After playing in rock, alternative rock, and country-bands while in school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Ringenberg moved to Nashville, TN, in 1981 where he soon formed Jason & the Scorchers..
He has released a number of solo albums, including 'Empire Builders' (2004).
His 2019 album "Stand Tall" was written while he was Artist in Residence at Sequoia National Park.
My Hometown
Jason Ringenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick, steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair and say, "Son, take a good look around
This is your hometown"
This is your hometown
This is your hometown
In '65, tension was running high in my high school
There was a lot of fights between black and whites, there was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night, in the backseat there was a gun
Words were passed, a shotgun blast, troubled times had come
To my hometown
My hometown
My hometown
My hometown
Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there's nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mills 'cross the railroad tracks
Foreman said, "These jobs are going, boys, and they ain't coming back
To your hometown"
Your hometown
Your hometown
To your hometown
Last night, me and Kate, we laid in bed, talked about getting out
Packing up our bags, maybe heading south
I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now
Last night, I sat him up behind the wheel and said, "Son, take a good look around
This is your hometown"
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
The lyrics in Jason Ringenberg's My Hometown paint a picture of a small town and the changes it goes through over time. The song starts with a nostalgic memory of the singer as an eight-year-old running to the bus stop to pick up the newspaper for his father. The singer's father would take him on drives around town in his Buick and ask him to take a good look around as he passed. The song then moves to a more tense moment in 1965 when the singer was in high school, and trouble stirred between the black and white students. The tension culminates in a violent episode with guns pointed in the backseat of two cars.
The song then fast forwards to the present, and the once vibrant Main Street is now empty with whitewashed windows and vacant stores. The textile mills are closing down, and the foreman tells the workers their jobs are gone and not coming back. The song closes with the singer lying in bed with his partner Kate discussing leaving the town and heading south. He then takes his own son for a drive around their hometown and asks him to take a good look around.
Line by Line Meaning
I was eight years old, running with a dime in my hand
As a child, he would run errands for his father to pick up the newspaper, carrying a dime in his hand for the purchase.
To the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
The singer's errand was to get a newspaper for his father from the bus stop.
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick, steer as we drove through town
His father would let him steer the car as they drove through town, sitting on his father's lap in the big Buick.
He'd tousle my hair and say, 'Son, take a good look around
His father would affectionately ruffle his hair and tell him to pay attention to the places and people in their town.
This is your hometown'
The artist's father wanted him to understand that the town is his home and to appreciate it.
In '65, tension was running high in my high school
In 1965, his high school was experiencing a lot of racial tension.
There was a lot of fights between black and whites, there was nothing you could do
The tensions manifested themselves in physical altercations between white and black students, and there was little that could be done about it.
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night, in the backseat there was a gun
Two cars were stopped at a traffic light on a Saturday night, and there was a gun present in the backseat of one of the cars.
Words were passed, a shotgun blast, troubled times had come
An argument ensued, which ultimately ended in a shotgun being fired, signifying that the artist's hometown was in troubled times.
Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
The artist notices that the windows on Main Street have been painted white, and there are many empty stores in the area.
Seems like there's nobody wants to come down here no more
The singer perceives that no one is interested in coming to this part of town anymore.
They're closing down the textile mills 'cross the railroad tracks
The textile mills across the railroad tracks are being shut down, meaning many jobs are being lost in the area.
Foreman said, 'These jobs are going, boys, and they ain't coming back
The foreman informed the workers that the jobs were not coming back, suggesting that the town could be in a state of decline.
Last night, me and Kate, we laid in bed, talked about getting out
The singer and Kate talked about leaving their hometown and starting fresh somewhere else.
Packing up our bags, maybe heading south
They considered packing their bags and moving south, seeking a new beginning.
I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now
The artist is now 35 year old and has a son with Kate.
Last night, I sat him up behind the wheel and said, 'Son, take a good look around
The artist sat their son behind the wheel of the car and told him to take notice of the surroundings, much like how the artist's father once had.
This is your hometown'
The singer imparts that the town is his son's hometown and that he should appreciate and learn from it.
Contributed by Dylan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.