Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Long Shadows
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fallen on hard times, Honey, we've fallen on swords
So if a long shadow falls across your heart,
I'll be right here with you, I'm not afraid of the dark.
I'm not afraid of the dark when the sun goes down
And the dreams grow teeth and the beasts come out and cast their long shadows
Every time they start I'll be right here with you, I'm not afraid of the dark.
Out on the hills, the hounds are baying
Out on the moor, the foxes run
To stay alive until the light has faded,
Then pray for light that seems so long to come.
I'm not afraid of the dark, so if the stars get scarce and you reach for him,
And, Honey, he's not there, just a long shadow across your heart
You can reach for me, I'm not afraid of the dark.
I'm not afraid of the dark when the sun goes down
And the dreams grow teeth and the beasts come out and cast their long shadows
Every time they start you can reach for me, I'm not afraid of the dark
In Josh Ritter's song "Long Shadows," the singer reassures his loved one that he will always be there to support them through difficult times. He acknowledges that they have both faced challenges and have been hurt before (fallen on hard times and fallen on swords). However, he promises to continue to stand by their side, even when they are faced with darkness and uncertainty.
The metaphor of long shadows is used throughout the song to represent fear and the unknown. The singer tells his loved one that if a long shadow falls across their heart, he will be there to support them. Similarly, when the dreams grow teeth and the beasts come out, casting their own long shadows, he promises to stay with them and provide comfort. The image of the hounds baying and the foxes running also adds to the sense of danger and the need for protection.
Overall, the message of the song is one of love and support. The singer wants his loved one to know that they can always rely on him when they feel scared or uncertain. The repetition of the phrase "I'm not afraid of the dark" reinforces this idea and serves as a reminder that even during the darkest times, they are not alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not afraid of the dark; we've been here before,
I have faced difficult situations before, so I am not afraid to do it again, even if they are scary and unknown.
Fallen on hard times, Honey, we've fallen on swords
We have had many challenges and obstacles to face in our lives, some of which were caused by our own mistakes.
So if a long shadow falls across your heart,
If you feel sad, scared, or troubled, I will be there to support you and help you overcome those feelings.
I'll be right here with you, I'm not afraid of the dark.
I will always be by your side, no matter how dark or difficult the situation may seem. I am not afraid to face these challenges with you.
I'm not afraid of the dark when the sun goes down
I am not afraid of facing fear or difficult situations when everything seems dark and hopeless.
And the dreams grow teeth and the beasts come out and cast their long shadows
When we are faced with difficult situations, our fears can feel very real and scary, as if they are monsters chasing us.
Every time they start I'll be right here with you, I'm not afraid of the dark.
No matter how many times we face difficult situations, I will always be there to support you and help you through them.
Out on the hills, the hounds are baying
Sometimes the world can feel like a scary and unknown place, where danger may be lurking around every corner.
Out on the moor, the foxes run
Even in the midst of uncertainty and danger, life continues to go on around us.
To stay alive until the light has faded,
When facing difficult situations, it can often feel like we are just surviving until things get better.
Then pray for light that seems so long to come.
During those dark times, we may feel like hope and relief are far away, and we must pray for the light to come back into our lives.
So if the stars get scarce and you reach for him,
If you feel lost, alone, or in need of comfort, you may reach out to someone who is not there for you.
And, Honey, he's not there, just a long shadow across your heart
If the person you need is not there for you, it can feel like a long, dark shadow has been cast over your heart and soul.
You can reach for me, I'm not afraid of the dark.
If you ever need someone to support you and help you through difficult times, you can always reach out to me, because I am not afraid to face the darkness with you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSHUA RITTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Melissa Berry
My favorite Josh Ritter song but there are really so many.
shego1142
I stumbled upon this when I was looking for a story about an imaginary friend of a girl stealing her away from her mom. It's a good find. ^_^ Josh Ritter will likely be added to my repertoire. Thanks for uploading!
Lucretia Guerin
Hey but is not alone
Mark
perfect before sleeping
ShyLivesMatter
The show Bored To Death & the movie The Hollars brought me here. Perfect to listen to for courage before reading a new Stephen King novel :-) Or talking to people, dealing with spiders, bullies, heights, the IRS, family - whatever your phobia(s) might be. And yes, I posted in another vid for this song, but after I did, I realized the last post (before mine) was like at least 2 years ago lol This song should be way more popular. Anyway, time to hear more Josh Ritter songs - off to Spotify I go (actually he had a bunch of songs in The Hollars for anyone curious) :-)
Sally Claire Wentworth
Josh Ritter produced the soundtrack for The Hollars , IMHO he did a brilliant job
Muhammad Yasir
well said
thanks
Joyful Yes
Found this in Next Up when I played Maddy Prior's very different song by the same name. Check that one out too.
Mark Snow
bored to death brought me here. :D such an under-rated show...
you tube
Mark Snow I'm with u on dat bored to death thing buddy your not alone