Kate left a secure career with a Nashville university to pursue music full-time. Her 1994 debut album "Songs From The Levee" was re-released in 2004. Her latest album "1000 Pound Machine" was released in 2012.
New Blues
Kate Campbell Lyrics
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On my roof tonight
Same ole feeling
Something just ain't right
Lord you know i could use
Some new blues
Same ole troubles
Same ole misery
Coming back for more
Right about now i could use
Some new blues
Same ole heartache
Since the day i was born
Same ole notes
From the same ole horn
Same ole tune
Rolling round my head
Will i have to hear it
Til the day i'm dead
Same ole dog
In the same ole pen
Round bout midnight
He'll be howling again
Lord i bet he could use
Some new blues
Lord sometimes
I feel like ole job
With all this suffering
Down here below
And i don't know
If it's fate or it's chance
But it just gets
So hard to understand (why the)
Same ole mockingbird
Is in the same ole tree
Same ole song
He keeps on singing to me
Don't he know i could use
Some new blues
The song "New Blues" by Kate Campbell is a solemn and introspective piece about feeling stuck in a rut, unable to escape from the same old feelings, problems and sorrows that have always been there. Despite the rain pouring outside and the dog howling at midnight, the real pain comes from within: same old heartache, same old notes from the same old horn, same old tune rolling round in the singer's head. She compares herself to Job from the Bible, a man who was tested by God with all sorts of afflictions, and wonders if her own suffering is part of a divine plan or just a cruel twist of fate. She longs for new blues, a fresh perspective, a spark of inspiration that could light up her soul and ease her worries, but she's not sure if such a thing even exists.
The lyrics of "New Blues" are filled with vivid images and metaphors that convey the sense of repetition and weariness that the singer is experiencing. The rain on her roof, the dog in his pen, the mockingbird in his tree, all seem to be part of a never-ending cycle that she can't break. The song has a slow and melancholic tempo, with acoustic guitar, piano and strings providing a soft and somber backdrop to the vocals. Campbell sings with a clear and plaintive voice, conveying both vulnerability and resilience, hopelessness and hope. The final line, "Don't he know I could use some new blues", suggests that even the mockingbird, with his endless repertoire of songs, can't provide the comfort or the change that the singer needs. It's a poignant and beautiful song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt stuck or lost or alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Same ole rain
It is raining like it always does
On my roof tonight
The rain is falling on the roof of the singer's house
Same ole feeling
The singer feels the same way she always does
Something just ain't right
The singer senses that there is something wrong with the world
Lord you know i could use
The singer is asking God for help
Some new blues
The singer wants to hear new music that reflects her current state of mind
Same ole troubles
The same problems keep happening to the singer
At my door
The singer's problems are always waiting for her
Same ole misery
The singer is always unhappy
Coming back for more
The singer's problems keep recurring
Right about now i could use
The singer wants something to change
Some new blues
The singer would like to hear music that reflects her current situation
Same ole heartache
The singer has been sad her whole life
Since the day i was born
The singer has always been sad
Same ole notes
The music she hears is always the same
From the same ole horn
The instrument playing the music is always the same
Same ole tune
The same melody repeats over and over in her head
Rolling round my head
The melody is persistent and won't leave her mind
Will i have to hear it
The singer is wondering if she is stuck with this sad melody forever
Til the day i'm dead
She is wondering if she will be sad her whole life
Same ole dog
The singer's dog always behaves the same way
In the same ole pen
The dog lives in the same place all the time
Round bout midnight
The time is late at night
He'll be howling again
The dog will howl like he always does
Lord i bet he could use
The singer is figuring the dog also wants something new in his life
Some new blues
The singer wants new music to reflect her current emotional state
Lord sometimes
The singer is again talking to God
I feel like ole job
The singer feels like the biblical character who suffered greatly
With all this suffering
The singer identifies with Job's experiences
Down here below
The singer is referring to the earthly realm
And i don't know
The singer is admitting she doesn't have all the answers
If it's fate or it's chance
She is questioning whether her sadness is predetermined or random
But it just gets
However, her sadness is growing stronger
So hard to understand (why the)
She can't understand why she is always sad
Same ole mockingbird
The singer is observing a bird that is always in the same spot
Is in the same ole tree
The mockingbird always sits in the same tree
Same ole song
The bird sings the same melody every time
He keeps on singing to me
The bird's melody is familiar to the singer
Don't he know i could use
The singer wants the bird to be aware of her situation
Some new blues
The singer feels that new music would reflect her current emotional state better
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.