The Mild High Club is a psychedelic pop group helmed by Alexander Brettin, … Read Full Bio ↴The Mild High Club is a psychedelic pop group helmed by Alexander Brettin, a Los Angeles-based musician who originally hailed from Chicago. The group’s sound is pleasantly woozy and laid-back, but shows a subtle attention to detail without being excessive or indulgent. Brettin began working on Mild High Club material in 2012 by himself, using guitars, keyboards, computers, and a 4-track recorder, and shuttling between Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. Along the way, he met several musicians across the nation who contributed to his album and backed him up during live gigs. Mild High Club signed to Stones Throw at the end of 2014, and a 7″ single, “Windowpane,” was released in early 2015. The group’s debut album, Timeline, appeared later in the year on the label’s newly formed Circle Star Records imprint. ~ Paul Simpson

Cary Me Back
Mild High Club Lyrics

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cary me back
bury the hatch, pushing a tack in LA detach this beaten path
i'm losing track of all the days i'm wasting on winning one thought
i'm a real player but i forgot all the rearranging my Gordian knot.
cary me back, show me my past
looking through rose glass
missing my ma, missing my pa
i'm losing track of all the day i've wasted in hollywood land

all the cars and pavement driving me mad
but theres still a place i understand
yes i must be patient

playing this band, got a couple aces
maybe a chance, but the lonely feeling... is it gonna last?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Cary Me Back" by Mild High Club depict the singer's experience of feeling lost and disconnected from his roots while living in the bustling city of Los Angeles. The opening lines "cary me back, bury the hatch, pushing a tack in LA detach this beaten path," suggest a desire to distance oneself from the fast-paced, cut-throat culture of LA and return to a simpler, more grounded way of life. The reference to "burying the hatch" also has a double meaning; it can mean to put an end to a conflict or to literally bury something.

The lyrics go on to explore the singer's feelings of disorientation and confusion: "i'm losing track of all the days i'm wasting on winning one thought i'm a real player but i forgot all the rearranging my Gordian knot." The Gordian knot reference is a nod to the legend of Alexander the Great, who was said to have solved an intricate knot puzzle by simply cutting through it with his sword. The singer seems to be struggling with the complexity of his own life, and wondering if there is a simpler solution.

The chorus then shifts to a more nostalgic tone, as the singer longs for the simplicity of his childhood: "cary me back, show me my past looking through rose glass missing my ma, missing my pa." The image of looking through "rose glass" rather than "rose-colored glasses" suggests a degree of distortion, as memories from the past can be rose-tinted and unreliable. The singer is aware of this but still longs for the comfort of his childhood home.

Overall, "Cary Me Back" is a poignant meditation on the tension between ambition and nostalgia, and the pull of one's roots in the face of overwhelming change.

Line by Line Meaning

cary me back
Request to go back in time to revisit past experiences

bury the hatch, pushing a tack in LA detach this beaten path
Leave behind the old past mistakes and create a new path away from Los Angeles

i'm losing track of all the days i'm wasting on winning one thought
Getting consumed by one idea to the detriment of everything else

i'm a real player but i forgot all the rearranging my Gordian knot.
I have abilities but have ignored untangling my life's complications

cary me back, show me my past
Asking for a chance to relive past experiences

looking through rose glass
Viewing the past through a rose-colored lens

missing my ma, missing my pa
Yearning for parents who are no longer present

i'm losing track of all the day i've wasted in hollywood land
Feeling unfulfilled with time spent in Los Angeles

all the cars and pavement driving me mad
The urban environment is causing stress and affecting mental health

but theres still a place i understand
A place that provides comfort and familiarity amidst the confusion

yes i must be patient
Realization that waiting and working for what is desired is necessary