Josh Abbott founded the band in 2006 in Lubbock, Texas while attending Texas Tech University, where he was a member of the Texas Epsilon chapter of Phi Delta Theta. He founded the band while in grad school with fraternity brothers Austin Davis, Neel Huey, and Andrew Hurt. The band recorded a 4-song demo including "Taste" in 2007 along with fiddler Preston Wait and began touring in 2008. Huey and Hurt dropped out to pursue careers while Preston Wait and Eddie Villanueva officially joined. The band then recorded their debut album "Scapegoat" in 2008 as well. Caleb Keeter and James Hertless joined in 2010, with Hertless eventually departing in 2018.
The sophomore album, She's Like Texas, followed in 2010 and entered the Top Country Albums chart. Michael Berick of Allmusic rated it 4 stars out of 5, comparing it to Steve Earle and saying that Abbott's songwriting showed "maturity". They had their first sell-out crowd at "Billy Bobs Texas" in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards on February 10, 2010, selling 6,000 tickets.
"She's Like Texas" includes the single "Oh, Tonight", which entered the Country Songs chart in early 2011 at #59 and peaked at #44. The song is a duet with Kacey Musgraves, the Nashville Star Season 5 finalist and Universal Music recording artist.
The band's third CD, Small Town Family Dream, was released on April 24, 2012. It was their highest charting album, debuting at #5 on Top Country Albums, selling 21,000 copies in the US in its first week. The second single, "Touch", was released in early February and was made available digitally on February 14. Its music video includes the reality TV star Melissa Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland, another of Abbott's fraternity brothers. The single was featured in the motion picture The Longest Ride, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
In August 2015, the band announced their fourth studio album, titled Front Row Seat, a concept album detailing Abbott's relationship and failed marriage. The first single off of the album, "Amnesia", was released in August 2015 with SiriusXM The Highway premiering the lyric video for the single. "Front Row Seat" was released everywhere on November 6, 2015, and debuted on the Top Country Albums chart at #9, selling 12,800 copies in its first week.
Josh Abbott Band's single "Wasn't That Drunk", featuring Carly Pearce, was released to radio on March 21, 2016. The second single from Front Row Seat, "Wasn't That Drunk", garnered attention from a national radio and media audience. The band made their national television debut with the single on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 31, 2016 and performed "Amnesia" on CONAN on January 18, 2017.
On August 18, 2017 Josh Abbott Band released their 5th studio album titled "Until My Voice Goes Out" which included a string and horn section. The string and horn section were also incorporated on the national "Until My Voice Goes Out" tour. "Until My Voice Goes Out is an eclectic album built from Abbott’s life experiences ranging from the birth of his daughter to the sudden and heartbreaking death of his father one month into the album-making process, all weaved together with striking strings and horns."
The band performed at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest, the scene of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
Here I Stand
Josh Abbott Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here today but tonight you're gone,
The memories that you left remind me we're done.
And these hollow frames that used to hold you resemble empty graves.
But the one of you dancing in the dark is the one i can't put away.
Chorus
So here i stand on shaky ground and i'm reaching out.
Baby this is love.
Verse 2
I'm drowning in her sea but no one seems to care that i can't breathe.
Every time i reach the surface a new wave swallows me.
In the first verse of Josh Abbott Band's song Here I Stand, the singer paints a picture of a situation where someone he was with until recently isn't with him anymore. He explains that while physically she may have left, the memories of her linger and constantly remind him that their time together is over. The memories are so strong that even empty picture frames seem like graves to him, representing the emptiness that he feels. However, the one memory that he cannot seem to shake off is of her dancing in the dark. It could be interpreted as a sign of her carefree spirit or the romantic notion of a couple dancing alone. The singer ultimately ends up feeling consumed by the memories but finds himself ready to move forward in love.
In the chorus, the singer says that he is standing on "shaky ground," which could mean that he's unsure about moving on. He asks his love interest to take him by the hand and understand that what he feels is love. It seems as if he's trying to get over his past relationship and put his trust in someone new but is having trouble with the transition. He's taking a leap of faith and asking for her help in doing so.
In the second verse, the singer describes the feeling of being caught in a metaphorical "sea" of emotions. The love he once had is now a burden that he's carrying, and it's getting to a point where he feels like he's drowning. He's looking for an escape but is met with new waves that continue to pull him down. The metaphor here could be viewed as a reference to his emotional well-being and the overwhelming feelings of heartbreak that he's experiencing.
Overall, Here I Stand is a song that deals with heartbreak, moving on and opening up to love again. It's an emotional journey that anyone who's dealt with a breakup can relate to. The lyrics are profound, and the melody is catchy, making this a great song to belt out when going through emotional turmoil and trying to put your heart back together.
Line by Line Meaning
Here today but tonight you're gone,
You were here earlier but now you are not. Your absence reminds me that we are over.
The memories that you left remind me we're done.
The memories that you have left behind serve as a reminder that our relationship is over.
And these hollow frames that used to hold you resemble empty graves.
The empty frames that held pictures of you now resemble empty graves, emphasizing the emptiness I feel without you.
But the one of you dancing in the dark is the one i can't put away.
The memory of you dancing in the dark is something I cannot forget or ignore.
So here i stand on shaky ground and i'm reaching out.
I am in a vulnerable position but still trying to reach out to you.
So take me by my hand, girl understand that this is love…
I want you to take my hand and understand that what I feel for you is love.
Baby this is love.
Reaffirming that the feelings he is experiencing are related to love.
I'm drowning in her sea but no one seems to care that i can't breathe.
I am overwhelmed by my emotions for her but feel like no one understands the intensity of my feelings.
Every time i reach the surface a new wave swallows me.
Whenever I feel like I am finally overcoming my feelings, another wave of emotions drowns me.
Contributed by Emma H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.