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.
Time
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
I'm kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find, ten years have got behind
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
I'm shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
When I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
It's good to warm my bones (x2)
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Hey (x4)
Local H's song "Time" speaks to the passage of time and the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous routine. The first stanza describes the singer as wasting time and waiting for guidance. The second stanza warns the listener not to waste their youth because time flies by quickly, and before you know it, a decade has passed. The third stanza speaks to the frustration of feeling like there is not enough time in a day and how often plans don't come to fruition. The final stanza touches on the comfort of returning home and warming up by the fire.
Overall, "Time" serves as a warning to listeners to avoid getting stuck in a cycle of unfulfillment and to make the most of their limited time on Earth. The use of time-related analogies, such as catching up with the sinking sun and the shortening of breath, further emphasize the importance of utilizing the time we have.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
I'm wasting precious time doing nothing that excites me, slowly making the day feel mundane and boring.
I'm fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
I'm carelessly using up my time, not really accomplishing anything meaningful or productive.
I'm kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
I'm aimlessly wandering around in your hometown, feeling lost and unsure of my direction in life.
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Hoping for some kind of guidance or inspiration to help me figure out my life's purpose and find my way.
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
You're still young and have a lot of time ahead of you, so you don't need to worry too much about wasting time today.
And then one day you find, ten years have got behind
Before you know it, ten years have passed and you realize you haven't been actively pursuing your goals or making the most of your time.
You know one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
Nobody gave you instructions on how to start achieving your dreams, and as a result, you feel like you've fallen behind on chasing them.
Racing around to come up behind you again
You're in a hurry to catch up and make up for lost time, but it feels like time keeps slipping away from you.
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Time seems to be moving faster as I get older, and I can never seem to find enough of it to do everything I want to do.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
I have a lot of unfulfilled plans and ideas, many of which I never even started on or didn't follow through with.
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
Stoically bearing my struggles and challenges without letting others see me struggle is considered a common trait of people from England.
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Time has passed me by, and I feel like there was more I could have accomplished or said during that time.
It's good to warm my bones (x2)
Being next to a fire and feeling the warmth on my body is comforting and soothing.
Hey (x4)
A casual, almost dismissive verbal expression that could convey different things based on tone or context.
Contributed by Taylor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.