Brinsley Schwarz were a 70s-era English rock band, named after their guitar… Read Full Bio ↴Brinsley Schwarz were a 70s-era English rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz, which played music merging a love of American-style country rock, soul, classic pop, and the like with more recent power pop and pub rock styles. Having a six year run with United Artists records, they began in most well-known form in 1969 after previously having some success as Kippington Lodge. Spawning the solo career of rock impresario Nick Lowe, the influential 70s U.K. band famously recorded the tune "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love & Understanding" in 1974. Several years after the band played the aforementioned tune, fan and former roadie Elvis Costello recorded it and thereby brought the song the acclaim it so deserved.

Brinsley Schwarz was popular in the U.K. and many European territories, touring Great Britian in 1972 as an opening act for Paul McCartney & Wings. The band also tried playing the UK's regional pub & hall circuit with artists Dave Edmunds, Atomic Rooster, Ducks DeLuxe, and the Grateful Dead, even headlining the first Glastonbury festival. In addition to Schwarz and Nick Lowe on bass & vocals, the band featured American Billy Rankin on drums, and Bob Andrews on Hammond B-3 organ, with additional guitarist Ian Gomm added in 1970.

Brinsley Schwarz signed a contract with manager Dave Robinson, who developed a plan to earn the group some wide scale publicity. They first played America on a fiasco laden press junket opening for Van Morrison at the Fillmore East in New York City in 1970 but were not well rested or well received. The group never toured the states again. Before breaking up in 1975, they released a total of 12 albums and 21 singles for United Artists. The band also notably were the first group to play live in 1973 on the BBC's 'Old Grey Whistle Test' programme and had a cameo in the film 'Stardust' with David Essex.

In 1970, Brinsley Schwarz released Despite It All, which had a definite country sound to it, and later added Ian Gomm to the band. Their wild performances soon garnered the band a large fanbase on the London pub rock scene, at venues such as 'The Tally Ho' in Kentish Town. Along with other bands like Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz was soon dubbed "pub rock" by rock journalists. They sounded, at times, very much like The Band, with Schwarz's guitar work influenced greatly by Robbie Robertson's.

1972's ironic take on country rock, Nervous on the Road, received excellent reviews but did not reach the charts; neither did a series of singles or Please Don't Ever Change (1973). They continued recording for a time, but broke up in 1975.

Schwarz and Andrews joined Graham Parker & the Rumour, later Andrews moved to New Orleans and now plays in Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar and has a web page www.neworleanspiano.com.

Rankin joined Terraplane and then Big Jim Sullivan's Tiger.

Lowe and Gomm both began solo careers, achieving moderate mainstream success, including Lowe's (1980) single "Cruel to Be Kind", originally Brinsley Schwarz's composition, and Gomm's 1979 hit "Hold On."

Lowe went on to greater acclaim than any other member, starting off as Stiff's in house producer he recorded the debut discs of Elvis Costello, The Damned & The Pogues, recorded several albums with Rockpile and had some late 70s solo hit singles. Lowe married Johnny Cash's step daughter Carlene Carter Cash for a spell in the 80's, and later made a million from the inclusion of Curtis Stigers' cover version of "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love & Understanding" on the multi-platinum soundtrack to Whitney Houston's film "The Bodyguard".

Gomm, once described in a 1971 NME issue as "the best guitarist in Britain" attempted a solo career, and later became a Welsh studio owner & record producer who worked with The Stranglers and Alexis Korner.

The original version of Elvis Costello's hit "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," written by Lowe, was released by the band in 1974 on their album The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz and also featured on the multi million selling soundtrack of the movie The Bodyguard, where it was performed by Curtis Stigers.

Brinsley Schwarz Discography:

Brinsley Schwarz (April 1970)
Despite It All (December 1970)
Silver Pistol (October 1971)
Nervous on the Road (September 1972)
Please Don't Ever Change (October 1973)
The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz (July 1974)
The Last Album (June 1975)
Rarities (July 2000)

Home In My Hand
Brinsley Schwarz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Self

Yeah, I say alright, come on!

Yeah yeah, the bar is still open.

………

I went down to the Greyhound station to catch the outbound dog
I got my ticket from the man
He said : 'Son you oughta check your bag' - I said : 'No thank you sir'
I just carry my home in my hand.

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand.

I don't know what makes me ramblin', I guess that I really don't care
I feed one mouth and that's my own
I'm just like trouble, you might meet me anywhere on the corner of any street
Smokin' a weed, sittin' on my home.

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand.

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand.

Got my home in my hand.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brinsley Schwarz's song Home In My Hand portray the life of a carefree individual who doesn't abide by the norms of society. The song starts with the singer, possibly the singer himself, exclaiming his readiness to take on life with full enthusiasm as he heads towards the bar which is still open. The lyrics then shift to his journey to catch the outbound dog, referring to the Greyhound bus, and his encounter with the ticket man who suggests he checks his bag. However, the singer declines and says that he carries his home in his hand, indicating that he is a nomadic soul who doesn't need much to live on.

The lyrics continue to highlight that the singer is wandering around with his home in his hand, traveling the land with the freedom to make a one-night stand with any woman he meets. He mentions that he doesn't know what makes him rambling and doesn't seem to care, indicating that he doesn't have any attachment to material possessions or societal norms. Lastly, he describes himself as trouble, someone who can be found sitting on his home, smoking weed, and wandering around any street corner. Here, the singer is content with his life and enjoys the freedom that it brings. The lyrics showcase Schwarz's ability to tell a story and evoke emotion through his poignant and beautiful lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

I went down to the Greyhound station to catch the outbound dog
I went to the Greyhound station to catch a bus out of town

I got my ticket from the man
I purchased my ticket from the ticket seller

He said : 'Son you oughta check your bag' - I said : 'No thank you sir'
The ticket seller suggested that I check my bag, but I declined the offer

I just carry my home in my hand
I don't have a lot of possessions, just what I can carry with me

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
I don't have a permanent place to live, so I travel from place to place

If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
If I meet a woman, I'm not looking for a serious relationship, just a one-night stand

I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand
I don't have a lot of possessions to slow me down, so I can move quickly

I don't know what makes me ramblin', I guess that I really don't care
I don't have a clear reason for my wandering lifestyle, and I'm okay with that

I feed one mouth and that's my own
I'm responsible for taking care of myself and no one else

I'm just like trouble, you might meet me anywhere on the corner of any street
I don't have a permanent place to stay, so I could be anywhere at any time

Smokin' a weed, sittin' on my home
I sometimes smoke marijuana and sit on my belongings, which is all I have

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
I am constantly on the move, carrying my possessions with me

If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
I am not interested in anything serious, just a temporary fling

I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand
Without much to carry, I am able to move quickly and without much trouble

Got my home in my hand and I'm travelling the land
I don't have a permanent residence, so I continue to travel and carry my belongings with me

If I meet a woman, I wanna make a one-night stand
I am not interested in anything serious, just a temporary fling

I can move pretty quick 'cause I keep my home in my hand
Without much to carry, I am able to move quickly and without much trouble

Got my home in my hand.
I have very few possessions, but I am content with what I have and my wandering lifestyle.

Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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