Formed in 1999, t… Read Full Bio ↴Little Big Town is an American country music band.
Formed in 1999, the band has four members: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet. There is no lead singer in the band; instead, they trade lead vocal duties as well as rely on the harmonies of the four members.
Little Big Town's self-titled 2002 debut for Sony's Monument Records was panned critically and did not sell commercially. The album had only one minor hit single, "Don't Waste My Time," and it wasn't long before Little Big Town was dropped from the label.
Little Big Town resurfaced on the Equity Music Group label (formed by country singer Clint Black), and on October 4, 2005, released their second album, The Road to Here. The new album was well-received critically, and spawned the smash hit single "Boondocks." Three further singles were released from the album, including the Top 5 hit "Bring It on Home."
Their second album with the Equity label, A Place to Land, was released in 2007. Although, not long after its release, the label folded. Little Big Town then re-released the album a year later via Capitol Nashville. Two of the album's singles were minor Top 40 hits.
In 2010, the group returned with "Little White Church," the lead-off to their fourth studio album, The Reason Why, which was released on August 24, 2010.
We Went To The Beach
Little Big Town Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every year, the middle of June
We crammed into that Astro van
Tighter than a can of sardines
And we went to the beach
We fought in the back
And dad got mad
"Y'all smell the salt of the beach?"
Well, it was double beds
With a kitchenette
Bedspreads of sea-foam green
It was sunburns and taking turns
On boogie boards we'd bring
Even if we spent every single cent to stay across the street
We went to the beach
We mowed a few yards
I filled a coffee can with some Benjamins
Just a couple of friends
Barely seventeen
We went to the beach
And in the middle of March
Before real life start, partied so hard
We could hardly remember a thing
It was PBRs and tiki bars
Don't take my fake I.D
It was cigarettes, girls we just met
Making out on lifeguard seats
And those polaroids of me and the boys is all the proof I need
We went to the beach, oh yeah
Girl, don't you hate to leave
It's been one hell of a week
It was a vow, to you do I, "I do"
Babe, can you believe?
It was brand new tans
Brown-golden bands
Of sand all in the sheets
If I know you and me, we only get one of these
We went to the beach
And we went to the beach
We went to the beach
We went to the beach
The song "We Went To The Beach" by Little Big Town is a nostalgic ode to the memories made on annual family beach trips and wild spring break adventures. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the cramped Astro van trips, fights in the back, and overall sense of excitement that comes with going to the beach. The family trips are depicted as budget-friendly, staying in double beds with a kitchenette and spending all their money just to be near the beach. Despite the tight quarters and family drama, the joy of the beach and the memories they make together are worth it.
The second half of the song transitions to the experience of going to the beach as a teenager, where the desire for adventure overrides concerns of personal safety or long-term consequences. Partying hard, underage drinking, and making out with strangers all set to the backdrop of sunny tiki bars and sandy shorelines. While the song acknowledges the dangers and regrets of these wild times, the polaroids and memories made with friends are ultimately cherished proof of youth and adventure. The song ends with a romantic moment of getting married on the beach and taking in the beauty of it all.
Line by Line Meaning
We went to the beach
The singer and their family went to the beach as a tradition every year.
Every year, the middle of June
The family's trip to the beach always fell in the middle of June.
We crammed into that Astro van
The family had to squeeze into a small Astro van to make the trip.
Tighter than a can of sardines
The van was very crowded, with everyone packed in very tightly.
And we went to the beach
Despite the cramped conditions, the family still made it to the beach.
We fought in the back
The singer and their siblings argued and bickered in the back of the van.
And dad got mad
Their father became angry with them for fighting.
And mama rolled the windows down
Their mother tried to cool everyone down by rolling down the van's windows.
"Y'all smell the salt of the beach?"
Their mother pointed out the smell of the ocean to try to get everyone excited.
Well, it was double beds
Their accommodations at the beach included double beds.
With a kitchenette
Their room also had a small kitchen area.
Bedspreads of sea-foam green
The beds had bedspreads in a sea-foam green color.
It was sunburns and taking turns
The family would take turns using the boogie boards they brought, all while getting sunburnt.
On boogie boards we'd bring
The family brought their own boogie boards to use at the beach.
Even if we spent every single cent to stay across the street
The family would have spent all their money on the trip, even if they stayed in a hotel across the street from the beach.
We went to the beach
Despite the cost, the family always made sure to go to the beach every year.
We mowed a few yards
The artist and their friend worked by mowing lawns to save up money for the beach trip.
I filled a coffee can with some Benjamins
The singer saved their money in a coffee can, and managed to save a good amount.
Just a couple of friends
The singer and their friend saved up money for the trip together.
Barely seventeen
The artist and their friend were both around 17 years old when they saved up for the trip.
And in the middle of March
The artist and their friend partied hard in the middle of March, before the beach trip.
Before real life start, partied so hard
The artist and their friend partied hard, just before the start of adulthood and real responsibilities.
We could hardly remember a thing
The indulgence in partying made it difficult for the singer and their friend to remember what happened.
It was PBRs and tiki bars
The partying included drinking PBR beer at tiki bars.
Don't take my fake I.D
The singer was underage and relied on a fake ID to buy alcohol.
It was cigarettes, girls we just met
The partying included smoking cigarettes and meeting new girls.
Making out on lifeguard seats
The new girls the singer met were willing to make out with them on the lifeguard seats.
And those polaroids of me and the boys is all the proof I need
The artist has polaroids of the memories with their friends, and that's all they need to remember the good times they had.
We went to the beach, oh yeah
After saving up and partying, the artist and their friend made it to the beach.
Girl, don't you hate to leave
The singer doesn't want to leave the beach.
It's been one hell of a week
The time spent at the beach has been amazing.
It was a vow, to you do I, "I do"
The beach trip included a wedding and vows between two people.
Babe, can you believe?
The artist is amazed by the wedding and can't believe it really happened at the beach.
It was brand new tans
The artist and their partner got brand new tans while at the beach.
Brown-golden bands
The tans they got are brown-golden in color, like bands around their arms.
Of sand all in the sheets
There is sand in the sheets from being at the beach and getting sunburnt.
If I know you and me, we only get one of these
The singer knows that they might only get one chance to have an experience like this with their partner.
We went to the beach
Overall, the song is about positive memories of going to the beach every year and making the most of each trip.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATT JENKINS, RICHARD CHASE MCGILL, LAURA JEANNE VELTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind