The seven-piece alt-rock group draws inspiration from multiple genres inclu… Read Full Bio ↴The seven-piece alt-rock group draws inspiration from multiple genres including rock, funk, jazz, blues, and ska, featuring a unique mixture of the typical rock band drums, bass, guitar, and vocals, as well as keys and brass- namely sax and trumpet with the occasional trombone, flute, and strings. The brass brings on the jazzy, funk-laced feel, dependent on the song, while keys, vocals, guitars, and drums adapt to fit the different feel each song delivers. “It’s like if you took angsty 2000s punk rock (think like Anthony Raneri from Bayside) and put it in a blender with Ben Folds style piano melodies, threw in some jazz, added in some smooth orchestral elements, and sprinkled in a little Rufus Wainwright for good measure,” according to OK Sessions. Going from wildly upbeat songs that make the audience dance around uncontrollably (namely “Gestapo,” “Deserve,” and “That Doesn’t Happen,”) the Bastards are never lacking when it’s time to take it down a notch for the slow dance with songs like “Lightning,” “Annie,” and “Lucky to Have You.”  Hailing from the Oklahoma City metro, the band formed in 2016, including band leader Johnny Manchild (vocals, keys), and co-founding members: Ethan Neel (drums), Ben Wood (trumpet), and James Thompson (bass). Danny McGinn (trumpet), Chris Lashley (guitar, vocals), and Logan From (saxophone) joined the lineup to complete the Poor Bastards as we know them today.

Lightning
Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards Lyrics

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With her hand around the bottle with the lightning in tow
She tried her best to carry it far as she could go
She's done with her home, with her friends, with her own
Identity, she's making it up along the way
The boys are fallin hard you know they wish she could stay
She's gone, in a beat
All she loves, all she leaves

But if she finds that her stubbornness
Can't outweigh all the loneliness
I'll be here when she falls back to earth
And I'll be kind, I'll be everything
You can't find in the streets at least I can try
I'll be here if you are

If you find life ain't as easy as you
Thought it, I'll be here in the city where
The lights don't shine as bright and you can close your eyes
But if you find everything you wanted I'll be
By your side the minute that you want it
If the time ain't right, know that you're on my mind

With her hand around the bottle sinking further than low
She buries every feeling far down as they can go
She's gone far from home, far from friends, on her own
And the memory of everything that brought her to now
Keeps her going for the moment, but the thought comes around
It's gone, in a beat
Every chance, every dream

But if she finds that her stubbornness
Can't outweigh all the loneliness
I'll be here when she falls back to earth
And I'll be kind, I'll be everything
You can't find in the streets at least I can try
I'll be here if you are

If you find that life ain't as easy as you
Thought it, I'll be here in the city where
The lights don't shine as bright and you can close your eyes
But if you find everything you wanted I'll be

By your side the minute that you want it
If the time ain't right, know that you're on my mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards' song Lightning tell a story of a woman who is trying to escape from her life and herself. She is holding onto a bottle of lightning, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for her inner spark and her attempt to keep it alive. She's trying her best to carry it as far as she can go, but she's done with her home, her friends, and her identity. She's making it up along the way, leaving everything behind. The boys she meets wish she could stay, but she's gone in a beat, leaving everything and everyone she loves behind.

The lyrics also reveal the singer's offer to stay by her side regardless of where she goes and what she does, waiting for her to return when she finds life is not as easy as she thought it would be. He promises to be kind and everything that she can't find in the streets. He will be with her in the city where the lights don't shine as bright, and she can close her eyes. He wants her to know that if she finds everything she wanted anywhere else, he'll be there by her side the minute that she wants it, and if the time isn't right, she's still on his mind.

Overall, the lyrics to Lightning are about a woman who is trying to escape from herself and her life, and the singer's offer to stay by her side throughout her journey, regardless of where it takes her.

Line by Line Meaning

With her hand around the bottle with the lightning in tow
She clutches the bottle that holds her escape, hiding behind alcohol.

She tried her best to carry it far as she could go
Desperately holding on to her hope, she's striving to survive this life-altering event.

She's done with her home, with her friends, with her own
She's turned her back on everything she's ever known to pursue something unknown and different.

Identity, she's making it up along the way
She's searching for her new identity, picking up the pieces as she goes.

The boys are fallin hard you know they wish she could stay
She's leaving a trail of emotional turmoil behind, with those she's leaving pining for her to stay.

She's gone, in a beat
In the blink of an eye, she's left without warning.

All she loves, all she leaves
She's left everything behind that she loves, not knowing if she'll ever return.

But if she finds that her stubbornness
Although she's determined to make it, if she realizes she needs help,

Can't outweigh all the loneliness
And the loneliness becomes too much for her to bear,

I'll be here when she falls back to earth
He'll be waiting and willing to help her pick up the pieces when she falls back down to reality.

And I'll be kind, I'll be everything
He'll offer her kindness, support, and everything she needs to make it through.

You can't find in the streets at least I can try
He'll provide her with things she can't find in the world she's fled to, even if he can only try his best.

I'll be here if you are
No matter where she goes, he'll be there for her if she needs help.

If you find life ain't as easy as you
If she realizes that life isn't as easy as she thought it would be,

Thought it, I'll be here in the city where
He'll be waiting for her to return to the city, where things aren't as glorious but he'll still be there for her.

The lights don't shine as bright and you can close your eyes
The city isn't as loud and flashy as where she went, allowing her to catch her breath and reflect on her journey.

But if you find everything you wanted I'll be
But if she finds the happiness and satisfaction she was looking for,

By your side the minute that you want it
He'll be there to celebrate with her and to offer any assistance needed.

If the time ain't right, know that you're on my mind
Even if she doesn't need help at the moment, he'll keep her in his thoughts, ready to help when she calls.

With her hand around the bottle sinking further than low
She's hit rock bottom with the weight of her sorrows, trying to lose herself in the bottle.

She buries every feeling far down as they can go
She struggles to cope with her emotions, shoving them away to avoid confronting them.

She's gone far from home, far from friends, on her own
She's put space between herself and everyone she's ever known, embarking on this journey solo.

And the memory of everything that brought her to now
She's plagued by memories of how she got to this point, making it hard to move forward.

Keeps her going for the moment, but the thought comes around
Remembering her past fuels her momentarily, but then her mind brings her back to the present.

It's gone, in a beat
But just as quickly as she felt motivation, it fades away.

Every chance, every dream
With every day that passes, she feels like she's losing out on chances and dreams that will never come back.

Writer(s): Jonathan Xavier Garrett

Contributed by Anna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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