Lowell George met Bill Payne when George was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Payne had auditioned for the Mothers, but had not joined. They formed Little Feat along with former Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richie Hayward from George's previous band, the Factory. The name of the band came from a comment made by Mothers' drummer Jimmy Carl Black about Lowell's "little feet." The spelling of "feat" was an homage to The Beatles.
Their first two albums received nearly universal critical acclaim, and "Willin'" became a standard, subsequently popularized by its inclusion on Linda Ronstadt's album Heart Like a Wheel.
While touring in support of his solo album in June 1979, at the age of 34, George collapsed in his hotel room in Arlington, Virginia. The surviving members finished and released the Little Feat album "Down on the Farm" before disbanding.
The surviving former members of Little Feat reformed in 1987 when Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward and Bill Payne added songwriter/vocalist Craig Fuller, formerly from the band Pure Prairie League (who also provided some rhythm guitar), and Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet.
With a seemingly constant tour schedule, Little Feat is easily one of the hardest-working and enduring bands in the industry today. With a history that spans more than 30 years, Little Feat is regarded by many rock music critics as a "band's band", and as one of the greatest rock bands in American rock music history. Best known for their combination of California rock and Dixie-inflected funk-boogie, they craftily blend folk, blues, rockabilly, country and jazz to create a unique style all their own, garnering a faithful grass-roots following. Simply put, Little Feat's sound transcends traditional music boundaries and they offer fans an unforgettable live performance.
Richie Hayward became the second founding member of the band to die, passing from pneumonia and other complications of lung disease on August 18, 2010.
Trouble
Little Feat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Class ring promise and a shotgun kiss
Blue jean smoke and backseat dreams
Made kids in love believe anything
She can't feel rain in July without thinking about him
And he can't see top down old jeeps without thinking about her
We love how forever begins
She thought love was a pretty white dress
He thought the work was done when she said yes
Three hundred people heard her say I do
But there was no one there when he said we're through
And she can't help sometimes wishing they could start over
And he knows there's so many things that he should've told her
We love how forever begins
But the trouble with forever is it always ends
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
He holds her hand as she says goodbye
Fifty years in the blink of an eye
As close to forever as you'll ever get
The trouble with forever is it always ends
The lyrics of Little Feat's song "Trouble" speak of the paradoxical nature of love and its longevity. The song begins with an optimistic tone, describing the intense young love between two people who feel that nothing can ever tear them apart. The lyrics depict two people who are completely enamored with each other, with the ability to convince themselves that everything will always go their way. They share a blue jean smoke and backseat dreams, and believe anything is possible.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes apparent that even the most intense love can falter. The couple in the lyrics ultimately split, despite being sure that their love would endure, and they are left with the bittersweet memories of the past. The song's final lines, "The trouble with forever is it always ends," speak to the idea that no matter how sure we are of our love or how committed we are, nothing in life is eternal.
This song is a timeless tale about love and relationships, showing that even the strongest ties can be broken. The lyrics of "Trouble" serve as a reminder that love is a complex and fragile thing that requires constant work and care to maintain. The song speaks to the human experience of being hopeful and taking risks, only to realize that love can be fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
She said forever's gonna be like this
She expressed her belief that forever will stay as it is and never change.
Class ring promise and a shotgun kiss
They made a promise of forever when they were young and foolishly in love.
Blue jean smoke and backseat dreams
Their passion was ignited during their teenage years, filled with cigarettes and lustful fantasy
Made kids in love believe anything
Their love was so strong that it made them believe in anything possible.
She can't feel rain in July without thinking about him
She associates rain in July with the memories of him and their love.
And he can't see top down old jeeps without thinking about her
He remembers her every time he sees a top down old jeep.
We love how forever begins
We are drawn in with excitement as the lovers start their journey together, full of hope and happiness.
But the trouble with forever is it always ends, oh
The downside of forever is that it doesn't always last. It has an ending that is often sorrowful.
She thought love was a pretty white dress
Her idea of love was a beautiful and perfect white dress, full of hope and possibility.
He thought the work was done when she said yes
He believed that once she said yes, everything else would fall into place and their love would be perfect.
Three hundred people heard her say I do
Their wedding was a grand affair, with many people in attendance.
But there was no one there when he said we're through
When they ended things, they were the only ones present, no family or friends could have stopped the inevitable end.
And she can't help sometimes wishing they could start over
Occasionally, she dreams that they can go back and fix things, but she knows it's impossible.
And he knows there's so many things that he should've told her
He regrets not expressing his love to her and knows he should have told her more.
We love how forever begins
Similar to the earlier line, we love the start of forever, the beginning of something special and unique.
But the trouble with forever is it always ends
Again, we are reminded that forever doesn't last, and that is often a problem.
He holds her hand as she says goodbye
As they say their final goodbyes, he holds her hand, comfortingly.
Fifty years in the blink of an eye
Their love spanned fifty years, but it feels as if it passed in an instant.
As close to forever as you'll ever get
While their love was not forever, they did last a long time, and it appeared as close to forever as they could have ever gotten.
The trouble with forever is it always ends
Finally, we are reminded of the main message of the song, that forever, no matter how close, will always end.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jason Cole Saenz, Marc Beeson, Sara Haze
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Representing the Mambo
Heard this song right before I had to go on a buiness trip to Rio. The progression of the song up the mountainside to the dangerous favelas above the city to the isolated hidden samba clubs make this song a trip you can truly take in your mind to that place.