At age 16, Doyle Bramhall II toured with Jimmie Vaughan's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, as second guitarist. In 1992 Doyle formed Arc Angels with Charlie Sexton and Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton (also known as Double Trouble). Doyle became Eric Clapton's second guitarist in 2004 after Andy Fairweather-Low backed out of the tour. He left Clapton's band in 2009 to reform Arc Angels.
"Doyle Bramhall II was raised in a home filled with the blues and rock and roll sounds that are indigenous to his birthplace - Austin, Texas. His father, Doyle Bramhall Senior, was the drummer for blues legend Lightning Hopkins and a regular collaborator with Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
When Doyle was 16 years old, he toured as second guitarist with Jimmy Vaughan's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Shortly thereafter he and fellow Texan, Charlie Sexton, co-founded the rock band Arc Angels. Doyle and Charlie enlisted the rhythm section from Stevie Ray Vaughan's backing band, Double Trouble, to complete the lineup. The group enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success.
Following the release of "Jellycream," Doyle's 1999 RCA debut recording, he received phone calls from both Roger Waters and Eric Clapton. Doyle ended up joining Roger Waters for a summer tour while Clapton, along with fellow blues great B.B. King, chose two of Doyle's songs - "Marry You" and "I Wanna Be" - for their collaborative recording entitled "Riding With The King." Upon completion of the "Riding..." project, Doyle, his wife - Susannah Melvoin, and Clapton co-wrote and performed "Superman Inside" for Clapton's album, "Reptile." Doyle's playing is also heavily featured on the album.
The latest offering from Doyle Bramhall II, entitled - "Welcome" - is the purest sampling of Doyle's talents to date. Doyle entered the studio with Smokestack, the band he put together a couple of years ago, and co-producers Benmont Tench and Jim Scott to record the 12 - song set. Joining Doyle in Smokestack is J.J. Johnson on drums and bassist Chris Bruce. Susannah Melvoin contributed background vocals, Benmont Tench pulled keyboard duty and Craig Ross played second guitar.
The album, "Welcome" showcases the diversity of Bramhall's talent; from his songwriting to his intense, soulful vocals and virtuoso guitar playing. Doyle's gravity explosion can be readily heard on such tracks as the driving "Green Light Girl" and the uptempo "Soul Shaker." His dedication to the blues can be felt on tracks like "Life," "So You Want It To Rain" and "Send Some Love."
Doyle and his band are set to open for Eric Clapton on the first leg of a worldwide tour this year".
Official Site
I'm Leavin'
Doyle Bramhall II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'cause I paid and paid
a price too high
for me to stay
It was clear to me
pride won't set you free
this home ain't what it's supposed to be
ol' man told me
you ain't nothing without me
you wait-n-see
now I'm leavin'
and mama's cryin'
please don't go
I got no lock and chain
the devil I knew
had me tied and true
my cross to bear
that i broke through
say believers
ain't believin'
and wishers
ain't wishin' for more
chorus
I got no lock and chain
ol' man told me
you got wishes
and if wishes were horses
we'd all ride
The lyrics of "I'm Leavin'" by Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack express a sense of wanting to break free from the chains of the past and move forward. The singer feels like turning away and leaving because they have paid too high a price to stay. They realize that pride won't set them free and that the home they are in is not what it's supposed to be. The old man in the song told the singer that they are nothing without him, but the singer breaks free from that mentality and decides to leave, even though their mother is crying and asking them not to go.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of breaking free from the devil that had the singer tied and true. The cross they had to bear is something they broke through, and they understand that believers can't always believe, and wishers can't always wish for more. The chorus repeats and emphasizes the idea that the singer has no lock and chain, which can be interpreted as the idea that they are free to leave and break free from their past altogether.
Overall, the song expresses a need for change and growth, even if it means leaving behind people and places that are familiar. The singer realizes that they are better off making their own path and breaking free from the limitations others have placed on them, even if it's painful.
Line by Line Meaning
Felt like turning away
I felt like giving up
'cause I paid and paid
I gave a lot and got nothing in return
a price too high
It was too much for me to handle
for me to stay
I couldn't stay here any longer
It was clear to me
I knew for sure
pride won't set you free
Being too proud can hold you back
this home ain't what it's supposed to be
This place isn't what I thought it would be
ol' man told me
My father advised me
you ain't nothing without me
You are nothing without my support
you wait-n-see
Just watch and wait
now I'm leavin'
I am leaving now
and mama's cryin'
My mother is crying
please don't go
Please don't leave
I got no lock and chain
I am not tied down
the devil I knew
The situation I was in
had me tied and true
Had me stuck and committed
my cross to bear
My burden to carry
that i broke through
That I finally overcame
say believers
People who believe
ain't believin'
Don't really believe in anything
and wishers
People who wish for things
ain't wishin' for more
Aren't wishing for more than what they have
chorus
Refrain
ol' man told me
My father advised me
you got wishes
You have things you desire
and if wishes were horses
If we could just wish for something and it would come true
we'd all ride
We would all be happy and fulfilled
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Barbara Vance-Meagher
Love this song
Eric Ponce De Leon
OMG... this is just an amazing song among so many cool tunes he has... I just got done mapping out/chord charting this song out and lemme tell you it was a tough one... at least for me... you can't watch him because not only is he a lefty but it's still all backwards due to the fact that his guitar strings are strung upside down for a righty... so it makes no sense to try to watch the live version to figure it out lol... it was worth the trouble to get it down... funny part is, after searching for some type of lesson or tutorial I finally found one cover of this version by some guy... I guess I'll use this as a reference to make sure mine is good lol.
SolidBubba
He has a new album coming out, "Rich Man" scheduled for release on September 30, 2016.
Gregg Galdo
Dude....my drummer wants to do this tune....I will analyze this as well....yes chord voicing the way he structures them...etc...great musician!
Larry Carter
Doyle is the real deal!!!
Mike Pasichnuk
Doyle is the epitome of everything that is wrong with the music industry these days.
Eric Ponce De Leon
Yeah I saw the news if the new album mention recently... very cool and yes he is the real deal
Mike Pasichnuk
Completely agree with the "description" SolidBubba. You nailed it with that.
Sam Liberabit
I found this year ago and...oh yeah!
SolidBubba
He's out on tour now, supporting his new album!