save
'Cause I'm bound to walk the darkness again
And I'm bound to walk the darkness again
And I'm bound to walk the darkness again
In "Sick Man Blues," Bobby Long describes a dysfunctional relationship with someone who mistreats him and ultimately fails to keep their promises. The opening lines "The darkness hides your eyes, Though it's not for me to tell" suggest that the person may be struggling with their own inner demons that prevent them from treating Long with kindness. Despite this mistreatment, Long remains attached to this person as he sings "There ain't anybody like you, And the fairness of your hair leaves me stranded". However, he also recognizes that their love is toxic and carries a "rhinestone of a plague," which could potentially harm others. The refrain "I'm bound to walk the darkness again" suggests a cyclical pattern in which Long repeatedly finds himself drawn back to this person despite the harm they cause him.
In addition to its themes of dysfunctional relationships and cyclical patterns, "Sick Man Blues" also touches on addiction, with Long referencing "pills that left me in the past." The line "You were a good girl, honey, you just couldn't make it last" also suggests a possible addiction on the part of the other person. The lyrics convey a sense of resignation and acceptance of the pain that comes with being with this person, as Long sings "This life it's too long, too long for me to keep, You should bear that in mind and try the pain you reap."
Line by Line Meaning
The darkness hides your eyes,
You're not going to let anyone see your true self
Though it's not for me to tell
I don't really have the right to say anything about it
You never treat me kind
You're not very nice to me
You think I'm unwell
You believe there's something wrong with me
It's such a shame
It's a pity
You tried to give me up and flirted with my time
You attempted to break up with me and waste my time
I guess you broke the promise
I suppose you failed to keep your word
You made somewhere down the line
You made a promise in the past
Oh, you're a struggle
You're a challenge to deal with
You paid for all my pills that left me in the past
You paid for medication that I no longer need
You were a good girl, honey
You were nice
You just couldn't make it last
You couldn't make our relationship work
And your love carries the rhinestone of a plague
Your love is like a disease
So bear in mind the lives that you could save
Think about how you can help others
'Cause I'm bound to walk the darkness again
I'm doomed to experience hardship again
I know I'm not that easy to live with day to day
I recognize that I'm difficult to be around on a daily basis
If you painted your own picture,
If you expressed yourself
Then I'd let you have your say
I'd allow you to speak your mind
Yeah, I'm a sinner
I've done wrong
Whoa, I'm a sinner
I'm a really bad person
But my love, it sits untainted to the rigors of your stare
My love remains pure despite your critical gaze
There ain't anybody like you
No one is like you
And the fairness of your hair leaves me stranded
Your blonde hair leaves me feeling lost
This life it's too long, too long for me to keep
Life is too difficult for me to handle
You should bear that in mind and try the pain you reap
You need to think about the consequences of your actions and take responsibility for them
That you reap
That you bring upon yourself
Your love carries the rhinestone of a plague
Your love is like a disease
So bear in mind the lives that you could save
Think about how you can help others
'Cause I'm bound to walk the darkness again
I'm doomed to experience hardship again
And I'm bound to walk the darkness again
And I'm sure I'll experience difficulty in the future
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBERT THOMAS LONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@judithsokolowski7998
I love Bobby! I've seen him live 3 times now and will again soon, I hope! Beautiful voice, haunting songs!
@Rachael1042
Wow... this recording sounds amazing!
@timikaaa1
I LOVE Bobby!!! I just saw him o a few days ago and this song is so beautiful !!!! He is truly a beautiful atist:)
@xxPotStarxx
awesome sound
@richiemabie
schweet Gibson real nice tone! good voice nice song