Founding band members Jared Watson and guitarist/vocalist Dustin Bushnell met in 1996 while in high school, embarking on a friendship based on music, as well as their shared passion for surfing, skating and the endless party of the laid-back SoCal lifestyle.
Early on, they spent many late nights jamming in Bushnell’s soundproof garage with a four-track recorder, writing unique acoustic hip-hop songs that featured reggae inflections. Inspired by the rock and reggae sounds of Bob Marley, Sublime, 311 and The Beastie Boys, the band’s music evolved into their distinct Dirty Heads style.
To complete the Dirty Heads’ sound, the duo added percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa and David Foral on bass. With a set of solid material, the Dirty Heads were further motivated to take their craft to the next level, and they began building a loyal fan base throughout the west coast, while performing acoustically at local bars and small music venues.
Executive produced by the Grammy Award-winning Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock, Paramore), the band connected with sought-after producers Steve Fox and Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) working long hours to polish their material and further develop their style. The Dirty Heads also recruited mixing engineer Mario Caldato Jr., best known for his work with the Beastie Boys, to add the finishing touches and create just the right blend.
The band’s highly-anticipated expanded album titled, Any Port in a Storm – Special Edition (Executive Music Group (EMG)/Fontana, a division of Universal Music Group Distribution) features 22 tracks and a bonus video that are reminiscent of the upbeat, sun-soaked Southern California party energy. The first smash hit single is “Lay Me Down” featuring Rome, of Sublime with Rome.
Any Port in a Storm also features one of the final recordings of the late music industry icon Billy Preston. Frequently referred to as “The Fifth Beatle,” Preston played on three tracks, including “Stand Tall,” “Chelsea,” and “Driftin.’ ” Additional special guests on the album are drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Sting, The Vandals), and veteran session percussionist Alex Acuna, whose A-list musician resume includes Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg, and Jackson Browne, to name only a few.
Recently, the band’s music has been attracting attention throughout the world of entertainment. They have been a featured artist on Fuel TV and their songs have been featured in the movie and soundtrack for Surf’s Up (Sony); and the television drama, Shark staring James Woods (CBS). Actor Matthew McConaughey selected the band’s music to be in his film, Surfer Dude. In addition, the Dirty Heads can be heard in Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam video game (Activision), and several other music compilations and surf/skate videos. On the marketing side, the Dirty Heads have also been included in campaigns for Etnies Jeans, Vestal Watches, Hurley, Skullcandy and more.
Dirty Heads vocalist Jared Watson sums up their fun, uncomplicated style, “We want to be positive and entertain,” he says. “We just want to make you feel good.”
Visit the band at: www.dirtyheads.com and www.myspace.com/dirtyheads
Stand Tall
Dirty Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She can't stand me but I miss her face
I feel like drowning but the tides too low
And now I'm waiting for the undertow
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
I see the wall we can break down together,
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
I see the wall we can break down together,
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
(We can break it down, yes we can break it)
Well I can only take so much,
Depression ain't gonna pressure us,
Oh, they came to watch us fall,
Oh yes, they came to watch us fall,
We will rise up against them all
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
I see the wall we can break down together,
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
(We can break it down, yes we can break it)
Pardon me if I'm too loud
Sing my song gonna sing it proud
No ones gonna bring me down
Gonna stand up strong gonna hold my ground
Tell me what are we fighting for
Change to do we done before
Tell me what are we fighting for (yeah yeah yeah)
Pardon me if I'm too loud
Sing my song gonna sing it proud
No ones gonna bring me down
Gonna stand up strong gonna hold my ground
Tell me what are we fighting for
Change to do we done before
Tell me what are we fighting for (yeah yeah yeah)
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
I see the wall we can break down together,
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
(We can break it down, yes we can break it)
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
I see the wall we can break down together,
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
(We can break it down, yes we can break it)
The lyrics to Dirty Heads' song Stand Tall speaks to the struggles of dealing with personal issues while trying to hold onto hope for a better future. The first verse shows the singer's desire to escape from the current situation as things don't seem to be improving. However, he knows that he needs to stand tall and face the challenges as it eventually gets better with time. The line "I feel like drowning but the tide's too low / And now I'm waiting for the undertow" symbolizes feeling stuck and helpless but quickly realizes that waiting for things to change on their own won't cause a change.
In the second verse, the lyrics illustrate how they refuse to let depression take over and let others see them fail. They stand strong and rise above, knowing that if they work together with others, they can break down the walls in front of them. The final verse ties everything together by showing the determination to stand strong, hold their ground, and fight for a better world. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the belief that one can stand tall through struggles with the help of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Say what you say I just sail away,
I'm not going to engage with negativity or drama; I'll just remove myself from the situation.
She can't stand me but I miss her face
Even though there's conflict between us, I still have love for the other person and miss them.
I feel like drowning but the tides too low
I feel overwhelmed and helpless, but I know things could be worse and I'll keep my head above water.
And now I'm waiting for the undertow
I'm afraid that the situation will get even worse and I'll be pulled under by the undertow.
Well I can only take so much,
I have a breaking point and can only handle so much stress or pressure before I begin to crack.
Depression ain't gonna pressure us,
I won't succumb to depression or let it control my life.
Oh, they came to watch us fall,
Others may want to see us fail, but we won't give them the satisfaction.
We will rise up against them all
We won't let others bring us down, and we'll fight back against anyone who tries.
Pardon me if I'm too loud
I'm not going to apologize for being proud and standing up for myself.
Sing my song gonna sing it proud
I'll have confidence in my abilities and share my voice with the world.
No ones gonna bring me down
I won't let others negatively affect my mood or bring me down emotionally.
Gonna stand up strong gonna hold my ground
I'm going to stand firm in my beliefs and not back down when faced with adversity.
Tell me what are we fighting for
I want to know what our purpose is and why we're dealing with these struggles.
Change to do we done before
We need to make a change and take action in order to move forward and overcome these obstacles.
So I, stand tall it gets a little better,
If I remain strong and keep my head up, things will start to improve.
I see the wall we can break down together,
There's a barrier in our way, but if we work together, we can overcome it.
Stand strong, it's gets a little better now,
If we remain resilient and persevere, the situation will start to improve.
(We can break it down, yes we can break it)
We have the power to overcome any obstacle and break down any barrier in our way, as long as we stand strong and face the challenge head-on.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: STAN FRAZIER, STEVE FOX, JARED WATSON, DUSTIN BUSHNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@moztachorocks
so many years have passed, so many things happened, and this song still makes me feel so good after all this time
@asneakyproduction7144
Same
@kelseyteubel381
This song is currently getting me through some tough times. It has before and it still continues to do so. I LOVE YOU, DIRTY HEADS!
@hankhill2940
Same here, I lost my dad five months ago and this was our shit
@NATIVE617
Same here man, my 1 y/o daughter just died two weeks ago. She died from SIDS. 😢
@NATIVE617
It's crazy how bad shit happens to good people.... my wife left me after that..... not cause we didnt love each other. But because we can't look at each other anymore without thinking about my baby.
@mariesha7692
I’m sorry you guys are going through it but know when I first heard this song was through my husband and he was having a hard time THEN but NOW he is doing wonderful I promise it gets easier.❤
@danwalker6162
This band has gotten me through many hard times and helped me to focus on being positive. Fav band of all time!!! And I'm a metalhead!
@rondomkat4006
ha! same
@tundraillustration
Same here! :)