The duo writes and performs songs, knowing that there are enough love songs on earth. They evoke the blue collar man and woman, because that’s exactly who they are. From their genesis, they have crafted their sound to be a perfect mix of the lyrical grit and wit of Hank Williams Sr. and the tender atmosphere of Heartbreaker-era Ryan Adams.
Ben and Emily Roberts are from Arkansas and South Dakota respectively, meeting and falling in love in Memphis, Tennessee, setting up shop in Nashville and finally, making a name for them selves in every state in between.
Since 2009, Carolina Story have been hard at work writing, recording and releasing music every year; each release astonishingly better than the last. Starting as starry-eyed newly-weds ready for the road ahead with their self-titled debut evolving into wise road-worn troubadours on their latest album, Home, with the ability to turn an insightful phrase at a moment’s notice.
Carolina Story’s potential is in their numbers. They’ve played in excess of 400 shows in 32 states and debuting Home at #2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. These feat planted the seed for success that is surely to follow with the vinyl re-release of Home.
Home was produced by songwriter and leader of fellow Nashville folk act, Humming House, who also served as backing band for the record. The vinyl release of Home, rounded out by two bonus tracks, has already been described as “a wrenchingly beautiful record as it is, vinyl only plays up the grassroots charm.”
The future for Carolina Story is limitless. They’re a small fish in a big sea of similar married Americana duos. The sincerity and humanity of their music makes them stand out among even the best.
Someone Else
Carolina Story Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we hide
Behind those whiskey smiles
And sad cowboy eyes
We all got problems
The same blood in our veins
When we try to work it out on our own
Oh it’s harder now to find
Some kind of piece of mind
But I will have you know you’re not alone
If we could only see past ourselves
Then we could finally see someone else
We all want an empire
That we can call our own
“Hey look at me I built this
But I’m still searching for a home”
By the time you hear this
You already know
That we ain’t perfect
Yeah but we can grow
Oh it’s harder now to see
The forest for the trees
One day we’ll find our way through these woods
If we could only see past ourselves
Then we could finally see someone else
If we could only look inside ourselves
Then we could finally find someone else
The song "Someone Else" by Carolina Story explores the common theme of human struggle and the masks people wear to cope with pain and insecurities. The opening lines acknowledge that everyone has something hidden beneath the surface, whether it be pain, shame, or fear, and many attempt to mask those feelings with a smile or a tough exterior. This is particularly evident in the image of "whiskey smiles and sad cowboy eyes," which suggests a tough and masculine facade that often hides very real vulnerability and pain.
The song then goes on to suggest that despite these individual struggles, there is a common humanity that connects us all, as we all share the same blood in our veins. Yet, when we are isolated and try to cope with our problems alone, we risk becoming consumed by our own pain and confusion, leading to feelings of isolation and insanity. Instead, the song urges listeners to try and see beyond themselves and their own struggles, to reach out and connect with others who may be going through similar difficulties. In doing so, we can find comfort and solace in our shared humanity, and perhaps even grow and learn from one another.
Overall, "Someone Else" is a poignant and affecting song that speaks to the struggles of the human condition, and reminds us that even in our moments of greatest pain and vulnerability, we are not alone.
Line by Line Meaning
We all got something
Each of us has something we keep hidden from others
That we hide
We keep it hidden because of different reasons, like guilt or fear of rejection
Behind those whiskey smiles
We pretend to be happy and content when we're not, usually because of alcohol
And sad cowboy eyes
We have a longing for something that may not exist or someone who left us
We all got problems
We all have issues in our lives that we struggle with
The same blood in our veins
We're all human and experience similar emotions and situations
When we try to work it out on our own
We often try to deal with our problems by ourselves because we don't want others to know
We go insane
Trying to deal with everything alone can be mentally exhausting and affect our mental health
Oh it’s harder now to find
It's challenging to find a sense of peace and calm these days
Some kind of piece of mind
A mental state of calmness and tranquility
But I will have you know you’re not alone
You're not the only one going through tough times
If we could only see past ourselves
If we could stop thinking about ourselves for a moment and look at someone else
Then we could finally see someone else
We could start to understand others and empathize with them better
We all want an empire
We all want to be successful in something, to have something to show for our hard work
That we can call our own
Something that belongs to us and signifies our achievements
“Hey look at me I built this
We want others to see and acknowledge our achievements and success
But I’m still searching for a home”
We still feel like we're missing something and haven't found our place in the world
By the time you hear this
At the moment you're listening to this song
You already know
You most likely know from your own experience
That we ain’t perfect
We're not flawless, we all make mistakes
Yeah but we can grow
We can learn from our mistakes and become better
Oh it’s harder now to see
It's more difficult these days to understand things clearly
The forest for the trees
It's challenging to see and understand everything when you're in the middle of it
One day we’ll find our way through these woods
One day we'll figure everything out and understand it all
If we could only look inside ourselves
If we could examine and understand our own emotions and thoughts
Then we could finally find someone else
We could then empathize and understand others better, improving our relationships
Contributed by Chloe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@webercarli
Can this be downloaded/purchased anywhere? I am in love with this song.