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.
Tame Me
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm Framed in love again
Peekin at the end
Baby wants to tame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'd make a happy home
But only if she tames me
I'm driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and forth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and forth I sway
I guess I'll never be what she sees in me
Baby wants to tame me
Blame
She knows somethings wrong
She's seen it all along
But she don't want to blame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'd make a happy home
Baby wants to tame me
Hey
Driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and forth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and forth I sway
I'm driving her away away away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and forth I sway
Yea
I guess I'll never be what you'll see in me
Baby wants to tame me
In "Tame Me," Local H's lyrics are filled with a sense of frustration and confusion about the singer's love life. He is framed in love again, peeking at the end, and his partner wants to tame him, but he is hesitant to allow her to do so. The singer is afraid of living his life alone and acknowledges that his partner could make a happy home, but only if she can tame him. The chorus emphasizes the repetition of driving her away and nothing good can stay, indicating that he is aware that their relationship may not work out, and he is causing a rift between them.
Line by Line Meaning
Framed
I feel trapped and stuck in love again.
I'm Framed in love again
I'm stuck in love again, like a prisoner in a frame.
Peekin at the end
I'm looking at how the relationship will end.
Baby wants to tame me
My partner wants to control and change me.
So afraid to live her life alone
My partner is scared to be alone and wants me to stay with her.
She'd make a happy home
My partner believes that we could be happy together.
But only if she tames me
She believes that she needs to control me for us to be happy.
Hey
Listen to me.
I'm driving her away
My actions are pushing my partner away.
Black and white to gray
Our relationship has lost its clarity and direction.
Back and forth I'll sway
I'm indecisive and unsure about what I want.
Nothing good can stay
The good things in our relationship won't last forever.
I guess I'll never be what she sees in me
I don't think I can be the person she wants me to be.
Blame
My partner knows something is wrong and needs to place blame.
She knows somethings wrong
My partner is aware of the problems in our relationship.
But she don't want to blame me
My partner doesn't want to hold me responsible for our issues.
Hey
Listen to me.
I'm driving her away away away
My actions are pushing my partner further and further away.
Yea
Yes, it's true.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN W., DAVID SCOTT LUCAS, ST. CLAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Silver
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Framed
I'm framed in love again
Peekin' at the end
Baby wants to tame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'd make her happy home
But only if she tames me, hey
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Hey
I'm driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
[Chorus 1]
I guess I'll never be what she sees in me
Baby wants to tame me
[Verse 2]
Blame
She knows somethings wrong
She's seen it all along
But she don't want to blame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'll make her happy home
Baby wants to tame
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Hey
Driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away, away, away
[Pre-Chorus 3]
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
Yeah
[Chorus 3]
I guess I'll never be what you see in
I guess I'll never be what you see in
I guess I'll never be what you see in me
Baby wants to tame me
Pretzel Girl
Local H is so marvelous. Seen them live so many times, every time Scott starts out aloof, and then just fucking gets into it. This song is epic.
Silver
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Framed
I'm framed in love again
Peekin' at the end
Baby wants to tame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'd make her happy home
But only if she tames me, hey
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Hey
I'm driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
[Chorus 1]
I guess I'll never be what she sees in me
Baby wants to tame me
[Verse 2]
Blame
She knows somethings wrong
She's seen it all along
But she don't want to blame me
So afraid to live her life alone
She'll make her happy home
Baby wants to tame
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Hey
Driving her away
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
I'm driving her away, away, away
[Pre-Chorus 3]
Hey
Nothing good can stay
Black and white to gray
Back and fourth I'll sway
Yeah
[Chorus 3]
I guess I'll never be what you see in
I guess I'll never be what you see in
I guess I'll never be what you see in me
Baby wants to tame me
Eric Ford
FEB 2019 still jamming me some LOCAL H !!
Billythekid
Not like they are dead lol Local H still tours man
Jody McDougle
End of December 2020, listening to them now more than ever. 🦄⛄💓
dragonhugger16
Its great that they didn't radically change their sound with the new millennium, like some bands of whom I've gone back and listened to more recent albums. I'm just not that wild about Beck's more recent work and I came here from the latest STP. Too much Country Rock influence, in my opinion. But this still has that nice, mellow-to-bitter edge I like in my grunge rock.
Ulysses
Umm, STP's newest work is quite reminiscent of their work during the 90s. Tiny Music and Talk Show. (Tiny Music also happens to be their best work soooo)
Possjames Fort
This song is so good I can't stop listening to it 12th time tonight
Jane Eliot
This is great :D So glad I found the H.
BadMoonRisin
Wow. I'm shocked. Local H are the most underrated band of all time. Only a handful of views. 😦😢ðŸ˜