In 2010, the five Wisconsinites that now make up Horseshoes & Hand Grenades found themselves in a living room in the college town of Stevens Point, WI, holding acoustic instruments and enjoying a hodgepodge of fermented beverages. Music and revelry ensued that evening and, while many of the party guests eventually bid their goodbye well into the morning hours, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades wasn’t ready to let the get-together fade. Five years later, the music still hasn’t stopped and the party is still going strong, from the mountain west to the river towns of the Midwest that the quintet calls home.
While strongly rooted in bluegrass, old-time, and folk music, the band produces a sound that draws on the vaults of music collectively and individually enjoyed throughout the course of their lives thus far. The music doesn’t lend itself well to categories or boundaries. One could probably be formed, but the boys seem to generally prefer fishing a river, or enjoying the company of friends and barley beers.
Yet with their music well-defined or not, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades has begun to form a place in the Midwest music scene, gaining recognition on both a regional and national scale. The band took 3rd place at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s Band Competition in 2012 and has since shared the stage with Trampled By Turtles, The Travelin’ McCourys, Railroad Earth, Merle Haggard, The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Marty Stuart, and many more. The group’s third full-length Middle Western was released in March of 2015. Being mostly inspired by rivers, valleys, good friends, and good drink, this five-piece is as sturdy as any Midwest riverbed and makes your toes tap from sundown to sunrise.
http://hhgmusic.com/
Old Man & Me
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Lyrics
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Of the old man that one day I′ll be
Could i improvise a symphoni
And a few more crescendoes
Tangle your fingers in mine
Hot sex and ice cold brandy wine
This night could transcend space and time and time again
Take off your karma at the door
Strip down till there's you and nothing more
Scream out ′cause we yound and dumb and pour another drink.
If this life were just a minstrel show
For the old man, right before he goes
To be beneath his last
grave I know
We'd sing of love and truth
The first stanza of the song, "Old Man & Me," talks about the fleeting nature of life and suggests that life is nothing but a memory. The singer ponders if he can create a grand symphony by improvising his experiences and adding a few more crescendos to his life. In short, the line suggests that the singer is not satisfied with the way his life has turned out so far and wants to add something more before he becomes an old man.
The second stanza is about enjoying the moment and forgetting about the past or future. The singer asks his lover to tangle their fingers together and enjoy the passion between them. He also asks to take off all their worries and just be young and wild. The line "Strip down till there's you and nothing more" suggests that they should be completely vulnerable and let go of their inhibitions.
The third stanza of the song talks about the meaning behind life. The singer claims that if this life were just a minstrel show for the old man, they would sing about love and truth. This line indicates that the singer believes that love and truth are the fundamental elements of life, and they should be celebrated.
Contributed by Jonathan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LambertDriveStudios
You guys have the best BAND NAME EVER !! I literally use this phrase 10 times a week
@alisongauthier9636
Love it!
@codyclise8899
good stuff
@hyperfixnation
Beautiful lyrics but the chorus melody bothers the hell out of me since it's literally "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne.
@thecatalystpoet
I love this song, but the line about holding his sister by her hand, with all the other lyrics about tangling fingers, hot sex and drinking, makes me squint my eyes suspiciously...
Like is this song about a dude who married his sister and has no regrets about it?
I mean, good for them, I guess. But just like, also, eww.
@TokenTombstone
Lol
@eamonnkingsbury3137
It’s a song sung from the point of view of a father singing to his kids.
@codyclise8899
good stuff