Wrapped delicately in the softly woven fabric of Holt’s songs can be a calm, comforting place. That is, until the incendiary thrashing of Orebaugh’s dancing fingers turn your veins from rivers of life to a roaring tidal wave of energy. And when the duo is matched with the rhythm section of Boyd Littel on bass and Giovanni Carnuccio on drums you can’t help but feel like that coyote, howling at his muse, the moon.
Mama Sweet first began as a fellowship of the love of a good song. A love of how those vibrations, when paired and curved just right, can make you forget everything and just simply understand each other. From that love, and the drawing power of Holt’s mother’s sweet tea, was born a brotherhood. So began Mama Sweet.
After playing together in a previous band, the Blue Collar Cartel, Holt and Orebaugh were soon complimented with the skills of two drummers. Carnuccio, who Holt hired at the juice shop where he worked, and Littel who had made a name for himself laying down beats and rhymes for local Psychedelic New- Jazz group The Ills. Their first gig came in the spring of 2002, opening for the Hosty Duo in Norman, Oklahoma. A show they refer to as ‘a nod from the King.’
After a drive to Texas to record an album that never saw post-production, the band started selling burned copies of their music and playing gigs in Oklahoma. The music began to grow, but so did tensions in the band. Holt needed a break, and consequently so did everyone else. He packed his bags and headed to New York City. “The move was prompted by the call of the road and the ache of the heart, simple as that,” Holt said.
Holt’s brash move to relocate to the big city brought on a strong sense of place for the Oklahoma native. Looking back to the red dirt of Oklahoma from the grey streets of New York made him restless and homesick. But from great suffering comes great art. His stint in NYC spawned some of the band’s best songs, like fan favorites “First Last Stand” and “Whiskey Breath.”
After only nine months in the Big Apple Holt returned to Oklahoma and his musical brethren. Mama Sweet fell back into place and their first professionally recorded and mastered album "Welcome to the Well. . ." was completed.
Welcome to the Well is a perfect mixture of the dulcet nature of the country ballad and the intoxicatingly seditious movements of rock. Holt’s voice is unwavering and the level at which Orebaugh plays his guitar rivals the best that have ever played. Never before has an album embodied the nature and beauty of Oklahoma with such vigor and determination. All one has to do to feel as alive as a coyote howling at the moon is simply press play.
Sara
Mama Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sara walks along the beach
Holding hands with me
Smiling as we go
Said that she is so in love
And I'm staring at my feet
Wondering how to spell her name
Sara don't know
It takes a lot of love to live a lie
I've often told
And when I go
I will leave between the middle of the night
That's when I'll go
Sara's only seventeen
And I'm barely twenty-one
Too young to be a man
Now its time for me to go
And I have to let her know
Well I hope she understands
Sara don't know
It takes a lot of love to live a lie
That I've often told
And when I go
I will leave between the middle of the night
That's when I'll go
Now I'm walking on the beach
Salty summer breeze
Broken heart in tow
Then the moment our eyes meet
She smiles back at me
As I begin to spell her name
Sara don't know
It takes a lot of love to live a lie
That I'm often told
And when I go
I will leave between the middle of the night
The song "Sara" by Mama Sweet is a poignant tale of a young couple in love, where Sara is just 17 years old and the singer is 21. Sara walks along the beach holding hands with the singer, while he stares at his feet and wonders how to spell her name, indicating his nervousness and uncertainty about the relationship. Despite Sara's professed love, the singer seems to have doubts about their future together, saying that it takes a lot of love to live a lie. He plans to leave in the middle of the night, implying that he wants to end the relationship without causing too much pain.
The chorus of the song, repeating the phrase "Sara don't know, it takes a lot of love to live a lie," highlights the internal conflict the singer is facing. He wants to spare Sara's feelings but also recognizes the need to be honest with her. However, in the end, their love triumphs and they reconcile as he gazes into her eyes and spells her name. The lyrics evoke a sense of bittersweet nostalgia, capturing the complexities of young love and the difficulty of making tough choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Sara walks along the beach
Sara is strolling on the seashore with me.
Holding hands with me
We are holding hands while walking on the sand.
Smiling as we go
She seems happy and content with our company.
Said that she is so in love
Sara confessed her love for me.
And I'm staring at my feet
I am feeling unsure and nervous about something.
Wondering how to spell her name
I am concerned because I don't know how to spell Sara's name correctly.
Sara don't know
Sara is unaware of something important.
It takes a lot of love to live a lie
It is difficult to continue pretending to love someone when you don't.
I've often told
I have mentioned several times before.
And when I go
When I leave this place.
I will leave between the middle of the night
I will depart secretly in the middle of the night.
That's when I'll go
That is the time that I have chosen to leave.
Sara's only seventeen
Sara is very young, only 17 years old.
And I'm barely twenty-one
I am not much older than Sara, I'm only 21.
Too young to be a man
I feel that I am not yet mature enough to handle a serious relationship.
Now its time for me to go
It's time for me to leave this place.
And I have to let her know
I need to inform Sara about my decision to leave.
Well I hope she understands
I wish that she will comprehend my reasoning.
Now I'm walking on the beach
I am now walking alone on the seashore.
Salty summer breeze
I feel the salty wind blowing on my face during this summer season.
Broken heart in tow
I am heartbroken and dragging my emotions behind me.
Then the moment our eyes meet
When our eyes finally met each other's glances.
She smiles back at me
Sara responds with a smile on her lips.
As I begin to spell her name
I start spelling Sara's name out loud for her.
Contributed by Gabriel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.