“For me, this is an album that’s focused on growth and maturity, but it’s not deadly serious,” says front man Barry Privett. “I wanted to examine my life and the lives of my family and friends and do it with a little bit of a wink. The last thing I wanted to do was get all dark and overwrought.”
Privett and his bandmates dodge that pitfall with aplomb on Nothing Rhymes With Woman, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2006 offering Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. As ever, the quintet -- recently joined by drummer Jason Neal, a veteran of the southeast’s club circuit, and Seattle bassist Jon Markel -- challenge themselves and listeners by steadfastly refusing to retrace old steps, bringing in like-minded collaborators (like Toby Lightman, who brings a burnished tone to her vocal parts on the gritty “Meltdown”) and taking off in plenty of new directions of their own accord.
That sense of freshness, to hear Privett tell the tale, has a lot to do with the relaxed nature of the disc’s recording, which took place in their Richmond, Virginia backyard. “This time, we did something we hadn’t done in a long time, and that was to just throw away the timeline altogether,” says the singer. “We waited until everyone believed in every single song without any doubt or questions. It was a return to the days of doing music for the sheer joy of just doing it.”
The joy he’s talking about proves contagious throughout the 13-song disc, both in sonic touches like the soaring harmonies that buoy “Indecision” and the instantly relatable vibe of narratives like the nostalgic childhood flashback “X-Ray.” The tones are certainly varied -- things get more than a little misty on “Pink,” a poignant tale of a woman battling serious illness -- but they’re invariably free of artificiality. Every color here is one that one can find in nature.
“A lot of the songs are about getting back to your roots,” says Privett, who reckons the band gained a lot of traction by spending a considerable stretch of time close to home, as opposed to its usual relentless touring slate. “You know, holding onto the touchstones that keep you grounded in reality. They’re easy to lose sight of sometimes, and often you need reminding. Fortunately, we have friends and family that will do that in no uncertain terms.”
Nothing Rhymes With Woman finds the Virginia-based band firmly in touch with its roots -- the Celtic tinge that cloaks “Pink” is reminiscent of Carbon Leaf’s passel of self-released discs. Throughout the set, however, the quintet affirms a commitment to moving forward, kicking out the jams a bit more aggressively on the sinewy walking blues “Another Man’s Woman” and interpolating the rich organ playing of longtime Dave Matthews Band keyboardist Butch Taylor on several tracks, including the arresting opener “Indecision.”
“It’s always been really important to us to keep an organic feel to what we do,” says Privett. “For us, recording this album was like a renewal, kind of like the coming of spring. In a way, it’s very sensual, very sexual, gentle and mellow in spots, but also acknowledges a fair share of optimism and a re-awakening to new possibilities.
In 2004, Vanguard released Carbon Leaf’s breakthrough disc, Indian Summer, which earned rave reviews from sources like The Washington Post, which marveled at Privett’s ability to “capture the emotional ache of a twenty-something as he watches his friends scatter to the four corners of the world”. For the next year and a half, the quintet would set about winning over audiences while on tour -- a recipe that helped "Life Less Ordinary" and "What About Everything?” up the charts.
That winning streak continued with Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat, a darker collection, recorded in Nashville, that showcased other facets of the Carbon Leaf sound and rose to number-three on Billboard’s Top New Artists chart. “We definitely stretched ourselves on that album,” says Privett. “It was unsettling in a way, but definitely helped us find ourselves.”
Reunited with producer John Morand, who manned the board for Indian Summer, Carbon Leaf takes the proverbial next step on Nothing Rhymes With Woman. The multi-instrumental web woven by Carter Gravatt and Terry Clark provides a perfect backdrop for Privett’s tenor, which hovers ethereally on “Lake of Silver Bells” and cuts with the precision of a knife wielded by a master chef on the poignant “Miss Hollywood.”
“I think ’Miss Hollywood,’ like a lot of the album, has a kind of feminine energy, which helps explain the title,” says Privett. “It’s that balance of strength and fragility, of keeping dreams in check, but not forgetting where they came from. It’s a positive and nurturing energy, and that’s the feeling we’d like people to come away with when they listen to the album.”
Barry Privett: Vocals, guitar
Terry Clark: Guitar, vocals
Carter Gravatt: Guitar, vocals
Jason Neal: Drums, percussion
Jon Markel: Bass
Raise The Roof
Carbon Leaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To gain wisdom, to see things for what they are
Please, I need proof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Trapped in the snare with too much dreaming to bear
Fearful and frantic, hopeless and a romantic
Inspired but tired, I run this wide-open course
Like the sagging spirit of an older horse
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Peel back this backdrop, like the lids from my eyes
Put you in plain view, let me visualize
Touch me again in my dreams till I feel
Touch me again till I wake and it's real
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
The wisest advice to me that I didn't reach
Was to lock up the heart, but keep the key within reach
Touch me again in my dreams till I feel
Touch me again till I wake and it's real
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Raise the roof
Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Raise the roof
The lyrics to Carbon Leaf's song "Raise the Roof" are about a person who is seeking wisdom and understanding. The person wants to see things for what they truly are and is asking for proof. They feel trapped in their own thoughts and emotions, which makes them feel fearful, frantic, and hopeless. They feel inspired but tired, like an older horse with a sagging spirit running an open course.
The chorus of the song, "Dance till you fall, love till you die, shut your mouth, raise the roof," can be interpreted as a call to action to live life to the fullest. It's a reminder to enjoy the present moment, love without reservations and dance with abandon. Shutting your mouth could be a reference to not complaining or dwelling on negativity.
The final verse repeats the chorus but adds a new element: touching. The singer wants to be touched again in their dreams and in their waking life until they know it's real. They want to feel something genuine and authentic that they can trust.
Overall, the song is an invitation to live fully and honestly, to find wisdom, and to seek proof through experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise the roof, that I might see the stars
I need to escape my current situation and gain wisdom to truly see the world as it is.
Please, I need proof
I need tangible evidence to prove my beliefs and find my way forward.
Dance till you fall
Live your life to the fullest without fear of the consequences.
Love till you die
Love passionately and with your whole heart.
Shut your mouth
Sometimes it's best to keep quiet and just live in the moment.
Raise the roof
Keep striving for greater heights and experiences.
Trapped in the snare with too much dreaming to bear
I am stuck in a state of longing for more without a clear path forward.
Fearful and frantic, hopeless and a romantic
I am scared and anxious, yet still hold onto hope for love and romance.
Inspired but tired, I run this wide-open course
I am pushed forward by my inspiration, but also feel the weight of exhaustion from my journey.
Like the sagging spirit of an older horse
I am tired and worn out, but still have some fight left in me.
Peel back this backdrop, like the lids from my eyes
I need clarity and a clear view of the world to navigate my surroundings.
Put you in plain view, let me visualize
I want to see things as they are, without any illusions or distractions.
Touch me again in my dreams till I feel
I long for a connection and intimacy that I can only find in my dreams.
Touch me again till I wake and it's real
I want my dream connection to become a real, tangible reality in my waking life.
The wisest advice to me that I didn't reach
I regret not following the advice of those who were wiser than me.
Was to lock up the heart, but keep the key within reach
To protect myself from hurt, I should guard my heart, but also keep it open to love when the time is right.
Dance till you fall, Love till you die, Shut your mouth, Raise the roof
Live a passionate, fearless life full of love and adventure, but also learn when to be quiet and keep striving for greater heights.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BARRY THOMAS PRIVETT, CARTER GRAVATT, SCOTT ANDREW MILSTEAD, TERRELL H. CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karenawalter2947
Love love love these guys and their beautiful music
@rileyharris638
Thank you so much please post more!
@KittenBlackheart
Great bunch of guys :)
@ggdavis
Awesome! I love them, thanks for the post. I have some live videos on my youtube channel, check them out!