After gaining a following as a popular live act on college campuses, the band has gained popular success since signing to Lava Records in 2005, with their singles "Love and Memories" and "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" gaining mainstream radio airplay. Speaking with Songfacts in an interview, Roberge explained "Love and Memories" was inspired by the Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet movie, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The members of O.A.R. first came together in Rockville, Maryland in the basement of drummer Chris Culos' childhood home in 1996. As a young group of musicians, they were the prototype of the modern, self-starting band--taking charge of their fate by working the internet and building an identifiable sound. The band’s music, a rock/reggae fusion, consisted of songs that were fully accessible, yet teasingly elusive. Attracting fans all across the country, the band members toured relentlessly, pushing their album sales through boundless dedication and word-of-mouth appeal, never waiting for the industry to catch up. O.A.R. owes much of their success to piracy and Napster, the mp3 sharing engine. Around 2000, O.A.R.'s popularity greatly increased among college students because their song "Crazy Game of Poker" was a huge hit on Napster.
By the time the band had reached their 10 year anniversary together, they had sold over 1.2 million albums and performed in front of over 1 million people. Their studio record, Stories of a Stranger, produced radio favorites “Love and Memories” and “Heard the World” as well as mtvU’s Most Downloaded Video of 2006, “Lay Down.” The band followed up the successful release with a live double disc CD and DVD set, Live From Madison Square Garden, recorded during the band’s second sold-out performance at the prestigious arena.
Early in 2008, the band members holed themselves up in a studio in Los Angeles to work on their next project, All Sides. The album was released on July 15th.
The Heaven Songfacts reports that the first single from O.A.R.'s seventh studio album, King was released on June 7, 2011 on Wind-Up Records.
. For more information about O.A.R., go to www.ofarevolution.com.
Coalminer
O.A.R. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He worked the pits all day.
In Rock Springs, Wyoming.
It was meant to be a stop for a day,
Became his home nothing more I can say.
Daddy was a part time farmer.
He worked the field all day.
But late one day, them horses run away.
Shouldn't have put the shoes on that way.
Too bad for daddy.
Such a shame he took it all.
So me and mom took the high road.
But it's not like we had a choice at all.
Daddy was a guitar player.
He'd play that joint all night.
Out back in the shack
The six-string was his demon.
Maybe one day I could run away,
Join my dad in a band to play.
Now it's just me and mom here.
We sit alone all night.
But if you listen close
You can hear my daddy playing.
It was meant to be a stop for a day,
Left us here, now he's on his way.
Too bad for daddy.
Such a shame he took it all.
So me and mom, we took the high road.
But it's not like we had a choice at all.
Just to bad for daddy.
It's such a shame he took it all.
So me and mom took the high road.
But it's not like we had a choice at all.
The song "Coalminer" by O.A.R. tells a story about a family that is ravaged by the economic struggles that are brought on by working in the coal mines in Rock Springs, Wyoming. The father in the story is a coal miner who spends his days working in the pits for hours on end. He also spends his spare time working in the fields as a part-time farmer. However, despite his hard work, his family cannot seem to catch a break. His horses end up running away because of a mistake he makes and he is bitterly disappointed. He takes his frustration out on his family and they are forced to leave him behind.
The father in the song is not just a coal miner; he is also a guitar player who spends his nights playing music in a crowded bar. He dreams of running away and starting a band with his son, but that dream will never be realized because he becomes consumed by his demons. The song has a haunting quality to it because, although the father is gone, his music continues to live on. The guitar solos in the song symbolize the legacy he left behind.
In conclusion, "Coalminer" by O.A.R. is a powerful song about the struggles of working-class families in America. It's a story about working men who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into their jobs, only to struggle to support their families. It's also a story about how music can help us cope with our pain and loss, and how it can help us find a sense of hope and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy was a coalminer.
The singer's father had a job as a coalminer.
He worked the pits all day.
His father spent the whole day working in the coal mines.
In Rock Springs, Wyoming.
The family lived in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
It was meant to be a stop for a day,
Initially, the family only intended to stay in Rock Springs for a short period.
Became his home nothing more I can say.
However, it ended up becoming their permanent home.
Daddy was a part-time farmer.
Aside from being a coalminer, the father also worked as a farmer on the side.
He worked the field all day.
He would spend the entire day working in the fields.
But he'd rather have new shoes for them horses.
He wished he had enough money to buy new shoes for his horses.
But late one day, them horses run away.
Unfortunately, one day his horses ran away.
Shouldn't have put the shoes on that way.
The father blamed himself for putting the shoes on incorrectly, which led to the horses running away.
Too bad for daddy.
It was unfortunate for the father.
Such a shame he took it all.
He had to deal with loss of his horses and the struggles that came with it.
So me and mom took the high road.
The singer and their mother decided to leave the town and start fresh.
But it's not like we had a choice at all.
They felt like they didn't have another option.
Daddy was a guitar player.
The father also enjoyed playing the guitar.
He'd play that joint all night.
He would spend his evenings playing the guitar for hours on end.
Out back in the shack.
He played music in a small, rustic building on their property.
The six-string was his demon.
Playing the guitar was his passion, and perhaps his way of dealing with the hardships of his life.
Maybe one day I could run away,
The singer dreams of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a musician.
Join my dad in a band to play.
The artist wants to start a band with his father someday.
Now it's just me and mom here.
The father is no longer with them, and it's just the artist and their mother living together.
We sit alone all night.
They spend their evenings in quiet solitude.
But if you listen close.
If you pay attention, you can hear something in the distance.
You can hear my daddy playing.
It's the faint sound of the father playing his guitar, a memory that still lingers in the air.
It was meant to be a stop for a day,
The father never expected to stay in Rock Springs for long.
Left us here, now he's on his way.
Tragically, he had to leave the family behind, and now he's gone.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: MARC ANDREW ROBERGE, RICHARD JOE ON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind