Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Heaven on the Way Down
Local H Lyrics
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Talk about a prime piece of real estate
Heading all the way down
Yeah, you know it's falling like an interest rate
Jesus calls it even
You can have your heart back,
No questions asked
A temporary way out
Sweet relief
Pulling teeth
Soldiers spy a tinker, tailor, junkie, thief
Holding on
It won't be long
Heavens on the way down
Heavens on the way down
Thinking that it's over
The tarnished schemes of angels
Nothing like a cherub with a dirty face
Figure all the angles
Brother kill your brother for a parking space
Jesus calls it even
You can have it all back if you want
Cause heavens on the way down
Yeah, heavens on the way down
Burn the flag
Yeah burn it black
Jackie Earle Haleys comet coming back
Solider on
You read me wrong
Heavens on the way down
Heavens on the way down
Sweet relief
Falling free
I can spy a tinker, tailor, junkie, thief
Speed of sound it's coming around
Heavens on the way down
Heavens on the way down
Thinking that it's over
It's over, it's over, it's over
"Heaven on the Way Down" by Local H is a song that reflects on the ruin and downfall of an individual, society or even a nation. The song portrays the loss of hope, failure, and disorientation that one goes through when everything seems to be falling apart. The first stanza begins with an analogy of how prime real estate turns into a deserted place, accompanied by a falling interest rate. The line "Heaven's on the way down" suggests that heaven itself is following suit and there's no saving grace. The singer is acquainted with the inevitable doom and is experienced and resilient hence "it's a temporary way out". The repeated line "Sweet relief" can be seen as a commentary on how people can find comfort in the inevitability of destruction, as if they can take solace in knowing that things are going to end soon. The imagery of a soldier, a spy, a tinker, tailor, junkie, and thief confirms that all kinds of individuals are affected by the decay of society, even those who usually seem immune to it.
The chorus of the song reiterates the idea of heaven being on the way down, further emphasizing how everything is falling apart. The line "Thinking that it's over" could imply that some have given up hope and have resigned themselves to the end times. The second stanza turns more philosophical as it delves into the idea of angels being tarnished, and that they're not as perfect as they seem. The line "Nothing like a cherub with a dirty face" indicates that even the divine is corrupted in a way. The phrase "Jesus calls it even" can be seen as the singer asking for forgiveness but being told that everyone is in the same boat, and no one is better than anyone else. It's also about accepting that there's nothing one can do to change the inevitable, and they might as well give up trying to fix it. The line "Burn the flag" can be seen as an act of surrender or protest, or both. This is further illustrated in "Soldier on, you read me wrong" which could suggest that the destruction is coming from within and is a result of society's own faults.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven on the way down
The concept of heaven is falling apart and losing its glory.
Talk about a prime piece of real estate
Heaven was considered a precious and valuable entity that is now losing its worth.
Heading all the way down
The downfall of heaven is inevitable.
Yeah, you know it's falling like an interest rate
The glory of heaven is falling rapidly just like the decreasing value of an interest rate.
Jesus calls it even
Jesus is willing to forgive and return the heart of those who ask for it.
You can have your heart back,
People can ask for the return of their heart, which they may have given away.
No questions asked
Jesus would not question the reasons behind why the heart was given away and will return it without any doubts.
A temporary way out
Returning the heart is only a temporary solution to a bigger problem that needs to be addressed.
Yeah heavens on the way down
The downfall of heaven is happening rapidly.
Sweet relief
There is a sense of relief in knowing that heaven is coming to an end.
Pulling teeth
Getting over and accepting the end of heaven might be difficult, similar to a painful ordeal of pulling teeth.
Soldiers spy a tinker, tailor, junkie, thief
Even those in the military and law enforcement may struggle and have nefarious qualities.
Holding on
People are still refusing to let go despite heaven's downfall being inevitable.
It won't be long
The downfall of heaven will happen shortly and soon be over.
The tarnished schemes of angels
The once pure and perfect angels are now corrupted and their plans are flawed.
Nothing like a cherub with a dirty face
Even the adorable and innocent-looking cherubs may have dirt in their faces, signifying impurity.
Figure all the angles
Everyone is trying to look for angles to benefit themselves despite heaven's downfall.
Brother kill your brother for a parking space
People are willing to harm their own family members for trivial and materialistic things such as a parking space.
You can have it all back if you want
People can regain whatever they have lost if they are willing to return to their faith in God.
Cause heavens on the way down
The downfall of heaven is happening rapidly.
Burn the flag
Even the symbols of faith such as the flag are being burnt in the face of heaven's downfall.
Yeah burn it black
Even the previously white flag is now becoming black, signifying loss of purity.
Jackie Earle Haleys comet coming back
This could be an allusion to a fast approaching disaster or a metaphor for the end of the world.
Solider on
Despite the downfall of heaven, people should continue to persevere and fight onwards.
You read me wrong
Misunderstandings may happen, and people may not entirely understand what's really going on during the end of the world events.
Falling free
As heaven comes to an end, there is a sense of falling and drifting away.
I can spy a tinker, tailor, junkie, thief
People with varied backgrounds and from different walks of life may struggle to cope with the end of the world events.
Speed of sound it's coming around
The end of the world is coming quickly and with great speed, unstoppable.
Thinking that it's over
Despite the chaos and destruction, some people may still believe that there is hope and think that everything is over.
It's over, it's over, it's over
The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the hopelessness and finality of what's happening.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN ST. CLAIR, DAVID SCOTT LUCAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind