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).
Virginia May
Gregory Alan Isakov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set my clock for californ-I-ey-aye
And I dreamed up somethin' special to give that ocean
Man, she cuffs me anyway
So i'm banking on virginia
To keep me clear and calm and straight
Just like clock work seems to tell us
So light my way, virginia may
I can't sit still, just pace across this hallway
We spent all this time
Just trading crimes
While the tune-smith packed a lunch
He's headed down the coastline
There's a loneliness that's blowin'
Well I heard it from the radio man
He's been locked up in the belfry
Listening close, to a string upon a can
Me, i'm sailin' on to that savior
She's a pilgrim living on the modern time
And ever since I found her magic
Now every car or cloud that passes is a sign
Light my way, virginia may
I can't sit still just pace across this hallway
We spent all this time
Just trading crimes
And i'm saving all my sleep for another life
I'm saving all my sleep for another life
Gregory Alan Isakov’s song Virginia May is an emotional journey of finding solace in a person and a place. The singer confesses to sleeping amidst the Rockies but dreaming of California. He acknowledges that despite his dreams, the ocean remains unforgiving. Therefore, the singer instead banks on Virginia to keep him clear, calm, and straight. Although storms come with harder hail, Virginia provides a safe passage.
The song embodies a lot of metaphor, the loneliness that the singer feels reflects his isolation and relationship with Virginia. The singer then moves on to talk about a tune-smith who is headed down the coastline, and they spent all their time trading crimes. This could suggest that everyone in the singer’s life is moving forward, leaving him behind. The loneliness mentioned earlier is emphasized by a radio man who has been listening to a string upon a can in the belfry. The final imagery of the song is the singer setting sail to find his savior, a pilgrim living in modern times that offers him magic. Every car or cloud that passes is a sign for him, and it's evident that Virginia May has a big role in that magic.
In conclusion, Virginia May can be seen as the place or person that offers comfort and reassurance amidst a stormy life. It embodies the struggle of leaving behind dreams and facing difficulties head-on while looking for something to keep them straight.
Line by Line Meaning
Slept high up in the rockies
I slept high up in the Rocky Mountains
Set my clock for californ-I-ey-aye
I set my clock for California
And I dreamed up somethin' special to give that ocean
I had a special dream about giving something to the ocean
Man, she cuffs me anyway
But the ocean still causes me trouble
So i'm banking on virginia
So I'm depending on Virginia
To keep me clear and calm and straight
To keep me balanced and focused
Just like clock work seems to tell us
Just like clockwork, it seems to be a reliable pattern
With every passing storm there's just a harder hail
But with every challenge, there is an even greater obstacle to overcome
So light my way, virginia may
Please guide me, Virginia
I can't sit still, just pace across this hallway
I'm restless and can't sit still
We spent all this time
We've spent a lot of time
Just trading crimes
Just exchanging wrongs
While the tune-smith packed a lunch
While the songwriter prepared food
He's headed down the coastline
He's traveling along the coast
There's a loneliness that's blowin'
There's a sense of loneliness in the air
Well I heard it from the radio man
I heard it from the radio DJ
He's been locked up in the belfry
He's been trapped in the bell tower
Listening close, to a string upon a can
Listening closely to a primitive method of communicating
Me, i'm sailin' on to that savior
I'm heading towards my savior
She's a pilgrim living on the modern time
She's a modern-day pilgrim
And ever since I found her magic
And since I discovered her magic
Now every car or cloud that passes is a sign
Now, every car or cloud that passes is a symbol to me
And i'm saving all my sleep for another life
And I'm saving my sleep for another life
I'm saving all my sleep for another life
I'm keeping my sleep for a future time
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.