The Osborne siblings strummed their first chords during those jam sessions. From the very start, TJ Osborne was the brother with the voice. He sang in a thick, low baritone, crooning like Johnny Cash long before he was even old enough to drive. Older brother John, on the other hand, was the family’s guitar shredder, his fingers capable of down-home bluegrass licks, arena-worthy rock riffs, country twang, and everything in between. Combined, the two Osbornes could play everything from traditional country music to rock & roll, creating a broad, full-bodied sound that would eventually fill the 11 songs on their major-label debut, Pawn Shop.
Like its title suggests, Pawn Shop offers a little bit of everything. There’s bluesy slide guitar, country duets, southern rock solos, harmonies, and plenty of groove. The hooks are big, the guitars are loud, and the songs — every last one of them co-written by the Osbornes, who reached out to award-winning songwriters like Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman for help — introduce a duo whose music bridges the gap between the mainstream and the alternative world. Some songs were written at home in Nashville, while others came together on the road, where the guys spent several years headlining their own club shows, touring the country with Darius Rucker, and playing some of the biggest arenas in America with fellow rule-breaker Eric Church.
“Most duos are built on singing,” says TJ “But John is an incredible guitar player, and this band is built on me singing and John playing guitar. It gives us two parallels that work nicely together.”
“It’s like an old-school rock approach,” adds John, who cites classic bands like Aerosmith and the Allman Brothers as influences on the duo’s dynamic. “Groups like that always had the lead singer as well as the sideman guitar player. That’s what we’re going for, too. We’re carving our own path in country music.”
That unique path has already led the band toward the upper half of the country charts. “Rum” got them there first, mixing the feel-good sunshine of a beach tune with a far more realistic storyline. There’s no actual beach in “Rum,” after all. Instead, Brothers Osborne turn the song into a tribute to the simple pleasures that their Maryland hometown offers: friends, good weather, and the occasional drink. They even filmed the song’s music video in Deale, filling the clip with footage of friends, relatives, and locals.
“Most people we grew up with don’t go to these beautiful beaches,” says TJ. “They can’t afford to do it. They don’t have the time for it. What we’re most familiar with is people going to the local bars and hanging out with each other.” John adds, “We tried to have the biggest time possible with what little we had. ‘Rum’ explains that.” The brothers agree, “We had to say it from our own perspective.”
A similar theme runs throughout “Dirt Rich” and “Pawn Shop,” two songs that stress the importance of appreciating what you’ve got. Pawn Shop dishes up plenty of love songs, too, from “Loving Me Back” — an old-school country duet featuring vocals from Lee Ann Womack — to “Stay a Little Longer,” the band’s biggest hit to date. While a three-minute guitar solo brings “Stay a Little Longer” to an epic, anthemic close, Brothers Osborne also devote time to more laid-back songs, from the nostalgic California country of “21 Summer” to the 420-friendly “Greener Pastures.”
Brothers Osborne, who co-produced the album with Jay Joyce (the award-winning producer behind Little Big Town’s Painkiller, Eric Church’s The Outsiders, and Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller), recorded most of Pawn Shop during breaks in their busy touring schedule, using members of their own touring band rather than session musicians from the Nashville community. The result is an album that’s stamped with the unmistakable mark of a band. It doesn’t sound like two singers, flanked by anonymous players. Instead, it sounds like a group of road warriors who’ve spent years sharing bus seats and hotel rooms, creating the sort of chemistry that can’t be faked. Pawn Shop is both raw and real, and Brothers Osborne — who, years after those household jam sessions in Deale, now have a handful of nationwide tours under their belts, songs on the charts, and a career on the rise — are no longer a family secret.
American Crazy
Brothers Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the same ground we all live and die on
The same song, the same beat, the same car
the same street we run down our dreams on
We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down
we're all just American crazy
We're left, we're right, we're black, we're whitewe're all just American crazy
Just American crazy
Straight A's and drop-outs, up north, 'n' down south
we all bleed the same blood
Paycheck to paycheck, sun up to sun set
we're lovers and leavers, we're sinners and believers
We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down
we're all just American crazy
We're left, we're right, we're black, we're white
we're all just American crazy
Just American crazy
Same tune, same town, same school, same crowd
same fight for the home team, same love, same dream
We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down
we're all just American crazy
We're left, we're right, we're black, we're white
we're all just American crazy
We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down
We're left, we're right, we're black, we're white
we're just American crazy
Yeah, we're all just American crazy
The Brothers Osborne's song American Crazy is an anthem that celebrates the diversity of Americans in all their different shades and forms. The song emphasizes that despite all our differences, we share the same emotions, dreams, and hopes. The lyrics highlight that no matter where we come from, or what our backgrounds are, we are all connected by our common life experiences. The song refers to how we all walk, dance, fight, and love under the same sky, breathe the same air, and live and die on the same earth. We all sing different songs, have different beats, and run down different streets, but at the end of the day, our craziness is just our American way.
The lyrics acknowledge that we all have different perspectives and come from varied backgrounds. We come from different regions of the country, different classes of people; we may be A students, or dropouts, lovers, and leavers, or even sinners and believers. However, our differences should not divide us, but rather, unite us in our American craziness. The song's repetitive reminder of "We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down, we're left, we're right, we're black, we're white" serves to emphasize that despite all these differences, we're all human, and we're all "just American crazy."
Overall, the Brothers Osborne's American Crazy song is a celebration of the beautiful melting pot of America, where people of different backgrounds and diverse upbringings come together to form a beautiful tapestry of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
The same sky, the same clouds, the same dirt
We all live and die on the same ground, beneath the same sky and clouds.
the same ground we all live and die on
We all inhabit the same earth for our entire lives.
The same song, the same beat, the same car
We all share similar experiences and cultural phenomena, such as music and transportation.
the same street we run down our dreams on
We pursue our aspirations and goals on the same streets and paths in life.
We're lost, we're found, we're up, we're down
We experience a range of emotions and life events, but we are all part of the same human experience.
we're all just American crazy
Despite our differences in lifestyles, beliefs, and backgrounds, we are all inherently alike.
We're left, we're right, we're black, we're white
We have different political affiliations, skin colors, and backgrounds, but we are all Americans.
we all bleed the same blood
Regardless of our differences, we all are human and have the same basic needs and biological functions.
we're lovers and leavers, we're sinners and believers
We have similar experiences with love and loss, and we have diverse beliefs and values.
Same tune, same town, same school, same crowd
We are all part of the same societal structures and cultural norms, whether they be locally or nationally defined.
same fight for the home team, same love, same dream
We share common cultural experiences, such as supporting sports teams and having hopes and aspirations for the future.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN THOMAS OSBORNE, THOMAS JOHN OSBORNE, ROSS COPPERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Virginia Markewych
on 21 Summer
what's high tide thunder?????Mont St. MIchel???????