At t… Read Full Bio ↴Jamestown Revival is an American rock duo from Magnolia, Texas.
At the heart of Jamestown Revival is a friendship that spans quite some years. Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance grew up together in the small Texas town of Magnolia. From a young age, they shared a love for music as well as the outdoors. About an hour north of Magnolia, Texas, there was some old family land with a dilapidated ranch house where they spent the better part of their adolescence.
At one point or another, music from Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Everly Brothers, to fellow Texans Willie Nelson, Guy Clark and Stevie Ray Vaughan found it’s way through an old pair of speakers that sat on the back porch. The pair spent the day exploring that thousand-acre plot of land, and when the sun went down they took to the records of the songwriters and bands that inspired them. At the age of 22, they moved to Austin and began to craft a sound of their own. Deeply rooted in harmony, they merged the sounds of the South with classic American and Western rock.
Looking for adventure, as well as a change of pace, they eventually made the decision to head west and make the move to Los Angeles, CA.
Throughout the course of the next 12 months, they wrote what is Jamestown Revival’s first full-length album, UTAH. It’s heavily autobiographical, telling the stories of their adventures, their discomforts, and their observations. In order to capture the spirit of the music, the two found a log cabin high within the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. The pair, along with their band and engineer, set out to convert it in to a temporary recording studio. With wild moose right outside the window, and aspen leaves spinning in the wind, they tracked the 11 songs that make up UTAH. Performed live, with no headphones, and entirely to tape, the process captured the moments in the room.
Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance have since moved back to Austin and signed a record deal with Republic Records. Adding to the already soulful album, the band has since re-released UTAH to feature three brand new arrangements of the signature tracks. Through constant touring, the songs took on a life of their own, and these arrangements better reflect the songs as they are today. Teaming up with Republic gave Jonathan and Zach the chance to add to the album without sacrificing what was special about the original UTAH. It was a chance to go back and record the growth that has occurred over the past year, and add to an already strong collection of recordings.
Heading out on the road somewhere… exploring far more than just that thousand-acre plot of land Jonathan and Zach look towards the future with UTAH.
Head On
Jamestown Revival Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No it don't appeal to me at all
I used to think it could be pretty
I thought that it could give me
What I've been waiting on
I think I'll head out to the country
Where I got friends to call my own
This rambling heart will lead me
I guess I'll get on up and go
So I'm gonna spend my time with a woman that I'm loving
Gonna raise a little hell with the good old boys
Lord there's nothing here that's ever gonna please me
So I'll take my things and head on down the road
Head on
Made my share of bad decisions
And I spent some nights out on the road
But a man of my position
Or the state of my condition
See I got somewhere to go
I'm gonna spend my time with a woman that I'm loving
Gonna raise a little hell with the good old boys
Lord there's nothing here that's ever gonna please me
So I'll take my things and head on down the road
No, no
No, no
Head on
Gonna beat my drum till the day I'm dead and gone
And its a lonely road that I'm on
Gonna beat my drum till the day I'm dead and gone
And its a lonely road that I'm on
On, that I'm on
I'm gonna spend my time with a woman that I'm loving
Gonna raise a little hell with the good old boys
Lord there's nothing here that's ever gonna please me
So I'll take my things and head on down the road
No, no
No, no
Head on
Head on
Head on
Head on
In "Head On," Jamestown Revival expresses feelings of dissatisfaction with living in the city and a desire to leave for the countryside where they have friends and feel more at home. The song opens with the lyrics "Well I don't think I like the city, no it don't appeal to me at all" making it clear that the city life is not for them. They acknowledge that they used to think the city could give them what they needed but they have come to realize that they won't find what they're looking for there.
The chorus emphasizes their desire for a different lifestyle. They plan on spending time with a woman they love and enjoying the company of their friends in the countryside. They know that there is nothing in the city that will ever please them, so they are determined to take their things and head on down the road. The last verse speaks to their resilience and determination as they declare that they will continue to beat their drum until the day they die and despite the loneliness that comes with this road they are on, they are sure it is what they need to do.
Overall, "Head On" is a song of hope and determination that encourages listeners to live life on their own terms, even if that means leaving behind the things that no longer serve them.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I don't think I like the city
The singer expresses his dislike for the city.
No it don't appeal to me at all
The city doesn't attract or interest the singer in any way.
I used to think it could be pretty
The singer used to have a positive opinion about the city's appearance.
I thought that it could give me
The singer believed that the city could provide him with something.
What I've been waiting on
The singer has been waiting for something that he expected the city to provide, but it hasn't.
I think I'll head out to the country
The singer decides to leave the city and move to the countryside.
Where I got friends to call my own
The singer has friends in the countryside who he can call his own.
Lord there's nothing here to keep me
The singer doesn't find anything in the city that would make him stay.
This rambling heart will lead me
The singer's restless and wandering heart drives him to leave the city and explore new places.
I guess I'll get on up and go
The singer is ready to leave the city and start a new chapter in his life.
So I'm gonna spend my time with a woman that I'm loving
The singer plans to spend his time with a woman he loves.
Gonna raise a little hell with the good old boys
The singer is going to have some wild times with his friends.
So I'll take my things and head on down the road
The singer is ready to leave and start his journey.
No, no
Repetitive phrase expressing the singer's determination to leave.
No, no
Repetitive phrase expressing the singer's determination to leave.
Gonna beat my drum till the day I'm dead and gone
The singer is determined to follow his dreams and passions throughout his life.
And it's a lonely road that I'm on
The singer realizes that his path in life may be a solitary one.
On, that I'm on
Repetitive phrase emphasizing that the singer is on his own path and will continue on it
Head on
Repetitive phrase that signifies the singer's determination to leave and start a new journey.
Head on
Repetitive phrase that signifies the singer's determination to leave and start a new journey.
Head on
Repetitive phrase that signifies the singer's determination to leave and start a new journey.
Head on
Repetitive phrase that signifies the singer's determination to leave and start a new journey.
Writer(s): Jonathan O'neal, Zachry Chance Bearden
Contributed by Penelope J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.