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.
High Note
Brothers Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the way we roll, and baby, here we go again
Overlookin' let's try one more time don't ever work
By sunrise this cloud nine ride will crash back down to earth
While we're up here, let's just fly
While we're smilin' you go your way and I'll go mine
Before the smoke clears, let's agree that's all she wroteLet's say goodbye, say goodbye on a high note
We know what comes next when this burn one pose is gone
No left for just for hasin' out where it all went wrong
So why don't we just leave this thing to one night and a road
Let's do what we do best and drop that mark and go
While we're up here, let's just fly
While we're smilin' you go your way and I'll go mine
Before the smoke clears, let's agree that's all she wrote
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye on a high note
Before we wind up sun on the sober
Let's ride the high like a roller coaster
Just before the joyride's over
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
But while we're up here, let's just fly
While we're smilin' you go your way, I'll go mine
Before the smoke clears, let's agree that's all she wrote
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye on a high note
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye on a high
Say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
On a high note, a high note
The Brothers Osborne's song "High Note" is a bittersweet depiction of a fleeting romantic encounter. The lyrics describe two people entwined in bedsheets, intoxicated and somewhat carefree, knowing that their encounter is likely to end with the morning's sobering light. The duo suggests that they should make the most of their time by flying high before grounding themselves once again. They implore each other to ride the roller coaster of emotions and experience the high points rather than dwelling on their inevitable disappointment.
The song's chorus emphasizes this idea, urging the couple to say goodbye on a high note rather than focus on their looming reality. The song's bridge reinforces the desire to avoid dwelling on the inevitable, urging them to enjoy their time together before their sober reality sets in, leading to an eventual separation.
Overall, "High Note" is a melancholy celebration of love's highs and lows, and the importance of enjoying the moment while it lasts. Brothers Osborne inject their country-American sound with a rock n roll punch, creating a relatable tune ideal for anyone with a sense of adventure or a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Tangled up in sheets when we get three sheets to the wind
When we get drunk and caught up in each other, we lose track and get tangled up in sheets
That's the way we roll, and baby, here we go again
This is our pattern, and we know it
Overlookin' let's try one more time don't ever work
Trying again and again without acknowledging our issues won't change anything
By sunrise this cloud nine ride will crash back down to earth
Our temporary high will eventually end, and we'll return to reality
While we're up here, let's just fly
Let's enjoy the moment and not worry about the future
While we're smilin' you go your way and I'll go mine
We know this won't last, so let's enjoy it while it does
Before the smoke clears, let's agree that's all she wrote
Before we have to face reality again, let's acknowledge that this is just a temporary thing
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye on a high note
Let's end this on a positive note, even if it's temporary
We know what comes next when this burn one pose is gone
We know what happens when the passion fades
No left for just for hasin' out where it all went wrong
There's no point in dwelling on what went wrong
So why don't we just leave this thing to one night and a road
Let's enjoy this moment without worrying about what comes after
Let's do what we do best and drop that mark and go
Let's end this on a positive note and move on
Before we wind up sun on the sober
Before we have to face reality again and be sober
Let's ride the high like a roller coaster
Let's enjoy the moment like we're on a thrilling roller coaster ride
Just before the joyride's over
Before the moment ends
Let's say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
Let's end this on a positive note
On a high note, a high note
Let's end this on a positive, memorable note
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Casey Beathard, Dustin Christensen, John Osborne, TJ Osborne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@unstoppableguy
Skeletons is a superior album and this track should prove that!
@annawaller5695
Thank Jesus these guys know what country music is !!
@darrylmacdonald9286
why doesn't this song have more views, c'mon man
@stevendouglas3860
Heard this on Radio 2 . England UK . 🤭
Lovely lovely song .
Brilliant musicians .
Stay safe y'all from Liverpool UK.
@arnulfocarpentier2103
Tj I just love your voice
@jaxon5905
Port saint joe is my favorite album, almost of all time. To me, this song is the “I don’t remember me” and “stay a little longer” of this album. Absolutely in love with this song.
@musicfriekje
Funny, Skeletons is my favorite now, this album gives me so much energy ;-))
@hsmith6785
These guys channel pure musical Divinity and liberate us all with their raw, unapologetic honesty. Damn grateful. Continuously inspired to be the best human being, living the fullest life possible, thanks to them.
@angelvisions444
Beautifully said, I couldn't agree more! 👏👏👏
@gingerporter5768
This album is incredible! 😍❤ Totally in love❣