According to Songfacts, Nettles made inroads on the independent circuit, gaining a small degree of national attention, then later becomes a pop-country superstar. With Jennifer Nettles Band, the future Sugarland artist released three independent albums and went on the Lilith Fair in 1999. The band drew praises from a number of music publications including Performing Songwriter magazine, and accumulated a substantial fan base along the East Coast.
Nettles formed Sugarland in 2003 and when they hit it big, her Jennifer Nettles Band pretty much vanished
With a presentation of engaging tunes, dynamic vocals, and poetic flair in a passionately charged live setting, Jennifer Nettles and her band were quite successful during the mid- to late '90s. Originally a native of Atlanta, GA, Nettles successful career began with the release of Story of Your Bones and quickly a following was created. Over the course of her touring, Nettles received rave reviews from many publications including Jezebel, Atlanta City Mag, the Album Network, Southeastern Performer, and the Performing Songwriter. Nettles was rewarded with gigs at such momentous occasions such as the 1999 Lilith Fair Tour, Big Day Out 2000, and Music Midtown 1999.
Though much of her crafty songwriting and poetic expression merited a listen on their own, Nettles joined the royal company of a gifted and charismatic backing band. Drummer Brad Sikes put forth the group's ever-changing and diverse rhythms. Scott Nicholson bought to life the magic of the piano's keys with stirring ebony-and-ivory passages. Wesley Lupold lays down the framework of the songs chord structures with bass. And Mike Cebulski presented an eclectic array of sounds and rhythms with his gift of percussion. Nettles received airplay in major cities such as New York, Cleveland, Memphis, Atlanta, and throughout the Carolinas. Because of her songwriting magic and growing fan base, and those behind the scenes who devote their time toward helping market her music, Jennifer Nettles received the distinguished honor of being presented the Independent Musician of the Year award for 2001.
Nettles was influenced and inspired by a splendid mix of rock, blues, folk, and soul, and those influences reflected clearly in her work. She began her singing career in 1996 while performing with Soul Miner's Daughter in the Atlanta and Decatur music scene. A singer since the age of seven, Nettles certainly was not shy of showing her witty charm, and was not afraid of challenging herself to continually write and sing powerful, honest, soul-charging songs with engaging lyrical content. At times her tunes were filled with amazing richness and personality, while others left the listener dazed and haunted.
Jennifer Nettles Band made routine trips to such notable venues as the Variety Playhouse (Atlanta), the 40 Watt (Athens), and the Mercury Lounge (New York City). Her songs are full of poetic meaning, and the band plays with a sense of attitude, winning over her audiences each and every time, and making a crop of fresh new listeners happy as well. Her release Gravity: Drag Me Down appeared in February 2002.
El Camino
Jennifer Nettles Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause it's been four long days since I felt that whiskey haze and I got the wantin'
Hey Baby why don't we go sugar footin'
Cause I ain't got nothing better to do and there ain't nothing here looking better than you
And I been lookin'.
(Chorus)
Jump in my El Camino baby step onto that gas
They're full of lies and division
And they are moving in fast.
Hey Baby why don't you just come and get me
Cause I ain't made you happy yet, but I can, I bet
If you'll just let me
Hey Baby we could let them come and find us
Cause I ain't got nothing keeping me here and I'm ready dear to leave it all behind us
(Chorus)
See Johnny's barn has burnt down
Over on the other side of town
Ain't got nobody to help him out
So let's grab him and go
See his son's taken drunk again
If you can't beat'em might as well join in
Ain't it might very well be in sin but it'll help him I know
The Jennifer Nettles Band's song "El Camino" is an invitation to escape from the pressures and negativity of daily life through two activities that are the antithesis of those pressures, namely "honky tonkin'" and "sugar footin'". The singer is energised by the prospect of escaping from the everyday routine and grabbing the chance to have some fun, and she invites her partner to join her in this adventure, which involves stepping on the gas to put distance between themselves and their problems. She is vividly aware of the "ghosts" who are pursuing them and the fact that they are "full of lies and division", but she seems confident that they can outrun them if they keep moving. The image of the El Camino, a muscle car produced by Chevrolet from the 1950s to the 1980s, reinforces this sense of escape and iconizes a more carefree and powerful time.
However, the song also points to the darker realities of life in small-town America, as the singer refers to a neighbor whose barn has burned down and whose son has a drinking problem. There is a fatalistic attitude in the last lines of the song, as the singer suggests that, in the absence of other options, it is better to join in with those who are already struggling rather than to sit alone with one's own troubles, even if this means falling into sin or moral compromise. Overall, the song portrays the idea of escape as a way of dealing with the hardships and injustices of life, but also as a temporary solution that can never entirely erase them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Baby why don't we go honky tonkin'
Let's go out to a bar to drink and dance
Cause it's been four long days since I felt that whiskey haze and I got the wantin'
I haven't had alcohol in days and I'm craving it
Hey Baby why don't we go sugar footin'
Let's go out and have fun
Cause I ain't got nothing better to do and there ain't nothing here looking better than you
I have no other plans and I want to spend time with you
And I been lookin'
I've been searching for something to do or someone to hang out with
Jump in my El Camino baby step onto that gas
Let's get in my car and drive fast
We got a thousand ghosts behind us and they are after our ass
We have lots of problems or issues following us
They're full of lies and division
Our problems are causing us to be unhappy or disconnected
And they are moving in fast.
Our problems are quickly approaching us
Hey Baby why don't you just come and get me
Come pick me up and let's spend time together
Cause I ain't made you happy yet, but I can, I bet
I haven't been able to make you happy, but I feel like I can if you give me a chance
If you'll just let me
If you're willing to try, I'm willing to put in the effort
Hey Baby we could let them come and find us
We could let our problems catch up to us
Cause I ain't got nothing keeping me here and I'm ready dear to leave it all behind us
I have nothing holding me back and I want to start fresh with you
See Johnny's barn has burnt down
There's been a tragedy in our community
Over on the other side of town
It happened far away from us
Ain't got nobody to help him out
No one is offering to help him
So let's grab him and go
Let's help him out and leave town
See his son's taken drunk again
Johnny's son is struggling with alcoholism
If you can't beat'em might as well join in
If we can't fix his problem, at least we can drink with him
Ain't it might very well be in sin but it'll help him I know
It might not be the best thing to do, but it will make him feel better temporarily
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.