From Austin, TX.

Noah Jeffries-Guitar, harmony vocals
Dennis Ludi… Read Full Bio ↴From Austin, TX.

Noah Jeffries-Guitar, harmony vocals
Dennis Ludiker-Mandolin, harmony vocals
Brian Beken-Fiddle, lead vocals
Matt Mefford-Double Bass

Contemporary jazz-grass band MilkDrive features award-winning instrumentalists Brian Beken on fiddle and lead vocals, Noah Jeffries on guitar and harmony vocals, Dennis Ludiker on mandolin and harmony vocals, and Matt Mefford on double bass. But awards reveal nothing about the Austin string band’s exhilarating sound. Fueled by equal parts tradition and innovation, MilkDrive delivers a distinctive acoustic experience that crosses genres, geographies, and generations.

The band’s much-anticipated sophomore studio album WAVES, produced by Bil VornDick, will be released in June. Capturing the band’s sophisticated arrangements and fierce musicianship, the album showcases a number of original compositions and features guests Noam Pikelny (of Punch Brothers) and Futureman (of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones).

Dennis Ludiker, Brian Beken and Noah Jeffries met as youngsters competing in the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho. Eventually they migrated to Austin, where they toured with an eclectic mix of bands and honed their songwriting chops before joining up with bass player extraordinaire Matt Mefford and forming MilkDrive.

In June 2009, the band recorded and released a live album, MILKDRIVE LIVE ’09, which spotlights the band’s vigorous picking technique and charismatic writing style. Their debut studio album ROAD FROM HOME, released in April 2011, combines haunting ballads with their signature instrumentals – “achieving a rootsy feel with a sophisticated edge,” as reviewer Graham Robertson put it. “A fantastic canvas for solo work.”

Andrew Dansby of the Houston Chronicle calls the MilkDrive repertoire “a virtuosic blast of bluegrassy string-band music.” With labels that range from jamgrass and nu-folk to redneck gypsy jazz, the band has built a following that’s as funky and friendly as they are. The group plays festivals from coast to coast every year, with stops in between at Colorado’s beloved RockyGrass Festival and at home at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Bones
Milkdrive Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Of all the places for you to walk into
You had to choose this one, didn't you
And I'm supposed to carry on like I know you

But I don't want to
I don't want to

The places that you've visited of??

But I don't want to
I don't want to x3

'Cause it shakes my bones
And it shakes my bones

The faces in the mirrors you keep lookin' at
Don't bother to look them in the eyes, they wont look back

Like I don't want to
I don't want to x3

'Cause it shakes my bones

And it shakes my bones
End

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Milkdrive's song "Bones" express a feeling of reluctance towards something or someone that enters into your life unexpectedly. The singer expresses surprise at the fact that this person chose to walk into their life and admits to feeling unsure about how to carry on since they were not expecting them. The singer is conflicted about moving forward with this unexpected development since it shakes their bones and uproots them from the comfort and safety of their familiar surroundings. The singer sheds light on the unease and discomfort we all experience when met with unforeseen events that change our lives and challenge us to confront the unknown.

Line by Line Meaning

Of all the places for you to walk into
Out of all the possible locations for you to enter, you chose this one specifically.

You had to choose this one, didn't you
You deliberately selected this spot, correct?

And I'm supposed to carry on like I know you
Despite not really understanding you, I'm expected to continue as if I do.

But I don't want to
However, I have no desire to behave in that manner.

I don't want to
I do not have any desire to act or feel a certain way.

The places that you've visited of??
Unclear.

But I don't want to
Still, I do not wish to proceed as if I comprehend everything.

I don't want to x3
Three times it is emphasized that there is no enthusiasm for certain activities or duties.

'Cause it shakes my bones
The situation is so overwhelming and disconcerting that it is affecting me physically, in my bones.

The faces in the mirrors you keep lookin' at
The reflections that you frequently gaze upon in the mirrors.

Don't bother to look them in the eyes, they wont look back
It is useless to attempt to communicate with the images since they do not respond to eye contact.

Like I don't want to
As with previous refrains, I'm opposed to behaving in the way that is anticipated.

I don't want to x3
Thrice reiterated that I lack any desire to engage in certain activities or duties.

'Cause it shakes my bones
The same idea as previously stated, that the situation is emotionally and physically unsettling.

And it shakes my bones
Again, the refrain from earlier in the song is repeated to emphasize the magnitude of the affects being felt.

End
The conclusion of the song.

Contributed by Jeremiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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