Isakov has been described by Boulder Weekly, "Strong, subtle, a lyrical genius" and has been compared to his influences; Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Joe Phelps, Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch. Isakov's humble presence and his overwhelming voice and guitar style has been treasured by an ever-growing and captivated fan base.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Isakov immigrated to the States with his family and grew up in the Philadelphia area. He started touring at the age of 16 with his first band. In 1999 he sought out his solo acoustic roots and moved to Colorado where he now resides.
Isakov has been taking on the folk music scene with his 2003 release "Rust Colored Stones" LP and his 2005 release "Songs For October". Isakov's song-craft lends to the deepest lyrical masterpieces, and his live performance has been known to quiet and shake the biggest rooms.
Isakov has shared the stage with numerous touring artists such as Rodrigo y Gabriela, Alexi Murdoch, and Fiona Apple. He has performed throughout the United States, playing numerous music festivals such as Falcon Ridge Folk Fest, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and Southpark Music Festival. Isakov has toured solo and with his band "The Freight".
In 2007, Gregory was named "Best Male Singer-Songwriter" by Westword Magazine.
Subsequent albums have included That Sea, The Gambler (2007), This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009), The Weatherman (2013), Evening Machines (2018).
O' City Lights
Gregory Alan Isakov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet morphine
Sweet morphine
Curls a smile when the sadness hits
Finds my face with fingertips
Have you seen her
She's curling up like smoke
Oh city lights fly at this speed
Oh heaven knows
It ain't me behind the wheel
This time
Through the hills, you can hear them sing
Ah Maria, ah Maria
The lyrics of "O' City Lights" by Gregory Alan Isakov speaks about a certain Maria who is under the influence of morphine. The lines "Maria's stoned like a porcelain saint, Sweet morphine, Sweet morphine" clearly illustrates her state. Despite her condition, she is still able to curl a smile when faced with sadness and finds a way to touch the singer's face. The mentioning of her as the "daughter of the hum of the highway" can be interpreted as her being a product of the environment she's in or the lifestyle that she is leading. She is constantly "curling up like smoke" - a comparison to her constant need to escape.
The song also mentions the city lights and how the singer is not the one behind the wheel. The lines "Oh city lights fly at this speed, Oh heaven knows, It ain't me behind the wheel, This time" suggests a state of surrender and giving in to fate's hands. Amidst all the chaos of the city, the singer still hears the singing of Maria's name through the hills. The repeated lines "Ah Maria, ah Maria" could indicate the singer's concern or longing for Maria amidst all the darkness that surrounds them.
Line by Line Meaning
Maria's stoned like a porcelain saint
Maria is high on opiates, feeling good but also like a religious figure that is typically portrayed as pure and untouched by sin
Sweet morphine
referencing the drug that Maria is taking to feel good and forget her problems
Curls a smile when the sadness hits
even when Maria is feeling sad, she still tries to put on a happy face and pretend like everything is alright
Finds my face with fingertips
she reaches out to touch the artist's face to comfort them, even though they're the one trying to comfort her
Have you seen her
the artist is asking if anyone has seen Maria and implying that she's hard to find or even lost
The daughter of the hum of the highway
Maria is like a child of the sound of traffic, implying that she's from a place where city life is constant and inescapable
She's curling up like smoke
Maria is fading away like smoke, becoming less tangible and increasingly lost as time goes on
Oh city lights fly at this speed
the bright lights of the city seem to be rushing past the artist and Maria quickly
Oh heaven knows
an expression used to admit when one is uncertain or to express disappointment
It ain't me behind the wheel
the artist is not in control of the situation or of their own life; they're just along for the ride
This time
implies that maybe they were in control before, but now they're not and things have changed
Through the hills, you can hear them sing
in the distance, you can hear people singing, maybe happy or sad, but still connected to the earth and the natural world
Ah Maria, ah Maria
repeating Maria's name, perhaps as a call for her to come back or as a lament for what's been lost
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Modelle
on Time Will Tell
A Kansas wheat farmer wonders and worries about the price he will get for his bushels as they pour into some commercial silo.