Born and raised in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Chris Merritt began experimenting with songwriting at age 7. Support and encouragement from family, friends, and even an influential babysitter helped Chris have the confidence to further pursue his passion for composition. Piano happened to be the first available means for Chris' creative expression and his talent and technical ability were quickly evident on the instrument. Chris, however, was equally intrigued by percussion, guitar, saxophone, and his own voice. He toyed with as many sounds as were available to him and constantly searched for more sonic possibilities.
During his impressionable teenage years, Chris became heavily influenced by rock and jazz artists alike. The sounds of Weezer, Nirvana, Ben Folds, and Billy Joel were mixed with artists such as Marcus Roberts and Dave Brubeck. Drawing from his musical influences and his own original compositions and ideas, Chris founded the band Paperface in the late 90s, performing often throughout high school and into college. His obvious choice to study music at the university level was complimented with a major in sound recording and engineering which seemed to be the natural next step to pursue as Chris desired to have more creative control over the expression of his musical ideas.
Upon graduation from college, Chris and Paperface made the move to Southern California to more closely collaborate with Takeover Records, to which the band signed in early 2005. Touring throughout the US, Paperface quickly gained a loyal following and hoped to make their mark in the rock world. Their plans were cut short, however, after musical differences and band member disputes broke up the group in 2006. Shortly after the breakup, Chris and original Paperface member Roland Osborne started the band Upperville, named after Chris' home town in Virginia. Conflicting life plans soon ended Upperville as well and Chris made the decision to begin writing and performing under his own name backed by bassist Dave Fujinami and drummer Chris Walvoord. With this trio, Chris recorded his latest album, "Hello, Little Captain."
2007 was a year of more decisions and changes as Chris realized that the atmosphere of Southern California was not for him and made the ten hour drive to Utah reconnecting with childhood friend and drummer, Tim Fellow. Chris quickly found an ideal fit for a bassist in Provo native Dustin Hofheins, and thus formed Chris' current group. The natural beauty and enthusiastic fans of Utah were reason enough for Chris to trade the Blue Ridge for the Rockies as the mountains have once again proved fertile for Chris Merritt's obsessive yet sincere songwriting talent.
Chris and band have toured throughout the nation over the past year hitting both coasts and several markets in-between.
Chris, Dustin and Tim toured Japan in June for a 10-show headlining tour and returned home to release the much album, "Pixie and the Bear" on June 21.
Arizona
Chris Merritt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I talk to her sweet and sing her a song when we go far.
I'm rubbing the dash and Wesley don't tell me it doesn't work
Don't tell me it doesn't work 'cause we haven't died yet.
Hey, do you know why it makes you move?
Cause I don't move.
Unless you've got some Thriller on the stereo
Cause yesterday I hadn't even heard of you
Everything I own is traveling like eighty-three miles an hour
Played a show it was love at first sight when I saw you
Don't tell me it wouldn't work
Don't tell me that it wouldn't work, cause we haven't tried yet
Hey, do you know why it makes you move?
Cause I don't move.
Unless you've got, like, Thriller on the stereo
All I wanna do is be with you, which is crazy,
Cause yesterday I hadn't even heard of you
Rapping and rhyming, singing and driving
Leaving California, stop in Arizona
Counting my money, it isn't even funny
Staying with my cousin, then I'm gonna be a Mormon
Hey, do you know why it makes you move?
Cause I don't move
Unless you've got, like, Thriller on the stereo
All I wanna do is be with you, which is crazy,
Cause yesterday I hadn't even heard of you
The lyrics of Chris Merritt's song "Arizona" seem to be a reflection of a speaker's road trip, accompanied by their car. The viewpoint character seems to have a strong attachment to their car, that they treat kindly and even talk to. The song is imbued with a sense of magic and possibility, suggesting that the singer is adventurous and open to whatever the road may offer.
The lyrics also hint at a budding romance. The singer claims to have fallen in love with someone they met on their travels, even though they'd never heard of that person before. The feeling seems to be mutual, as they sing about wanting to be with that person all the time, in a way that almost seems obsessive. The song's bridge suggests a change in direction: the singer plans to leave California and travel through Arizona. They mention money, family, and even flirt with the idea of converting to Mormonism, suggesting that their journey is more than just a fun weekend drive.
Overall, "Arizona" is a quirky and catchy song with a sweet, slightly obsessive edge. It paints a vivid picture of a road trip that's full of possibility and romance, and leaves the listener wanting to hop in their own car and hit the open road.
Line by Line Meaning
Magic runs my car
My car seems to have a magical power to keep us moving on our journeys.
I talk to her sweet and sing her a song when we go far.
I treat the car as if it were a living thing and I serenade it during long car journeys.
I'm rubbing the dash and Wesley don't tell me it doesn't work
I rub the dashboard while driving to ensure that the car is able to continue functioning properly and I don't want anyone to doubt the effectiveness of this ritual.
Don't tell me it doesn't work 'cause we haven't died yet.
I believe that my dashboard rubbing technique is responsible for keeping us safe during our travels and I won't be convinced otherwise until something bad happens.
Hey, do you know why it makes you move?
I have a question for you regarding the power of music to motivate movement.
Cause I don't move.
I personally do not feel inclined to move or dance without the aid of music.
Unless you've got some Thriller on the stereo
The only music that I find irresistible and truly motivating is the song 'Thriller'.
All I wanna do is be with you, which is crazy,
Despite having just met you, I feel a strong connection and desire to be near you, which may seem irrational.
Cause yesterday I hadn't even heard of you
It's amazing to consider how quickly feelings can change and how quickly someone can become important in your life.
Everything I own is traveling like eighty-three miles an hour
All of my possessions are in the car with me and we are travelling at a high speed of eighty-three miles per hour.
Played a show it was love at first sight when I saw you
I met you at a concert and felt an instant attraction to you.
Don't tell me it wouldn't work
I am confident that our relationship could work despite our unusual circumstances.
Counting my money, it isn't even funny
I'm counting the earnings from my recent concert but it's not really amusing or exciting.
Staying with my cousin, then I'm gonna be a Mormon
After staying with my cousin, I plan to convert to the Mormon religion.
Rapping and rhyming, singing and driving
I am creatively expressing myself through music and song while driving.
Leaving California, stop in Arizona
We are headed out of California and will make a stop in Arizona on our journey.
Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.