Rouse lived in various places in Midwest America during his childhood due to his father's military career. Following his time at Austin Peay State University, he eventually settled down in Tennessee, where he met some local musicians and began recording. Signing to the Rykodisc subsidiary Slow River, in 1998, Rouse issued his debut album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, to widespread critical acclaim; upon settling in Nashville, he was befriended by Kurt Wagner, frontman of the endlessly brilliant chamber country group Lambchop, and in the fall of 1999, the two singers/songwriters issued a collaborative EP, Chester.
Rouse's second solo LP, Home, appeared the following spring and was followed by Under the Cold Blue Stars in 2002. For his next record Rouse hooked up with producer Brad Jones and the resulting album in 2003, 1972, was both a homage to the soft rock sounds of Rouse's youth and an opening up and deepening of his sound. Before the release of his next album, Rouse's marriage ended and he moved from Nashville to Spain. This spawned 2004's Nashville, an example of his versatile musical talent, featuring a blend of Rock, Jazz and Ballad. It served as a farewell to both the city and his marriage; it was also his most fully realized record to date. This album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005 (#80).
Rouse's next album, called Subtitulo, was released March 21, 2006 in which his move to Spain was evident.It marked a further finessing of his sound and a move towards the music of an early Paul Simon.
2007 saw a rather busy year for Rouse. He started off supporting John Mayer on a series of his Winter Tour dates. Not soon after, he released a joint EP with his girlfriend Paz Suay, under the moniker of She's Spanish, I'm American. At the end of July, Rouse released his 7th LP, Country Mouse, Cit y House. The record marked a detour from Subtitulo, offering a fuller, more instrumental sound, which appeared to divide both critics and fans. Rouse toured extensively worldwide to support the album.
He released "El Turista" in February 2010 and "The Happiness Waltz" in 2013.
www.joshrouse.com
Ugly Stories
Josh Rouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bye bye
Sorry look in your eye
Doesn't mean a thing
So long
We shared beds
Now it comes to an end
With such a saddened eye
'Cause I've heard stories
Ugly stories
And no one can deny
They were true
They were true
And while I was away
You were working
Every day
So it seemed
Phone calls
Regrets
Everyone placed bets
On odds I couldn't see
'Cause I've heard stories
Ugly stories
No one can deny
And I've heard stories
Ugly stories
And no one can deny
They were true
They were true
They were true
They were true
Believe in your doubts
'Cause I found out
You can never
Trust in anyone
Here in the South
I call you out
You can never
Trust in anyone
At least not for long
Next time
You're in town
Don't bother coming round
You're not welcome anymore
Unfair
So unkind
That I wasted my time
On such a silly dream
'Cause I've heard stories
Ugly stories
And no one can deny
And I've heard stories
They're ugly stories
And no one can deny
They were true
They were true
They were true
They were true
In Josh Rouse's song "Ugly Stories," the singer is bidding farewell to someone. The person he is saying goodbye to has a "sorry look" in their eye, but this doesn't affect him- he's ending things with the person anyways. The pair shared beds, but now their relationship has come to an end. The singer has heard "ugly stories" about this person that he believes to be true, and these stories have ultimately lead to the demise of their relationship.
The song is about the breakdown of trust in a relationship. The singer once had faith in the other person but is now disillusioned. The lyrics portray a sense of sadness, regret, and perhaps even betrayal. The final verse is particularly impactful, as the singer warns the other person not to come around anymore because they are no longer welcome.
Overall, "Ugly Stories" is a powerful song about the effects of dishonesty and the importance of trust in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Farewell
Goodbye, we are parting ways
Bye bye
A casual way of saying Goodbye
Sorry look in your eye
You look apologetic, but I don't believe your apology
Doesn't mean a thing
Your apology holds no value anymore
So long
An idiomatic way of saying Goodbye
We shared beds
We used to sleep together
Now it comes to an end
Our relationship is ending
With such a saddened eye
You look regretful, but it's too late
'Cause I've heard stories
I have heard rumors about you
Ugly stories
The rumors are negative and disturbing
And no one can deny
The rumors are true and cannot be ignored
They were true
The rumors were not false
And while I was away
When I was not around
You were working
You were busy doing something and I wasn't there to witness it
Every day
Consistently, on a daily basis
So it seemed
That is the impression I had at that time
Phone calls
We communicated over the phone
Regrets
I feel bad for the situation we are in
Everyone placed bets
People had predictions about the outcome of our relationship
On odds I couldn't see
I was not aware of the factors that influenced our relationship
Believe in your doubts
If you have doubts, don't dismiss them
'Cause I found out
I discovered something
You can never
It is impossible
Trust in anyone
To have complete faith in someone is unrealistic
Here in the South
This location is unspecified but likely a region within the southern United States
I call you out
I am pointing out your wrongdoing
You're not welcome anymore
I don't want you to be a part of my life anymore
Unfair
The way you treated me was not just
So unkind
Your actions were cruel and hurtful
That I wasted my time
I invested time and energy into our relationship for no reason
On such a silly dream
I had a foolish, unrealistic hope for the future
They were true
The rumors were not false
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Josh Rouse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind