The band’s first full-length album, Soft Targets, was recorded in Los Angeles and Brooklyn in 2005. However, they were loathe to release the album without a permanent drummer—tellingly, a constant snag since EG’s inception. Taking a leap of faith, Matt and Kamara vowed to play a gig every week until their dream drummer found them. One fateful evening, a gig at Brooklyn’s Southpaw brought them a friend in guitar player Kirk Douglass (of The Roots). Douglass became a fan and brought his friend and Gold Crowns bandmate Ricc Sheridan to gigs for the next few weeks. Ricc says, “I awoke from a dream one night, and knew that this was my band.” A rockneck-inducing jam confirmed that the band had found its holiest trinity. They hit the ground running with Big Ricc Sheridan on drums, and the world has been rocking their faces ever since!
Released in October 2006, Soft Targets earned loads of fans and critical acclaim from publications including The New Yorker, SPIN, Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan and Pitchfork. Even more so, the band’s live show quickly drew heaps of attention and gained a steady reputation among critics and fans alike as a veritable rock-n-roll wrecking ball. Earl Greyhound toured relentlessly for the next two years all over the US, Canada and Japan, and autumn 2007 was spent playing theatres as openers for the band’s good friend Shooter Jennings as well as Soundgarden and Audioslave’s Chris Cornell.
Black Sea Vacation
Earl Greyhound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm no too sore but I'm stuck with a mild irritation
I can't afford to miss you once I've set things straight
I'm going to take all the time I need to get out the sensation
When you're not around to mess up my decisions Grace
I'm going to blow all I got on a Black Sea vacation
I got to get back together
I confess it's my cross to bear
And Grace she says:
"I'm on your side when your running's over, take it slower"
Yeah Bob he and his brother don't see much the same
But he just looks as it just as if it's a shit situation
And Anthony's a Texan with a simple fate
But he got caught up in a plan to make a wild elaboration
He's got no cause or reason to get complicated
He took the freakout path and head out on a Black Sea vacation
The lobsters in Virginia got a bitter taste
They been in salt and vineger since as long as I can remember
The trout in western Maine got no New England trace
They been out lost in hot pursuit of Canada naturalization
And where the waters meet there's no division grate
There's only undertow and the current flows to a Black Sea destination
In the song "Black Sea Vacation" by Earl Greyhound, the lyrics explore a sense of needing to escape and get away in order to move on from a difficult situation. The opening lines "There's nothing left to do here but retaliate / I'm not too sore but I'm stuck with mild irritation" set the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction. The singer confesses that they "can't afford to miss" the person they are addressing in the song but knows they need to move on and take the time to get over the feelings they have. The imagery of a "Black Sea vacation" is a metaphor for this escape, and the idea of blowing all they've got on this trip shows just how important it is to them.
The song continues with references to different people and places that also seem to be stuck in difficult situations. The line "And Anthony's a Texan with a simple fate / But he got caught up in a plan to make a wild elaboration" suggests that sometimes people's desire for something more can lead them astray. The image of the lobsters in Virginia and the trout in western Maine further reinforce this theme of being trapped, as they are unable to fully realize their potential due to circumstances beyond their control. The closing lines "And where the waters meet there's no division gate / There's only undertow and the current flows to a Black Sea destination" bring everything full circle, emphasizing the need to let go and move on in order to reach a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing left to do here but retaliate
I have exhausted all options but to fight back against this situation
I'm no too sore but I'm stuck with a mild irritation
I'm not incredibly hurt, but I'm bothered by this issue
I can't afford to miss you once I've set things straight
After resolving this, I cannot allow myself to miss you
I'm going to take all the time I need to get out the sensation
I will take as long as necessary to rid myself of this feeling
When you're not around to mess up my decisions Grace
Without you influencing my choices, Grace,
I'm going to blow all I got on a Black Sea vacation
I will spend all of my money on a relaxing vacation to the Black Sea
I got to get back together
I need to reconcile with someone
Step back to let her connect it
I need to give her space to repair the relationship
I confess it's my cross to bear
I admit that I am responsible for this problem
And Grace she says: "I'm on your side when your running's over, take it slower"
Grace urges me to slow down once the stressful situation has passed
Yeah Bob he and his brother don't see much the same
Bob has a different perspective than his brother
But he just looks as it just as if it's a shit situation
Bob thinks the situation is terrible
And Anthony's a Texan with a simple fate
Anthony has a straightforward life as a Texan
But he got caught up in a plan to make a wild elaboration
Anthony became involved in an overly complicated scheme
He's got no cause or reason to get complicated
There is no logical explanation for Anthony's actions
He took the freakout path and head out on a Black Sea vacation
He chose to escape from his problems and go on vacation to the Black Sea
The lobsters in Virginia got a bitter taste
The lobsters from Virginia taste bad due to their preparation
They been in salt and vineger since as long as I can remember
They have been soaked in vinegar and salt for as long as anyone can recall
The trout in western Maine got no New England trace
The trout in this area don't have the typical New England flavor
They been out lost in hot pursuit of Canada naturalization
It seems that the trout have been trying to adapt to Canadian waters
And where the waters meet there's no division grate
At the meeting point of the waters, there is no physical barrier
There's only undertow and the current flows to a Black Sea destination
There is only an undertow leading to the destination of the Black Sea
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mypethuman
this song is a taco