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.
Rum
Brothers Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sittin' with the finest example of a beautiful girl
If we hadn't hit the brakes, we'd have no idea
Paradise was hidin' right here
Dippin' our toes in the water
I don't care if it gets any hotter
It's you and me rememberin' how to have funLet's put our hearts together
Two parts love and a pinch of good weather
And top it all off with the sun
And mix it with rum, mmm, mmm, mm, mm
We came out here to do a whole lotta nothin'
And we're doin' pretty good I think
The only one thing we need to worry about
Is fillin' up when the ice cubes clink
Dippin' our toes in the water
I don't care if it gets any hotter
It's you and me rememberin' how to have fun
Let's put our hearts together
Two parts love and a pinch of good weather
And top it all off with the sun
And mix it with rum, mm, mm, mm, mm
Mix it with rum, mm, mm, mm, mm
The lucky folks go to the ocean
The lake's for the landlocked ones
We got a tarp in a truck bed
A kiddie pool, a slip and sleds
Let that garden hose run
Dippin' our toes in the water
It's you and me rememberin' how to have fun
Let's put our hearts together
Two parts love and a pinch of good weather
And top it all off with the sun
And mix it with rum, mmm, mmm, mm, mm
And mix it with rum, mmmm, mmmm, mm, mm
And mix it with rum, mmmm, mmmm, mm, mm
The song "Rum" by Brothers Osborne is about the simple pleasures of spending time with a loved one and enjoying the small things in life. The lyrics describe sitting with a beautiful girl amidst the chaos of the world and realizing that paradise is right there. The duo sings about dipping their toes in the water, not caring about the heat, and remembering how to have fun together. The chorus talks about mixing good weather and love, and topping it all off with rum. The song celebrates enjoying the present moment and being content with the little things that make life worth living.
The song can be seen as a tribute to the laid-back lifestyle and the joy of being present in the moment. It encourages the listener to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life, forget about the worries of the world, and enjoy the company of loved ones. The soft guitars and soothing harmonies add to the calming and peaceful vibe of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Starin' at the prettiest part of this powder keg world
Taking a moment to appreciate the beauty in an otherwise chaotic world
Sittin' with the finest example of a beautiful girl
Spending time with someone special
If we hadn't hit the brakes, we'd have no idea
If we hadn't slowed down, we wouldn't have discovered this moment of paradise
Paradise was hidin' right here
This moment with this person is a perfect little paradise
It's you and me rememberin' how to have fun
Enjoying each other's company and having a good time
Let's put our hearts together
Let's combine our love and positive energy
Two parts love and a pinch of good weather
All we need is love and good weather to create a perfect moment
And top it all off with the sun
Add a sunny day to make it even better
And mix it with rum, mmm, mmm, mm, mm
All the ingredients of this moment mixed with a splash of rum to make it more enjoyable
The only one thing we need to worry about
The only thing we need to focus on is having fun
Is fillin' up when the ice cubes clink
The only worry is when our drinks are getting low
The lake's for the landlocked ones
We don't need an ocean to have a good time. We can make our fun wherever we are
Let that garden hose run
We can improvise with a garden hose if we don't have access to a pool or lake
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOMAS JOHN OSBORNE, JOHN THOMAS OSBORNE, BARRY DEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andreasmutz5583
The beat, the words, just everything about the Brothers makes their music so enjoyable.
@FieldsofLove
The combination of rustic country and modern pop really makes for a catchy tune!
@BestCountryMelodies
This song is like a cool breeze blowing through my soul, making me feel the warmth and sincerity of love!
@Zarathor10
This truly is a perfect example for what a laid back song should be. No heavy pounding base, no unintelligible lyrics, no heavy or sporadic light show.
Just good clean easy heartfelt music that makes your toes tap and your brain sing along. This is why I love county music.
P.S. I don't drink any kind of liquor or alcoholic beverages in general, but this song still gets me singing along.
@unironicaluser1867
Okay?
@amyreynolds3619
Bless your heart.
@vincentverrico1502
I love this song and many others from the Brothers Osborne. I have Parkinsons Disease and it's a perfect song to start the day off to strengthen my voice for the day!!! Highly recommend if you or someone you know needs to strengthen their voice for the day! God bless!
@TallkidJosh
Skipper's Pier and Dockside are some of my old favorite bars in Deale, MD. Glad these guys made it big and repping their hometown.
@lilxdud3
Shared with my parents and all my friends, crazy to see someone from my hometown go big.
@terricklee6268
Representing Maryland. Damn fine job Bros. Love you music from the Eastern Shore side of Maryland