After leaving home at an early age to travel the country, Segarra eventually settled in New Orleans where they began to perform and record with a revolving cast of musicians. They released two records (2008's It Don't Mean I Don't Love You and 2010's Young Blood Blues) mostly consisting of delicate folk and country songs. In 2011, the UK record label Loose Music (Felice Brothers, Dawes, Deer Tick), released Hurray for the Riff Raff, an album that collected the best songs from those records. The Times of London named Hurray for the Riff Raff one of the Top Ten Albums of 2011. Phil Alexander, the Editor-in-Chief of Mojo Magazine, raved that they “have immense potential and seductive power” and named them second best band at SXSW 2011.
Back in the States, Alynda met up with a young honky-tonk band called the Tumbleweeds, just as they began to expand they musical palette to include rock n roll, pop, and soul. In the tradition of Bob Dylan with Band and Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Alynda recruited the Tumbleweeds to be their touring band, drastically altering the sound of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Look Out Mama is the result of almost two years of Alynda and the Tumbleweeds criss-crossing the USA, playing over 100 shows in small bars and clubs. Recorded in Nashville by producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes), Look Out Mama is an exploration of classic American music as interpreted by Alynda lee Segarra. From the Swamp Pop of "Little Black Star" to the Classic Country of "Look Out Mama", to the Psychedelia of “Ode to John and Yoko” and even the Surf-Rock of “Lake of Fire”, Look Out Mama covers a wide array of musical ground, with every song unified by Alynda’s soulful vocals and expert songwriting.
Little Things
Hurray For The Riff Raff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down where my soul is empty
So i wouldnt bare the weight of you
If i could be anything
I'd be a bird with wooden wings
I wouldn't fly
But i wouldn't break
Chorus:
Oh oh oh
Its these little things
You are gone
And now i'm free
I can do anything
There's pretty flowers on the table
There is smoke coming out of my mouth
Its blowing out
The window now
If i keep pushing them all away
I'll have nothing left to say
I'll be a blank, a blank page
But when depression
It gets in me
It's makes it so i can barely speak
And i can't say
Hey come back please
X 2
The lyrics to Hurray For The Riff Raff's song Little Things are imbued with a sense of longing and unspoken hurt. The first verse expresses a desire to escape from the weight of a burden that the singer is carrying, possibly from a relationship that has ended or from a feeling of being suffocated in their current situation. The metaphor of going to a place where the soul is empty could signify a longing for a fresh start or a clean slate. The singer imagines themselves as a bird with wooden wings, which highlights the contrast between freedom and constraint. While they wouldn't fly, they also wouldn't break, indicating a willingness to embrace limitations to avoid the pain of being vulnerable.
The chorus of the song is a powerful catharsis, with the repetition of the phrase "It's these little things" emphasizing the small but significant ways in which the singer finds freedom upon being released from the constraints of their previous situation. They are able to enjoy the beauty of nature, as indicated by the pretty flowers on the table, and the simple pleasure of smoking. The act of blowing smoke out of the window can be seen as a symbol for releasing pent-up emotion or letting go of things that no longer serve them. The reference to depression in the final verse suggests that the singer may be struggling with mental health issues, which add an additional layer of complexity to their desire for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
If i could go anywhere i would go
If I had the choice, I would go to a place where I am soul-less to not feel the pain caused by you.
Down where my soul is empty
A place where my soul is barren and empty of emotions.
So I wouldn't bare the weight of you
To not carry the emotional burden of another individual.
If I could be anything
If I could choose any life or form.
I'd be a bird with wooden wings
I would rather choose life that looks ordinary and broken, but still be able to fly.
I wouldn't fly
I would not choose to soar high above, but rather just exist.
But I wouldn't break
Despite the disability, I won't lose hope or give up.
Oh oh oh
An exclamation of a strong emotion.
It's these little things
These simple and small things that make a big difference in life.
You are gone
You are missing, departed, or no longer present in my life.
And now I'm free
Now that you are not entangled in my life, I can experience freedom.
I can do anything
I am able to do whatever I please.
There's pretty flowers on the table
The table holds lovely, attractive flowers.
There is smoke coming out of my mouth
The exhaled breath is smoking and visible.
It's blowing out
The breath is flowing away from the singer.
The window now
It exits the room through the window.
If I keep pushing them all away
If I keep rejecting every opportunity or relationship in life.
I'll have nothing left to say
I won't have any stories or experiences to share with others, and my life will be quiet.
I'll be a blank, a blank page
A life without stories or emotions is an empty space, a page with nothing written on it.
But when depression, it gets in me
But, if depression gets a hold of me.
It makes it so I can barely speak
It is so hard to talk or express myself.
And I can't say, Hey come back please
I cannot express my true feelings to someone who has gone and plead with them to return.
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.