Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana, taking their n… Read Full Bio ↴Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana, taking their name from the title of a Sam Shepard play which got the term from a Bob Dylan song. The nucleus of the band, Fred Leblanc (Drums, Vocals) and John Thomas Griffith (Guitar, Vocals), formed in the early 1990s, and they climbed the ladder from an opening act living in a van to a powerhouse live act that has been called "a religious experience" by more than one music journalist. In particular their 2004 live Lincoln Park, Chicago album "Live From the Zoo" received incredible criticial praise, especially form Rolling Stone. They have received modest radio play yet every year the band plays before more than half a million people at live shows around the nation. Some of their classic songs include "Everybody Loves Jill" (where the audience throws red spoons on stage), "Hurricane Party" (audience tosses Tootsie Rolls), "Easy," "Better,", "Disconnected", and "Jenny Says," the their most famous song and the traditional closing song of every show. They also perform a version of "Born to Run" on the Light of Day tribute album to Springsteen. "The Avenue" after the famed St. Charles Avenue, a heart-wrenching plea for New Orleans' return to normal in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, was treated as a athem to many in Lousiana. However, Leblanc has since added the line "The Saints won the f****** Superbowl" as a upbeat note. Now a regular of the Regis and Kelly show Leblanc has written a song ,"Kelly Ripa", about Leblanc's somewhat obsesion with the co-host. They have since performed the song on the show, much to the dancing Ripa's delight. They have also as one of their more popular songs "Joe Strummer", a ode to the late-great Clash guitarist. Lead singer Fred Leblanc, particularly in opening and closing numbers, exhorts the crowd with encouragements to let go of cares and worries, "I don't care what's buggin' you, I don't care what's bringing you down, the only thing that matters is right here, right now!" With roots always in New Orleans Cowboy Mouth constantly plays at the Annual Jazz Fest and is always one of the fan favorites there.

Born To Run
Cowboy Mouth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected and steppin' way over the line

Oh, baby, this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap
It's a suicide rap

Y'gotta get out while you're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and your visions
Just wrap your legs 'round my velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run 'til we drop, and, baby, we'll never go back

Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
'Cause, baby, I'm a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I wanna know if love is wild
I wanna know if love is real
Can you show me?

Beyond the palace, hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors, and the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight in an everlasting kiss

One, two, three, four
The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's on the run tonight, there ain't no place left to hide
Together, Wendy, we'll live with the sadness, I'll love you with all the madness in my soul

Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
We'll get to that place we really wanna go, and we'll walk in the sun

'Cause, tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Born to run

Overall Meaning

Cowboy Mouth's song Born to Run is a tribute to the Bruce Springsteen's song of the same name. The lyrics paint a picture of the American Dream, where people work hard by day and dream big by night. The opening line suggests that the American Dream is a runaway dream that people get lost in, and it's hard to keep up with it. The "suicide machines" are a metaphor for the fast and dangerous lifestyle that people are living.

The second half of the first verse describes how the people in the town are trapped and can't escape. They work hard, but they don't get anywhere. The chorus emphasizes the idea that people need to escape the town while they're still young because they're "born to run." The second verse is about finding love and breaking free from the trap together. The singer is searching for love and wants to experience something wild and real.

The bridge of the song is a call for someone to join the singer on the journey. He wants Wendy to join him and walk on the wild side with him. The song ends with a final chorus, which repeats the idea that people need to escape to find the happiness and freedom that they were "born to run" to.

Line by Line Meaning

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
During the day, we work hard on the streets to make the American Dream a reality

At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
At night, we drive recklessly in fancy cars through rich neighborhoods

Sprung from cages on Highway 9
We were born into a difficult and limiting environment on Highway 9

Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected and steppin' way over the line
We have souped up our cars to be the best they can be and push the limits

Oh, baby, this town rips the bones from your back
This town is tough and will wear you down physically and emotionally

It's a death trap
Living here is dangerous and could lead to death

It's a suicide rap
Living here is like playing a game with your life on the line

Y'gotta get out while you're young
You need to leave this place while you are still young and able to make a change

'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Because we are wanderers and have a desire to keep moving and exploring

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I want to get closer to you and build a friendship

I wanna guard your dreams and your visions
I want to protect and support your aspirations and goals

Just wrap your legs 'round my velvet rims
Hold onto me tightly and closely as we speed away

And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Put your hands on my car for support and connection

Together we could break this trap
If we work together, we can escape the difficult environment we are in

We'll run 'til we drop, and, baby, we'll never go back
We will keep moving forward and exploring new places until we physically cannot anymore

Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
Will you take risks and explore life with me?

'Cause, baby, I'm a scared and lonely rider
I am afraid of being alone, but am willing to take risks

But I gotta find out how it feels
I need to experience things for myself to truly understand them

I wanna know if love is wild
I want to experience the excitement and adventure that comes with love

I wanna know if love is real
I want to know if love truly exists as it is portrayed in media

Can you show me?
Will you help me experience love and show me what it really is?

Beyond the palace, hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
Outside of the rich areas, fast and powerful cars race down the road

The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors, and the boys try to look so hard
The girls care about their appearances while the boys want to seem tough and cool

The amusement park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
The amusement park stands out and people gather on the beach no matter what kind of weather it is

I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight in an everlasting kiss
I want to spend my last moment with you in a romantic and memorable way

One, two, three, four
A countdown, possibly to start something dangerous or exciting

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
The road is filled with people trying hard to make something of themselves before it is too late

Everybody's on the run tonight, there ain't no place left to hide
Everyone is trying to escape the difficulties of this town and there is nowhere to find redemption

Together, Wendy, we'll live with the sadness, I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
We will support each other through the tough times and I will always love you fiercely

Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
In the future, we will find the life we want, but we don't know when

We'll get to that place we really wanna go, and we'll walk in the sun
We will eventually find the place we truly want to be and we will finally feel free and happy

'Cause, tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Because we are wanderers and have a desire to keep moving and exploring

Contributed by Miles H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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