Carll has toured relentlessly in North America and abroad (performing over two hundred shows a year), founded a successful singer-songwriter music festival on the Gulf Coast of Texas, secured a record deal with Lost Highway Records, and has even seen his album Little Rock become the first self-released album to reach #1 on the Americana Music Chart.
"When I started, I moved down to this place called Crystal Beach, Texas where you need to take a ferry from Galveston across the bay to get to this little peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico," recalls Carll, who grew up just outside Houston. "It's this isolated coastal community with a wild assortment of people either hiding out, hanging on or getting lost-- a lot of drugs and drinking, a fair amount of violence, but at the same time a lot of really interesting people with great stories to tell. Folks in the bars there weren't necessarily interested in what I had to say as a songwriter-- they wanted to hear David Allan Coe and Merle Haggard, and other stuff they knew. So that's what I did six nights a week for four years. I haven't run into tougher crowds since. It was an initiation into becoming a performer."
Those experiences not only gave Carll a thick skin, they gave him plenty of material to spin into songs like the low-slung, finger-picked blues "I Got a Gig" -- populated by characters like the "barefoot shrimper with a pistol up his sleeve" -- and the tear-in-your-beer waltz "Beaumont," in which a suitor bearing a single white rose makes a fruitless trip to try to win over a lady love. Carll says of the latter tune. "I like to try to tackle a heavy topic but do it with a light touch. The more personal, weightier stuff doesn't come as easy, even though that's what I like to think about the most."
Carll has developed that touch over a long stretch that began when he was still in his teens, a stretch he spent writing poems, short stories and songs by the notebook-full. He eventually discovered that the last of those three flowed from him most easily, and while he dutifully headed off to college, he spent more time strumming and singing. To hear him tell it, "I sort of sabotaged my career options to the point where, by the time I was out of school, I was pretty much unemployable and had no choice but to be a musician."
After moving to the Gulf Coast, Carll honed his craft in the area bars and beer-joints as well as more serious folk clubs like the venerable Old Quarter in Galveston, where he opened for a wide array of respected songwriters such as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Willis Alan Ramsay and many others. By 2002, he was ready to unleash his recorded indie debut, Flowers and Liquor, which, while not widely distributed, garnered plenty of critical praise, including American Songwriter's claim that the disc "suggests the young Texan might be the next great songwriter from a state full of maestros."
He lived up to that praise on his next outing, Little Rock, an offering on which Carll showed off his stylistic breadth by steering his band from searing rock to jazz-tinged balladry -- a scope that earned praise both at home and across the pond, where the Irish Times raved "This is the first mighty country record of the year, a bruised, bedraggled affair full of jagged memories and wry observations."
On his 2008 album Trouble In Mind, there's a much sharper focus to the material, thanks in part, to more time in the studio and some great players sure to be familiar to roots-rock aficionados, including, Dan Baird, Darrell Scott, Will Kimbrough and former Flying Burrito Brother Al Perkins.
“My first record I did in five days, and my second one we did in twelve," Carll explains. "This time around I had a solid month, so it was really a luxury. It was amazing to get all these talented people in the room and have them listen to me describe my vision and then go out and try to realize that and capture it on tape. My strength isn't that I have the world's most amazing voice or that I'm this incredible player -- hopefully it's that there's some aspect of my personality and my lyrics that people can relate to."
Carll’s personality, emotional but never too sentimental, mischievous, funny, world-weary and sardonic, imbues every track of Trouble in Mind. He’s never afraid to be vulnerable and direct, as on one of the standout tracks, “Willing to Love Again” - “I feel too much, I protect too much, most times I probably expect too much. I spend my life on this broken crutch, and you believe I can fly.”
Carll's 2011 album KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) was The album includes "Another Like You," a duet with Cary Ann Hearst The L.A. Times described the album as "Carll is every bit as expressive a singer as he is a writer, drawling his trenchant observations with deceptive ease."
Carll’s live performances continue to win over fans everywhere. His clever, irreverent lyrics and sharp observations combined with his warm Texas drawl make his stories and anecdotes as compelling and entertaining as his songs. There’s that sweet taste of honey followed with the sharp sting of a wisecrack. Never is that tongue-in-cheek humor more obvious than on the red neck rant “She Left Me For Jesus”, where a clueless lover is upset and suspicious over the changes in his girlfriend. “Now she’s acting funny and I don’t understand. I think that she’s found her some other man. She’s left me for Jesus, and that just ain’t fair. She says that he’s perfect, how can I compare?” “You know I’m always a little nervous when I sing that song. Like Ray Wiley Hubbard says, the problem with irony is that people don’t always get it.”
I Got A Gig
Hayes Carll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somethin' makes 'em crazy growin' up on the water
Playin' for my supper six nights a week
Hurricanes, Easter and New Year's Eve
Four tin walls now there ain't much left
Lookin' like a homeless Cheers on meth
Homer's in the corner, breakin' up a fight
Good Lord, I hope I get paid tonight
Burnt fried chicken and Lone Star beer
Cops and the kids drink free 'round here
Girl, behind the bar is takin' what she's givin'
Lyin' about her past and tryin' to make a livin'
Broke pool table and hard luck cues
Go tell your mama, I done paid my dues
Every one around here knows my name
Six nights a week in the neon flame
I got a gig, baby, I got a gig
There's an old lion tamer parked behind the bar
Hundred pounds of weed in a stolen car
Oil patch boys and girls who went to college
Rules you don't break and laws that ain't acknowledged
Barefoot shrimper with a pistol up his sleeve
Some will go to Heaven, some will never leave
Pills in the tip jar, blood on the strings
Oh Lord, I never thought I'd see these things
I gotta gig, baby, I got a gig
Eight line machine and a sailor's daughter
Somethin' makes 'em crazy growin' up on the water
I'm playin' for my supper six nights a week
Hurricanes, Easter and New Year's Eve
I got a gig, baby, I got a gig
I got a gig, baby, I got a gig
I got a gig
The first verse of "I Got A Gig" by Hayes Carll highlights the singer's background: coming from a family of fishermen, growing up on the water, and making a living through music. The gritty details of the second verse paint a picture of the seedy establishment where he performs: burnt fried chicken, free drinks for cops and kids, and a bartender lying about her past. The third verse introduces a cast of characters, including an old lion tamer with a stash of weed, oil patch workers, and a shrimper with a hidden gun. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's reliance on his gig for survival.
"I Got A Gig" is a commentary on the challenges of the gig economy, where workers often rely on multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet. The singer's work as a musician is depicted as difficult and draining, but also necessary for survival. The song also suggests the links between the music industry and more underground economies, such as drug trafficking and illegal employment. Through its evocative imagery and vivid portrayal of a subculture, "I Got A Gig" reflects on the complex intersections of work, art, and society.
Line by Line Meaning
Eight line machine and a sailor's daughter
Refers to the singer's guitar and a woman who grew up on a boat, who both have an unpredictable nature.
Somethin' makes 'em crazy growin' up on the water
Growing up on the water has a unique effect on people, causing eccentric behavior and unpredictability.
Playin' for my supper six nights a week
The singer relies on playing music as his primary source of income and performs almost every night.
Hurricanes, Easter and New Year's Eve
The performer plays through extreme weather events and holidays to make a living.
Four tin walls now there ain't much left
The venue has deteriorated over time and feels claustrophobic.
Lookin' like a homeless Cheers on meth
The venue has a similar atmosphere to the television show Cheers, but with a grittier and more unstable environment.
Homer's in the corner, breakin' up a fight
A reference to a bar patron who resembles the character Homer Simpson in personality, desperately trying to restore order to chaos.
Good Lord, I hope I get paid tonight
The performer is uncertain if he will receive payment for his performance, which is essential for his livelihood.
I got a gig, baby
Despite the unstable environment, the artist is grateful to have a performance opportunity and make a living through music.
Burnt fried chicken and Lone Star beer
The only food and drink options available at the venue are subpar and low quality.
Cops and the kids drink free 'round here
The bar is so disreputable that even law enforcement officers and minors are permitted to drink for free.
Girl, behind the bar is takin' what she's givin'
The female bartender is flirting with patrons to earn better tips or even engage in paid sexual activity.
Lyin' about her past and tryin' to make a livin'
The bartender is concealing her true identity, likely to distance herself from her current situation or to protect herself from potential danger.
Broke pool table and hard luck cues
The equipment provided for entertainment is in poor condition, reflecting the overall atmosphere of the venue.
Go tell your mama, I done paid my dues
The performer has worked hard and overcome many obstacles to get to this point in his career.
Every one around here knows my name
The performer is a regular fixture at the venue and has developed a reputation among the locals.
Six nights a week in the neon flame
The performer spends most of his week playing music in a colorful and bright atmosphere, surrounded by people from all walks of life.
I got a gig, baby, I got a gig
The singer again emphasizes his gratitude for his performance opportunity.
There's an old lion tamer parked behind the bar
A quirky character with an unpredictable past is lurking behind the scenes.
Hundred pounds of weed in a stolen car
Illicit activities are commonly taking place around the venue.
Oil patch boys and girls who went to college
The crowd is a diverse mix of people from various backgrounds who have ended up in this unlikely setting.
Rules you don't break and laws that ain't acknowledged
The venue operates under its own set of unofficial rules and regulations that are not governed by the law.
Barefoot shrimper with a pistol up his sleeve
Another eccentric character, this one armed and dangerous, seems to have found his way to the venue.
Some will go to Heaven, some will never leave
The artist touches on the theme of mortality, acknowledging that some patrons will meet untimely ends, while others will persevere and find salvation.
Pills in the tip jar, blood on the strings
The atmosphere is so chaotic that even the singer's source of income and prized possession, his guitar, are not safe from the turmoil.
Oh Lord, I never thought I'd see these things
The singer is candid about how unpredictable and surreal his work environment has become.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HAYES CARLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind