Oh No debuted as a producer and MC in his own right with The Disrupt, his 2004 full-length on Stones Throw Records. With recent beat production on the albums of fellow Oxnard, CA-based MC's Wildchild, MED, Roc C, and on Guilty Simpson's upcoming 2007 album Ode to the Ghetto, Oh No has probably logged more beats on Stones Throw releases than anyone else besides Madlib. In recent years, Oh No has carved out a funky style related, but distinct, to that of his famed sibling, as magazines like XXL, The Source and URB have all attested. A landmark collaboration with jazz/funk legend David Matthews (arranger behind many of James Brown’s finest albums) at last year’s Red Bull Music Academy – where Mr. Matthews composed an orchestral piece based on a single Oh No beat – hinted at the scope of things to come from the young underground impresario.
The hip-hop world can now witness Oh No’s musical vision with Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms, a unique concept album made of beats derived solely from Galt MacDermot samples. Known primarily as the composer of the late-’60s smash musical HAIR, Galt MacDermot distilled the essence of R&B rhythms and Broadway melodies into a unique and potent groove for the Age of Aquarius. After his breakthrough hits from HAIR, MacDermot perfected his sound throughout the following decades on his own imprint, Kilmarnock Records, backed by longtime collaborators, jazz/funk drumming legends Bernard Purdie and Idris Muhammad. MacDermot offered Oh No access to his huge (and still growing) catalog of music for his work on Exodus.
Once he put his own sonic stamp on the composer’s inimitable material, Oh No pitched the 70-plus beats he made to the MC's in his network. A formidable cast heeded his call to lyrically bless – from veterans like De La Soul’s Posdnuos and DITC legend A.G. to current indie powerhouses like Murs and Vast Aire. Longtime Oh No comrades like LMNO, M.E.D., Aloe Blacc, Wildchild and Dudley Perkins do their parts, while appearances from Buckshot of Black Moon and Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers lend additional weight to the all-star cast. While he only touches the mic on three tracks here, Oh No’s production efforts alone prove that he is one of those musical mavericks who – like Galt – hear the unheard rhythms first, and lead the way for the rest.
In 2007, Oh No followed up his Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms with Dr. No's Oxperiment, followed by 2009's Dr. No's Ethiopium, and most recently, 2012's OhNoMite, which is scheduled to be released June 5, 2012.
Seventeen
Oh No Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To watch his dad work the young horse they called Smokey man did that
Horse buck
But his old dad just sat up there and rode him like there was nothin' to it
Right then the boy gained a whole new respect for the man
And from that day on he knew that when he grew up he wanted to be a cowboy
Seventeen cowboys' dreams ain't on fixin' fences
Ranch routine and his old man's schemes
This ain't where his heart is but you know his daddy understands
Noonday comes father and son sit down and eat their dinner
Beneath that big Wyoming sky
His daddy knows he's gotta let him go the boy can't be a winner
If he don't spread his wings and fly
And in his mind he's riding bulls down in Las Vegas
Soon he'll be on a train that leads to Santa Fe
Sweet voice of freedom echoes down the ages calls another cowboy on his way
Fencin's done and the morning sun finds him packed and ready
Momma kissed his cheek and then she went inside
His old man well he shook his hand said son you ride 'em pretty
Didn't see the tears that his momma cried
And in his mind he's riding...
The lyrics to the song "Seventeen" by Oh No tell the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a cowboy. At the age of five, he watches his father work with a young horse named Smokey and gains a newfound respect for the man who can ride the horse without fear. From that day on, he knows that when he grows up he wants to be a cowboy. However, when he reaches the age of seventeen, he realizes that his dreams are not confined to fixing fences and living the ranch routine. He longs for the freedom that comes with riding bulls down in Las Vegas and taking the train that leads to Santa Fe.
The boy's father understands and knows that he must let his son go. The boy can't be a winner if he doesn't spread his wings and fly. They sit down to eat lunch together beneath the big Wyoming sky, and the father knows that he has to say goodbye. The boy packs his things and gets ready to leave. His mother kisses his cheek, and his father shakes his hand, wishing him luck on his journey. The boy is ready to ride bulls down in Las Vegas, and he can hear the sweet voice of freedom calling him on his way.
The lyrics to "Seventeen" are a coming of age story that speaks to the universal human experience of longing for something more than what we currently have. The boy's dream of becoming a cowboy represents the desire for freedom and the courage to follow our dreams, even if they take us far away from home. The song is a tribute to the American West and the cowboy spirit that has captivated audiences for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
When he was five years old his mom took him down to the round corral
At the age of five, his mother took him to watch his dad breaking in a horse at the round corral
To watch his dad work the young horse they called Smokey man did that / Horse buck
He watched his dad tame the unruly horse named Smokey that bucked wildly
But his old dad just sat up there and rode him like there was nothin' to it / Right then the boy gained a whole new respect for the man
His dad managed to ride the horse like it was easy and it created a newfound admiration for his old man from this moment on
And from that day on he knew that when he grew up he wanted to be a cowboy
Since that day, he aspired to be a cowboy when he grew up
Seventeen cowboys' dreams ain't on fixin' fences / Once he's seen 'em ride in old Cheyenne
A staple of cowboys' dreams has nothing to do with fixing fences, rather it's about riding in Cheyenne
Ranch routine and his old man's schemes / This ain't where his heart is but you know his daddy understands
The lad is aware of the ranch life and his father's methods, but it never aligned with his ambitions, the dad understands and empathizes
Noonday comes father and son sit down and eat their dinner / Beneath that big Wyoming sky
Under the vast sky of Wyoming, father and son sit to have their lunch
His daddy knows he's gotta let him go the boy can't be a winner / If he don't spread his wings and fly
His father understands that the boy won't be happy unless he's allowed to spread his wings and fly on his own
And in his mind he's riding bulls down in Las Vegas
In his head, the guy pictures himself riding bulls in Las Vegas
Soon he'll be on a train that leads to Santa Fe
He is soon going to catch a train heading for Santa Fe
Sweet voice of freedom echoes down the ages calls another cowboy on his way
The song alludes to the idea of freedom that calls to cowboys of all generations to seek their path in life
Fencin's done and the morning sun finds him packed and ready / Momma kissed his cheek and then she went inside
In the morning, when the fencing is completed, he's all packed and prepared to set out for his journey. His mother kissed him on his cheek before heading back inside.
His old man well he shook his hand said son you ride 'em pretty / Didn't see the tears that his momma cried
His father congratulates him and acknowledges his son's riding talent but his mother sheds tears that he doesn't notice
And in his mind he's riding...
The song ends with the lad still dreaming about riding and traveling as a cowboy.
Writer(s): JACKSON MICHAEL WOODROW
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.