The new album title April Uprising came from an incredible journey John undertook for the ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ TV series. He traces the Butler name through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival and follows his Bulgarian ancestry to a forebear caught up in a violent revolt called the April Uprising.
The recording process for the new album (the first release from the JBT in 3 years) has been shared with avid JBT followers via a special studio sessions page on the band’s website: www.johnbutlertrio.com John Butler describes the first new track, One Way Road; “One Way Road is the combination of pretty much most of my musical influences; dancehall, roots & rock. Some how we found a way to bring all these feels in a way that sounds natural and not too contrived or cerebral. I’m really happy with how we captured the vibe of his song”.
With sold out performances over the past two years, not only on home turf but also worldwide, on the back of their highly acclaimed and 3 x platinum accredited ‘Grand National’ album, the John Butler Trio have reaffirmed their status as one of Australia’s leading artists. ‘APRIL UPRISING’, scheduled for release early in 2010, will unveil a whole new journey for the band.
John Butler comments on the forthcoming new album, “The whole rehearsal and recording process so far has been a lot of fun and very gratifying. I feel the sounds and general spirit and energy of this album are best summed up in the words – free, melodic, funky, phat and rocking. There’s definitely a certain attitude that comes across on the album. Perhaps there’s a conviction, in a song writing and production sense, that I haven’t tapped into so much on earlier works that seems to be more prevalent on April Uprising. There’s chemistry and language that Nicky, Byron and I have found that really compliments these songs in all their different facets”.
Album Discography;
Live at Lollapalooza 2009 iTunes Exclusive
One Small Step (Aus) 2008 / Twist and Shout ( USA) 2007 - solo live
Grand National 2007
Live at St. Gallen 2006
Sunrise Over Sea 2004
Living 2001 – 2002
Three 2000
John Butler 1998
Awards;
ARIA 2007 ; Best Indie, Best Blues and Roots, Best Performance
ARIA 2004; Best Male, Best Indie, Best Blues and Roots.
ARIA 2001; Best Indie
APRA Awards 2005; Song of the Year ‘Zebra’
APRA Awards 2008; Blues and Roots work of the year ‘Good Excuse’
Festivals Played;
Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock Festival, Big Day Out, St.Gallen, Belfort, Isle Of Wight, Union Of Soul and many more.
Those who have influenced;
Bob Marley, Martin Luther King Jr, The Meters, Jeff Lang, De LA Soul, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ainslie Roberts, Black Sabbath, Noam Chomsky, Buck Minster Fuller, Gillian Welch, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Kelly, Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, G Love, Kev Carmody, Allen Watts, Banksy, Salvador Dali,Tracy Chapmen, Blue King Brown, Public Enemy, Jane’s Addiction …
Trees
John Butler Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can someone stop them please
Thank God for people in this world
Who dedicate their lives to these
Thank God for people in this world
Who dedicate their lives to trees
Because...
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to see
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to breathe
Don't they know if they chop them down
It's only desert that they leave
Don't they know anything? NO
And it's all for the money
That love for money
Yes it's sweeter than honey
That love for money..and
Don't care about the future
Don't care about the past
You just chop those trees down
While the money it still lasts..
There's a war going on yeah
And it ain't in the middle east
It's happening in our own damn country
They're chopping down all the trees
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to see
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to breathe
Don't they know if they chop them down
It's only desert that they leave
Don't they know anything? NO
Hippie, ferel, protestors
Call them what you may
But if they weren't here right now
There wouldn't be a tree standing today
Hippie, ferel, protestors
Call them what you may
But if they weren't here right now
There wouldn't be a tree standing today
They're cutting down all the
They're cutting down
They're cutting down all the
They're cutting down
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to see
Don't they know if they chop them down
There won't be anything to breathe
Don't they know if they chop them down
It's only desert that they leave
Don't they know anything? NO
Richard Court do you know anything?
Liberal Party do you know anything?
John Howard do you know anything?
Bunnings do you know anything?
Simcore do you know anything?
Hell no.
The song "Trees" by John Butler Trio is a powerful protest song about deforestation and the impact it has on the environment. The first stanza of the song laments the cutting down of trees and pleads for someone to stop the destruction. The second stanza questions the ignorance of those who continue to chop down trees and highlights the long-term consequences of deforestation, such as loss of habitat, air pollution, and desertification. The final stanza praises the efforts of the protesters who advocate for the preservation of trees and their integral role in sustaining life on earth.
The chorus serves as a call to action, drawing attention to the alarming rate at which trees are being cut down without regard for the consequences. The repetition of the lines "Don't they know if they chop them down, there won't be anything to see, breathe, or leave" reinforces the idea that the destruction of nature results in a barren and lifeless world. The final lines of the song refer to specific entities such as Richard Court, the Liberal Party, John Howard, Bunnings, and Simcore, questioning their knowledge and accountability for the destruction of trees.
Overall, "Trees" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that sheds light on the urgent need for environmental conservation.
Line by Line Meaning
They're cutting down all the trees
People are destroying all of the trees in our environment.
Can someone stop them please
There is a need for people to take action and put a stop to the destruction of the forests.
Thank God for people in this world
We appreciate the people who have devoted their lives to save the trees.
Who dedicate their lives to these
There are some people who live to protect the environment, and we are grateful for them.
Because...
The following lines explain the destructive consequences of cutting down the trees.
Don't they know if they chop them down
People who destroy the trees fail to understand the long-term effects of their actions.
There won't be anything to see
The cutting down of trees destroys the beauty and scenic view of the environment.
Don't they know if they chop them down
The same message as the previous line.
There won't be anything to breathe
The destruction of trees results in the shortage of oxygen in the atmosphere, which is necessary for human and animal life.
Don't they know if they chop them down
The same message as the previous lines.
It's only desert that they leave
Cutting down of trees results in soil degradation, leading to a desert-like environment.
Don't they know anything? NO
The people destroying the trees have no knowledge of the devastation and destruction they are causing.
And it's all for the money
People are only destroying the trees to make more money.
That love for money
This is due to a love of money.
Yes it's sweeter than honey
The love of money is more appealing than anything else.
That love for money..and
The previous lines are repeated.
Don't care about the future
People cutting down trees do not care about the future consequences of their actions.
Don't care about the past
The people responsible for destroying trees are not concerned with the previous history of that environment.
You just chop those trees down
The ones cutting down the trees just keep going without considering the repercussions.
While the money it still lasts..
As long as they keep making money, they will continue cutting down the trees, regardless of the consequences.
There's a war going on yeah
There is a conflict between those who want to cut the trees and those who want to save them.
And it ain't in the middle east
The reference to a war in the Middle East is replaced with a war over the destruction of forests.
It's happening in our own damn country
This conflict is happening in our own country.
Hippie, ferel, protestors
The people who are protesting the destruction of trees are being labeled as hippies, feral, and protestants.
Call them what you may
These people do not care what they are labeled by those who are cutting down the trees.
But if they weren't here right now
Without these protestors, there would not be any trees standing today.
There wouldn't be a tree standing today
The protesters have helped save trees from being destroyed.
They're cutting down all the
The previous lines are repeated.
They're cutting down
The same message as the previous line.
Richard Court do you know anything?
Richard Court is asked if he knows anything about the destruction of trees.
Liberal Party do you know anything?
The Liberal Party is questioned as to their knowledge on the subject.
John Howard do you know anything?
John Howard is asked if he has any knowledge of the destruction of trees.
Bunnings do you know anything?
Bunnings is asked if they know of the destruction of the trees.
Simcore do you know anything?
Simcore is being asked if they know of the destruction of the trees.
Hell no.
None of the previous groups know anything about the destruction of trees.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN CHARLES WILTSHIRE BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind