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.
Dirt Rich
Brothers Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smoke detector chirps all night
The squeaky screen door with a hole big enough
To let the neighborhood bugs inside
Out back Jack's got a chop top Cadillac
Three years up on blocks
The junk mail box lookin' like it's been drinkin'
Leanin' to 11 o'clock
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
Laid back lax lettin' go and lovin' this
Itty bitty slice of American pie
Some folks think it's all about the money, honey
We're livin' proof that ain't right
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
When you're dirt rich
Oh, yep when you're dirt rich
When you're dirt rich
"Dirt Rich" is a song by the country music duo Brothers Osborne. It is a celebration of a simple, humble life that many of us can relate to. In the first verse, the lyrics describe a house with a leaky fridge, a dripping faucet, and a squeaky door that invites bugs inside. The second verse describes a rundown Cadillac and a junk mail box that looks like it's had too much to drink. Despite these imperfections, the song's narrator emphasizes that he is content with his life and wouldn't change a thing.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of being "dirt rich," which is a term that refers to someone who might not have a lot of money but is still rich in other ways. The chorus suggests that if you're broke, you shouldn't try to fix it. Instead, you should learn to live with what you have and appreciate the small things in life. The Brothers Osborne are saying that true happiness can be found in a simple life and that material possessions aren't everything.
Overall, "Dirt Rich" is a song about finding joy in the simple things in life. It's a reminder that we don't need to have a lot of money or material possessions to be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Fridge is leakin' and the faucets drippin'
Our home is in need of some repairs.
Smoke detector chirps all night
We are aware of the issues in our home, but we don't have the money to fix them right away.
The squeaky screen door with a hole big enough
To let the neighborhood bugs inside
Our screen door has a hole in it, but instead of fixing it, we've learned to live with the bugs that come inside.
Out back Jack's got a chop top Cadillac
Three years up on blocks
The junk mail box lookin' like it's been drinkin'
Leanin' to 11 o'clock
We have a neighbor who has a classic car that is stuck on blocks and our mailbox is leaning to one side, showing the wear and tear of our hard-working lives.
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
We work hard every day to maintain our lifestyle.
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
We've learned to embrace our modest lifestyle and be content with what we have. We may not have much, but we are still happy and fulfilled.
Laid back lax lettin' go and lovin' this
Itty bitty slice of American pie
We are happy with our simple way of life and find joy in the little things that make up our American experience.
Some folks think it's all about the money, honey
We're livin' proof that ain't right
We know that happiness can't be bought with money and that there is value to be found in the simple things in life.
When you're dirt rich
Oh, yep when you're dirt rich
When you're dirt rich
Being 'dirt rich' means being content and fulfilled with the simple things in life, rather than being focused on wealth and material possessions.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Barry Dean, John Osborne, T. J. Osborne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GeekZone210
Fridge is leakin' and the faucets drippin'
Smoke detector chirps all night
The squeaky screen door with a hole big enough
To let the neighborhood bugs inside
Out back Jack's got a chop top Cadillac
Three years up on blocks
The junk mail box lookin' like it's been drinkin'
Leanin' to 11 o'clock
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
Laid back lax lettin' go and lovin' this
Itty bitty slice of American pie
Some folks think it's all about the money, honey
We're livin' proof that ain't right
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
We work a long day
Sunup to payday
For a life this big
If you're broke don't fix it
Learn to live with it
And like it just the way it is
When you're dirt rich
When you're dirt rich
Oh, yep when you're dirt rich
When you're dirt rich
@JK-ug7rm
ahhhh...REAL country music.
if you cant swing, stomp, or kick to it, it aint real
@yetispaghetti37
Their whole album is fantastic. This is one of my favorites!
@karisma369
Seeing The Bro's TONIGHT!!!! Yes, again!!!! 🙂Luv 'em!!!!
@mamarumana923
How do these guys not have more views and likes?! People are missing out... Love these guys!
@lads.7715
“Pump It Up”....Elvis (C) Lives.....
@Nick-4
Keep this sound goin guys! Love how groovy it is!
@majr72
Nothing better than growing up on a dirt road
@amberchandler3721
I really like this one! And a little Bango?
@donsherman9439
love these guys..music hits home
@nuncamas555
AMAZING! Get's start dancing!
This's new country sound in my soul!
When in Italy ?