"The raw spirit of indie rock. An amplified, rocking version of ’60s protest folk. The soulful passion of the Violent Femmes and The Waterboys." All of these comparisons have been made in attempts to describe Delta Spirit, the southern California five-piece who might just be one of the most important new bands of the decade. Each description contains elements of the truth, but the real answer to the question “who is Delta Spirit?” lies within Ode to Sunshine, the band’s captivating debut. The group’s DIY ethic shines throughout the album, with songs honed razor-sharp over a year of non-stop touring across America. Opening sold-out tours for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cold War Kids, and Dr. Dog, the band developed a riveting live show and gained a loyal following amongst tastemaker music fans, earning them invites to national festivals like Austin City Limits, Noise Pop and Sasquatch. So it would not be an understatement to call Ode to Sunshine one of the year’s most highly-anticipated debuts. But don’t take our word for it; in the words of Delta Spirit: “If you’re feeling what I’m feeling come on, all you soul searching people come on.”
Jonathan Jameson of Delta Spirit took a few minutes out of the band’s busy touring schedule to answer a few questions about the band, their music, and Ode to Sunshine.
Where in California did the band come together? How did you meet?
We are all from Southern California. Brandon met Matt while he was singing and playing guitar by the train tracks in San Diego. The rest is boring.
Who plays what and sings? Do you trade off instruments on different songs?
Brandon plays drums and percussion. Sean plays guitar, does some percussion and hits a big drum. Jon exclusively plays bass with the occasional vocal. Kelly plays piano, hits a drum, sings, hits a trashcan, plays guitar and a high strung guitar. Matt plays guitar, sings and plays piano.
Your songs are credited to the band as a whole. Could you describe how they come together? Are the lyrics collaborative as well?
It’s always a new experience. Matt and Kelly write the lyrics with minor editing done by the band. Songs come as jams, ideas, almost complete chords, hummed notes, drum beats, etc.
Some of the songs have very infectious sing along melodies (like the ba ba ba’s in “People C’mon”). Do you envision your music as communal, for audiences to participate in as well as listen to?
Our music feels most at home when we play it with people as opposed to at people. There is a mystery to music played live. It brings us out of ourselves into something bigger, something beyond our individuality. Sometimes it happens, other times the songs are just songs.
You recorded Ode to Sunshine at a cabin in Julian, California, out in the desert east of San Diego. Did the isolation of the setting influence the vibe of the album (like say, Dylan and The Band’s Basement Tapes)?
It feels like sun, saunas, dogs, friends, Old Crow and Coke, Eli Thompson, beards, hot days, long star filled nights, good books, hikes, shorts, bbq and just the way we wanted to make our first record.
Your music has been compared to current indie rockers, ’80s punk roots bands, and sixties folk rockers. Was there any music you listened to growing up, or that you listen to now, that you hear seeping into your current sound?
We were born in the ’80s, grew up in the ’90s and have parents from the ’60s. We are proud of the bands that are making great music now. Maybe it’s like the Waterboys covering Harry Nilsson or maybe a song by the Weavers at a rally, but on tour next month with Richard Swift. We want to be found in the lineage of honest and true music that has found its way through every current of music history.
There seems to be a conscience in the music, a sense of taking responsibility for ourselves, each other, and the world. What do you feel is special about this moment in history, and this generation, and the place of music and art in society? Are you encouraged by the energy you feel coming back to you from your audiences?
There is a feeling of possibility in our age. We feel that same possibility with our band. There is a deep connection there. We don’t want to forget about the most important thing for us, which is simply making good music, but that does include being aware of what’s going on in the world as well as what’s going on in our own heads and souls. We aren’t self-aggrandizing cock rockers or activist idealist hippies. We just want to be honest about ourselves and how we see the world, not minimizing the darkness or the hope, because both are very real.
Your original DIY version of Ode to Sunshine featured austere black & white artwork, while the new cover is much warmer, with the smiling face of Dr. Thomas Payne (an uncle of one of the band members) raising a toast while at a scientific convention on bark beetles. The Rounder release also features an additional song, “Streetwalker,” which despite its somber subject features a Phil Spector / Brian Wilson groove. Do the new artwork and song show a new side to the band?
I think that before when we were looking at the album it felt kinda heavy to us and serious. About the big things in life. Like a dusty record of Kennedy speeches. But I think we realized that the true feeling of the album also included what we were feeling while making it and recording it and that those bits of summer and excitement and wonder break through every once in a while. It’s as if after listening to those sobering speeches we found the pics of the Kennedys on vacation and now it all really made sense. The light and the dark. Sometimes you have to laugh at the serious stuff to be able to do something about it.
From the opening Rubber Soul-esque acoustic guitars of “Tomorrow Goes Away” to the saloon piano-over-grunge chords of “Trashcan,” from the harmonica-driven protest waltz “People, Turn Around” to the insistent surf rock drums of “Children,” Ode to Sunshine perfectly captures the energy and hope of a new generation that’s rising like a phoenix to change the world. And with Delta Spirit providing the soundtrack, this is one revolution you can dance to.
Home
Delta Spirit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's all for my better men
I'll give you a rib, with the mirror all dried up
When it's not much but a widow's gift
In the right raise of sun
If you squint hard enough
There can be only one like it
And I'll sing it from a place of pride
I can sing over most and I'd gladly be the host
But most often I just hang my head and cry
There's a song beneath the earth
There is eyes within the dirt
Under the nails of a working man
Drug in by the rain, all the crooked ways I think
A wish as in a mood to die
But life, it is good, no matter how far you sink
Sometimes sitting still is better than to drop
When you're down in a hole
When your heart's weighed down like gold
There is a hand that can reach you there
The lyrics of Delta Spirit's song "Home" bring to light the theme of acceptance and contentment with oneself and one’s surroundings. The opening lines "be like a rug, hashed out in club, and it's all for my better men" suggest the singer's willingness to be stepped on, used, or even beaten up if it means being valuable to someone. The line "I'll give you a rib, with the mirror all dried up, when it's not much but a widow's gift" portrays a sense of sacrifice for others, even if it's not much in return.
The chorus "I'd write you a song, for all men to be one, and I'll sing it from a place of pride, I can sing over most and I'd gladly be the host, but most often I just hang my head and cry" shows the singer's desire to unite all men through their shared experiences, but also his frustration with his own inability to do so. The second verse "there's a song beneath the earth, there's eyes within the dirt, under the nails of a working man" represents the notion that everyone, even those who are considered low or dirty, holds value and purpose.
The bridge "drug in by the rain, all the crooked ways I think, a wish as in a mood to die, but life, it is good, no matter how far you sink" illustrates life's adversities and how they can make one feel lost and defeated, but the line "sometimes sitting still is better than to drop" reminds us that it is important to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the present. The final line "when you're down in a hole, when your heart's weighed down like gold, there is a hand that can reach you there" suggests that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Be like a rug, hashed out in club
Be resilient like a rug trampled in a club
And it's all for my better men
Everything is done for the betterment of his friends
I'll give you a rib, with the mirror all dried up
He will give everything he can despite the limited resources available to him
When it's not much but a widow's gift
Even a small deed can have a significant impact
In the right raise of sun
Under the perfect light
If you squint hard enough
If you focus hard enough
There can be only one like it
There's nothing like it
I'd write you a song, for all men to be one
A song about unity
And I'll sing it from a place of pride
A feeling of dignity
I can sing over most and I'd gladly be the host
He is willing to take the lead
But most often I just hang my head and cry
But he can't help but feel overwhelmed
There's a song beneath the earth
Something deep within us
There is eyes within the dirt
There's beauty in the most unexpected places
Under the nails of a working man
Hidden within the callouses of the laborers
Drug in by the rain, all the crooked ways I think
He is consumed by the negative thoughts in his head
A wish as in a mood to die
A desire to just give up
But life, it is good, no matter how far you sink
But life is worth living even when things get difficult
Sometimes sitting still is better than to drop
Sometimes it's better to just pause and reflect
When you're down in a hole
When things seem hopeless
When your heart's weighed down like gold
When you feel heavy and burdened
There is a hand that can reach you there
There's always help available
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRANDON R. YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Slime Time
(According to google)
Be like a rug, hashed out in club
And it's all for my better men
I'll give you a rib, with the mirror all dried up
When it's not much but a widow's gift
In the right raise of sun
If you squint hard enough
There can be only one like it
I'd write you a song, for all men to be one
And I'll sing it from a place of pride
I can sing over most and I'd gladly be the host
But most often I just hang my head and cry
There's a song beneath the earth
There is eyes within the dirt
Under the nails of a working man
Drug in by the rain, all the crooked ways I think
A wish as in a mood to die
But life, it is good, no matter how far you sink
Sometimes sitting still is better than to drop
When you're down in a hole
When your heart's weighed down like gold
There is a hand that can reach you there
Greg Stephens
how are these dudes not famous? This is a hell of a band
tairy hestical
these guys need more people to listen to them. they're actually pretty good.
ayebretwalda
(Not according to shitty Google)
Beat like a rug
Mashed out and clubbed
And it's all for my betterment.
I'll give you a rib
With the marrow dried up
And it's not much
But a widow's gift
In the right rays of Sun
If you squint hard enough
There can be only one
Like it.
I'd wite you a song
For all men to be won.
But I sing it from a place of pride.
I can sing over most
And I'd gladly be the host
But most often I just hang
My head and cry
There's a song beneath the Earth
There is eyes within the dirt
Under the nails of a working man.
Drug in by the rain
Of the crooked ways I think
I wish I was in a mood to die.
But life it is good
No matter how far you sink
Sometimes sitting still
Is better than to Try.
When your down in a hole
And your heart's way down like gold
There is a Hand that can reach you there.
...blessings and peace to all beings🙏
Wèkan
Beautiful..
Zachariah Baker
they need a little more fame please
Paul Cseplo
...but if you decide it's not gonna be alright, can I have your Delta Spirit albums?
Aria
this reminds me of homesick by the king of convenience
Robert Buccheri
Delta Spirit...