The end of 2008 saw Grieves enlisting the help of friend and collaborator Budo to co-produce Together/Apart bringing his signature swiss-army knife, multi-instrumental backdrop to Grieves' hauntingly poignant narrative. The album began taking shape in New York as the two built off the success 88 Keys and Counting had generated and paired it with the intensity they developed from their live performances. The recording process began to shadow the theme of the album as it saw tracks recorded in Colorado and Washington in addition to New York, infusing it with a mixture of regional influences while still maintaining a cohesive sound. As the album neared completion the title took on a double meaning for Grieves as he explored new subject matter in the absence of trust, refuge in addiction, acceptance and honesty in self-reflection, and trying to find his place in the world without forgetting his roots.
On The Rocks
Grieves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don’t spend my money on the last girl honey
'Cause she hates my guts.
I paid my rent late, so my landlord's angry
And all this shit keeps piling up and trying to hang me.
I Give my love in on the run, on the run, on the run
So don’t you try to slow me down and walk around yeah
Sick of trying to strum along with your love song
All of this will hold you
Down on to the ground until your crawling on the gravel like a regular guy.
All, all of this will hold you down on to the ground
Until your drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye.
I ain’t got no savior, I ain’t got no time,
I know I'm stuck with a problem that will come through and swallow up my last dime.
All I wanted was some peace and quiet, to take me out of here
Before I start a riot.
Lost my reason, I done lost my way
I done sat here for hours and heard all the songs in the jukebox plays
So keep your sunny days away from here
And I'll pour the liquor down and smile while I say.
Life’s been on the rocks I’ve taken
My last shot at holding on to
Life’s been on the rock’s I’ve taken
My last shot at holding on to
All of this will hold you
Down on to the ground until your crawling on the gravel like a regular guy.
All, all of this will hold you down on to the ground
Until your drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye.
In Grieves's song On The Rocks, he explains his struggles with finances, love, and life in general. He starts the song by admitting that he is not a scholar nor a writer of books, and that he is not interested in spending his money on someone who hates him. He then goes on to talk about how he struggles to pay his rent on time, and how everything just seems to be piling up and trying to hang him. Despite all this, he still gives his love on the run, and refuses to let anyone slow him down.
The next verse sees Grieves admitting that he feels like he is stuck with his problems, and that he has lost his way. He confesses to sitting in a bar for hours and listening to jukebox songs. He then goes on to say that he will pour another drink on the rocks, despite realizing that life has been on the rocks for him. He then repeats the chorus, saying that everything will hold you down until you are drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye.
The song is a poignant reminder of how life can be tough, and how we all have our struggles that we deal with in our own way. The lyrics, while simple, are impactful and relatable to anyone who has ever felt like they were drowning in their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain’t no scholar, I don’t write no books
I am not an intellectual and do not spend time exploring theories that others have already researched.
I don’t spend my money on the last girl honey 'cause she hates my guts.
I don't waste my resources on someone who has animosity towards me.
I paid my rent late, so my landlord's angry and all this shit keeps piling up and trying to hang me.
I am experiencing financial stresses and keeping up with my responsibilities is proving to be overwhelming.
I Give my love in on the run, on the run, on the run. So don’t you try to slow me down and walk around yeah. Sick of trying to strum along with your love song. So leave me leave me here to pour another drink on the rocks
I am not interested in a committed relationship and will not waste my time with someone who is. I am tired of pretending to care about love and would rather be alone with my drink.
All of this will hold you down on to the ground until your crawling on the gravel like a regular guy. All, all of this will hold you down on to the ground until your drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye.
The stresses of life can be overwhelming and lead to a desperate state where one feels constant pressure and turns to alcohol to cope.
I ain’t got no savior, I ain’t got no time, I know I'm stuck with a problem that will come through and swallow up my last dime.
I do not have anyone to rely on to help me and I am running out of resources to solve my problems.
All I wanted was some peace and quiet, to take me out of here. Before I start a riot.
I am in need of a break from the stress and chaos of my life and fear that if I do not take one soon, I may lose control.
Lost my reason, I done lost my way. I done sat here for hours and heard all the songs in the jukebox plays
I am feeling lost and aimless, having spent too much time sitting idly and distracting myself with trivial things.
So keep your sunny days away from here. And I'll pour the liquor down and smile while I say.
I am not interested in your positivity, as it does not reflect my current state of mind. I will continue to drink and pretend that everything is okay.
Life’s been on the rocks I’ve taken. My last shot at holding on to. Life’s been on the rock’s I’ve taken. My last shot at holding on to.
My life has been a struggle and I am holding on as best I can, but I fear that my resources are running out and I may not be able to continue for much longer.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARCUS PLEASURE COOPER, STEPHEN GARRETT, COREY MATHIS, LIONEL RICHIE, JAMES SCHEFFER, DIAMOND BABY BLUE SMITH, JOSEPH SMITH, SPECTACULAR BLUE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuperCrackhead23
Lyrics:
I ain’t no scholar, I don’t write no books
I done spent my money on my last girl honey and she hates my guts
I paid my rent late, so my landlord's angry
And all this shit keeps piling up and tryin' to hang me
I get my lovin' on the run (on the run)
So don’t you try to slow me down and walk around it
Sick of tryin' to strum along, wit yo' love song
So leave me here to pour another drink on the rocks
[Hook: Grieves]
Oh, all of this will hold you, down onto the ground
Until you're crawling on the gravel like a regular guy
Oh, all of this will hold you, down onto the ground
Until you're drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye
[Verse 2: Grieves]
I ain’t got no savior, I ain’t got no time
I know I'm stuck with a problem that'll come through and swallow up my last dime
All I wanted was some peace and quiet
To take me out of here before I start a riot
Lost my reason; I done lost my way
I done sat here for hours and heard all the songs that the jukebox plays
So keep your sunny days away from here and I'll
Pour the liquor down
And smile while I say
Life’s been on the rocks I’ve taken
My last shot at holding on to
Life’s been on the rocks I’ve taken
My last shot at holding on to
(All of, all of, all of)
[Hook]
Oh, all of this will hold you, down onto the ground
Until you're crawling on the gravel like a regular guy
Oh, all of this will hold you, down onto the ground
Until you're drowning in your sorrows with a bottle of rye
@vzidonis
2023, found this gem from my teen days haha, still a good listen!
@awkwardbryan
Anyone still listen to this song in 2021? 🔥 This song never gets old!
@deej3445
Yeap!!!!!
@Jozix
yep
@SQ2Renegade
Yup
@AmberHarrison13
Mmmmmm yeasss
@johnmn3500
My favorite song by him
@tylatta852
why do I love almost every artist that rhymesayers produces.
@tatertott2390
Ty Latta ...me too dear, me too
@christapherpotter4221
Ty Latta bro cuz it’s real