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)
The Stone
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Change your name
Rip the roots that you laid down
Rip the roots that you laid down
You'll keep your hurt
You'll keep your pain
Close company now
Close company now
Lying wide awake
In a different house
With different arms around you now
On a different street
In a different town
On the same old road
That the night comes down
That the night comes down
Love'll burn a hole
Through your human doubts
And free your heart from the stone
Free your heart from the stone
And the stone may roll
But it'll search you out
No matter where you go
It'll find you
Lying wide awake
In a different house
With different arms around you now
On a different street
In a different town
On the same old road
That the night comes down
On the same old road
That the night comes down
That the night comes down
The lyrics of Josh Ritter's "The Stone" are a haunting portrayal of the aftermath of heartbreak and the struggle to move on. The first verse advises the singer to make drastic changes in their life - to change their face, name, and even to rip out the roots they had established in their old life. Despite these actions, the hurt and pain remain close companions. The second verse describes the singer lying awake in a different place with a different person, but still on the same old road where the night comes down. The repetition of the phrase "on the same old road that the night comes down" hints at the idea that no matter where the singer goes or who they are with, their pain will follow them.
The lyrics take a more hopeful turn in the final verse as the singer reflects on the power of love to "burn a hole through your human doubts" and "free your heart from the stone." The metaphorical "stone" represents the emotional blockage that is preventing the singer from moving on, but the lyrics suggest that the power of love can break through it. However, the stone will always be searching for the singer and the pain they carry, even if they try to escape it.
Line by Line Meaning
Change your face
You need to hide your identity to escape your past.
Change your name
Changing your name will make it harder for people to trace you.
Rip the roots that you laid down
Cut ties with everything and everyone you knew, even if it hurts you.
You'll keep your hurt
You will not forget the pain you have experienced.
You'll keep your pain
The pain will stay with you, and you can't escape it.
Close company now
Your pain will be your only companion from now on.
Lying wide awake
You will not be able to sleep peacefully.
In a different house
You seek refuge in a new place.
With different arms around you now
You have found someone else to love, but it won't heal your pain.
On a different street
Your surroundings are different now, but you remain on the same path.
In a different town
You have left your past behind and started a new life somewhere else.
On the same old road
You will continue to follow the same path regardless of where you go.
That the night comes down
You will always feel the weight of your past even in darkness.
Love'll burn a hole
Love can be a powerful force that can break through any barrier.
Through your human doubts
Despite your doubts and fears, love can set you free.
And free your heart from the stone
Love can help you move on from your painful past.
And the stone may roll
Although you try to forget your past, it will never truly go away.
But it'll search you out
Your past will always find a way to catch up to you.
No matter where you go
You can run, but you can't hide from your past.
It'll find you
Your past will catch up to you, and you will have to confront it.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSH RITTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind