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.
O.K
Local H Lyrics
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I could cry myself to death
And wash this all away
In a flash you were gone
Leaving me a couple of songs
That I listen to everyday
And I don't even care
That you were so unfair
Save up our tears
Catalog all our fears
Give into the stretching years
Your words hit me just last night
When I saw it with the after sight
What was on your mind
Too late to ever change
Things go a little bit strange
You were too far behind
And the reasons I have to live
Are the reasons that you would give
To throw it all away
Save and freeze up our tears
Catalog all our fears
Give into the stretching years
But that's OK
And I can't understand
Why you folded with a winning hand
And decided to throw the bet
I just can't believe you'd leave
With an ace sticking up your sleeve
You could have paid off your debts
And I don't even care
That you were so unfair
I worshiped one time at your feet
Never heard what was said
All nerve ends are dead
Tinitus ringing in my head
Save and freeze up our tears
Catalog all our fears
Give into the stretching years
Drown in my tears
Succumb to my fears
Give into the stretching years
But that's O.K.
I'm not O.K.
But that's O.K.
The lyrics of "O.K." by Local H convey the emotions of heartbreak, sadness, anger, and confusion caused by a lover who has left. The singer is in pain and feels like crying himself to death but also feels like washing the pain away. The one who left left behind a couple of songs that the singer listens to every day. This seems to give him some solace, but he still feels hurt and does not understand why he was left behind. He reflects on how he worshiped and put his love interest on a pedestal, only to be treated unfairly. However, he still can't help but hold on to the reasons he had to live, which were the same as the reasons his lover gave him.
The singer understands that things can't be changed now, and he tries to come to terms with it. He mentions things going a little strange, implying that the relationship may have been rocky for a while. He wishes that he could understand why his lover decided to "fold with a winning hand" and "throw the bet" by leaving him. He feels betrayed by the fact that his lover left with an ace up their sleeve, as if they were always planning to leave him in the end. He reflects that all he can hear now is tinnitus ringing in his head, implying that the pain has become a constant and unending part of his life. Nevertheless, he understands that this is just the way things are, and he tries to accept it as "O.K."
Line by Line Meaning
Drawing a collective breath
Taking a deep breath to try and hold back tears
I could cry myself to death
Feeling so emotional that the singer feels they could cry until they die
And wash this all away
Wanting to forget everything and move on
In a flash you were gone
The person the artist cared about left suddenly without warning
Leaving me a couple of songs
The only thing left behind by the person were a few songs that the artist listens to every day
That I listen to everyday
The songs are a constant reminder of the person who left
And I don't even care
The singer has reached a point where they no longer care about the person who left
That you were so unfair
The person who left was unfair in their actions
I worshiped one time at your feet
The artist deeply admired the person who left
Save up our tears
Trying to hold back tears to deal with later
Catalog all our fears
Keeping track of all the things that scare the singer
Give into the stretching years
Letting time pass and accepting the things that come with it
Your words hit me just last night
The singer was reminded of something the person who left said and it affected them emotionally
When I saw it with the after sight
The singer is looking back on things and now sees something they didn't before
What was on your mind
Wondering what caused the person to leave
Too late to ever change
It's too late to change the situation
Things go a little bit strange
Things got weird or awkward
You were too far behind
The person who left was too far away or too different from the singer
And the reasons I have to live
The things that motivate the singer to keep on living
Are the reasons that you would give
The things that the person who left would use to inspire the artist to keep going
To throw it all away
The person who left gave up on everything and left
But that's OK
Despite all of the things that happened, everything will be alright
And I can't understand
The singer can't comprehend why the person who left did what they did
Why you folded with a winning hand
Why the person who left gave up when they had a seemingly good situation
And decided to throw the bet
The person who left took a big risk by leaving
I just can't believe you'd leave
The singer is still in disbelief that the person left
With an ace sticking up your sleeve
The person who left had an advantage that they could have used to stay instead of leaving
You could have paid off your debts
The person who left had unfinished business that they could have resolved before leaving
Never heard what was said
The artist didn't fully understand or listen to the person who left
All nerve ends are dead
The singer is emotionally numb or detached from their feelings
Tinitus ringing in my head
The singer has a persistent, distracting noise in their ears/head
Drown in my tears
Feeling overwhelmed with emotion and crying a lot
Succumb to my fears
Feeling like the things the artist is scared of are starting to control their life
But that's O.K.
Despite all of the emotions and struggles, everything will be alright
I'm not O.K.
The singer is still struggling with everything that happened
But that's O.K.
Despite not being alright now, things will be alright eventually
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID SCOTT LUCAS, JOSEPH DANILES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind