Berkeley is a New Jersey native, but in the past decade, he's lived in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Berkeley and Corsica. Santa Fe is now home, where he lives with this wife and two young sons. Within months of arriving and still overwhelmed by the palette of reds and browns, the endless open sky, and the frightening lack of water in his new high desert surroundings, Berkeley wrote and recorded his most haunting and personal songs to date. Berkeley's doleful baritone and vulnerable falsetto, called "lustrous and melancholy" by the New York Times, is up front in the mix, showcasing his profoundly elegiac lyrics. Indeed, Berkeley cites Yeats and Melville among his greatest influences. For his unique way with words, the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed Berkeley "a musical poet."
Berkeley's gift as a songwriter and storyteller is that he sees both the tragedy and comedy in life, managing to both reveal the sorrow at the heart of the human condition and the blazing joy and beauty in the same. It's a duality that audiences experience at all of Berkeley's shows as he tells uproarious stories between heartbreaking songs. It's why his fans respond so deeply to his music and why so many look to him to express what they are often unable to articulate. It's also why his voice and lyrics have cross-genre appeal. Berkeley's songs are at once hard and hopeful.
Red
David Berkeley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said "This town could burn for all I care."
Drove like hell until the smoke filled the sky
"God damn car won't get me anywhere."
Yeah, you got me in pieces
Baby it just increases
Though I think I'm going crazy
They say wisdom comes for free
Oh jewels, you know I miss you terribly
God I hope you hear me
Ah wouldn't you agree
This is an old song
This is an old song
Yeah wouldn't you agree
Well he saw her throw her sandals down the road
And he wasn't too sure of what to say
"You know the sunset in Ohio makes me mad
But something feels different today,"
Yeah, you got me in pieces
Baby is just increases
Where did you come from baby?
Oh jewels, I like the way your eyes shine when you smile
But Cleveland's not a place for you and me
Why don't you believe me?
Oh, wouldn't you agree?
This is a love song
This is a love song
Oh, wouldn't you agree?
Well we gotta get away from this town
How about Georgia
Watch the leaves come down
Greyhound, we're southbound baby
Three times,
Although yeah this time,
Yeah this time I swear
You got me in pieces
Baby it just increase
Oh where did you come from, baby?
Oh wouldn't you agree?
This isn't our song
This is a love song
This could be our song
Yea wouldn't you agree?
This is a love song
Yeah wouldn't you agree
This is a love song
Yeah wouldn't you agree?
Yeah wouldn't you agree?
Yeah wouldn't you agree?
This is a love song
Ah, wouldn't you agree?
The song Red by David Berkeley tells the story of a man named Red who leaves Cleveland on the 8th of July with a feeling of indifference towards the town. He drives aimlessly until smoke fills the sky, and his car breaks down. The opening lines, "Red left Cleveland on the 8th day of July, said 'This town could burn for all I care,'" indicate a sense of disconnect, perhaps suggesting that Cleveland holds no significance or joy for Red. The lyrics go on to describe Red's frustration with his car, which fails to move despite his efforts. He expresses his discontent, even using profanity, suggesting a sense of helplessness and vulnerability.
The song then takes a turn as Red sees a woman, and as we can assume, the love of his life. He watches her throw her sandals down the road, and he is uncertain of how to approach her. He speaks of how the sunsets in Ohio make him mad, but he feels different today. The line "Yeah, you got me in pieces, Baby is just increases" depicts Red's shattered emotions, and as he sees the woman, they are further intensified.
The song is a love song that expresses the desire and need to escape Cleveland and find refuge in Georgia. The song ends with a repetition of the line: "This is a love song, wouldn't you agree?" suggesting that he found love on his journey and that it is worth fighting for.
Line by Line Meaning
Red left Cleveland on the 8th day of July,
The singer of the song named Red, left Cleveland on the 8th of July.
Said "This town could burn for all I care."
Red had no attachment to the town and didn't care if something happened to it.
Drove like hell until the smoke filled the sky
He drove so fast that he couldn't see anything and smoke filled the sky.
"God damn car won't get me anywhere."
Red was frustrated with his car because it wasn't getting him anywhere.
Yeah, you got me in pieces
The artist was torn apart with conflicting inner thoughts.
Baby it just increases
It's getting worse with time and he can't seem to find a way out.
Though I think I'm going crazy
He feels like he's losing his mind with all the chaos around him.
On the side, route 80
He took an alternate route and was on the side of Route 80.
They say wisdom comes for free
There's a saying that wisdom comes for free but he's not sure if that's true.
Oh jewels, you know I miss you terribly
He's addressing someone named Jewels and he misses them a lot.
God I hope you hear me
He's hoping that God will help him in his troubles and hear his plea.
Ah wouldn't you agree
He's addressing someone and asking if they agree with him.
This is an old song
The song he is singing is an old one.
This is an old song
He repeats that the song he is singing is an old one.
Yeah wouldn't you agree
He repeats his question of whether the person he's addressing agrees with him.
Well he saw her throw her sandals down the road
Red saw someone throw their sandals on the road.
And he wasn't too sure of what to say
He didn't know what to say when he saw it happen.
"You know the sunset in Ohio makes me mad
Ohio's sunset annoys him and makes him mad.
But something feels different today,"
He feels that there's something different about this day.
Where did you come from baby?
He's asking where a baby he's addressing came from.
Oh jewels, I like the way your eyes shine when you smile
He's addressing Jewels again and complimenting her on her smiling eyes.
But Cleveland's not a place for you and me
He doesn't think Cleveland is suitable for them.
Why don't you believe me?
He's asking why Jewels doesn't believe him.
Well we gotta get away from this town
He thinks they need to get out of the town they're in.
How about Georgia
He's suggesting they go to Georgia instead.
Watch the leaves come down
He wants to watch the leaves fall in Georgia.
Greyhound, we're southbound baby
They're taking a Greyhound bus towards the south.
Three times, Although yeah this time,
He's done this before but this time it's different.
Yeah this time I swear
This time he promises that things will be different.
This isn't our song
He's stating that the song he's singing isn't theirs.
This is a love song
He's confirming that the song he's singing is a love song.
This could be our song
He's suggesting that this love song could be theirs.
Yea wouldn't you agree?
He's repeating his earlier question of whether someone agrees with him.
This is a love song
He reaffirms that the song he's singing is a love song.
Yeah wouldn't you agree
He repeats his question once again.
This is a love song
He reiterates that the song he's singing is a love song.
Yeah wouldn't you agree?
He repeats his question one final time.
Yeah wouldn't you agree?
He repeats his question yet again.
This is a love song
He confirms that the song he's singing is indeed a love song.
Ah, wouldn't you agree?
He ends the song by asking one final time if someone agrees with him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, MARK PALADINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind