He was also the lead singer for the power pop group The Semantics and was the guitarist for Amy Grant's band from 1994 to 2010.
It seems like such a phony platitude that doing things the hard way is the most rewarding. Of course, anyone with a shred of sense, or anyone who has done something the hard way can tell you that the spoils are greater, and so is the sense of accomplishment. But it’d be nice if things came more easily.
For singer-songwriter-rocker Owsley, it’s been a pretty easy ride. Music came to him naturally through a richly musical family. Now that’s typical for most talented folks—that the music comes easy—the hard part is getting folks to listen. That’s what he’s talking about on his new album, The Hard Way, even though the Anniston, Alabama native will tell you, “It’s about a lot of things.”
So is Owsley. As a youngster, he played guitar along to the radio bands like Wings, KISS, and The Cars, matching licks with his older brother, Bud. This morphed into writing songs of his own, 4-track bedroom recording sessions (his penchant for multi-tracking vocals explains the plethora of big choruses on The Hard Way), underage bar gigs with cover bands—he’d do anything to scratch the musical itch.
Eventually he made the pros: his guitar prowess landed him a gig with funk-pop pioneer Judson Spence with whom Owsley played around the world and appeared on MTV in Spence's videos. Subsequently, a pre-fame Ben Folds introduced him to Millard Powers, and the two would form the legendary power-pop trio The Semantics with Zak Starkey (their lone album, Powerbill, released only in Japan, is now hot property). This led to Owsley joining Amy Grant’s touring band in 1994, a gig he holds today. Playing with Grant enabled Owsley to create a musical playground/home studio, not to mention spend time off writing and recording his own music. In 1999, he released Owsley on Giant Records, garnering raves for the anthemic power-pop songs (“I’m Alright” was a minor hit) and a Grammy™ nomination for his engineering efforts.
Owsley next crossed paths with his musical hero, legendary producer Mutt Lange. Lange, equally enamored with Owsley, hired him to play guitar and sing the duet, “No One Needs to Know” with Lange’s wife, Shania Twain live on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Today Show,” “Regis & Kathy Lee” and “The American Country Music Awards.”
Then came the hard part: Giant fell victim to corporate mergers and boarded up the windows within a year of Owsley hitting shelves. Rather than be swept up in the swirling flush, Owsley began writing and recording another album, The Hard Way.
Again produced and performed almost entirely by Owsley in his home studio, The Hard Way continues Owsley’s fascination with perfect pop tunes—big choruses and big words set to lush, exhilarating arrangements. “I’m a sucker for an anthem,” says Owsley, explaining how the lead track “Be With You” is a love song to “God and woman, not just to woman,” and an expression of a yearning to for spiritual, interpersonal and terrestrial connections. You can’t help but ache with him when he sings:
“I wanna know how it feels to believe in something/ride on the heels of a good thing comin’/run to the one thing I know is something true…/I wanna live my life like I know the meaning/deep inside my soul I hear the music screamin’/eyes wide open so I’m awake and dreaming, too.”
“Undone” and “She’s The One” are likewise transcendent, explosive examples of songs you sing in the car or the shower, but also out loud at inopportune times because you just can’t help it. But Owsley is also a first-rate balladeer, able to convey as much sorrow in a sad song as he does joy in a fist-pumping anthem. “Matriarch,” written for Owsley’s departed grandmother, is a piano ballad in the great AM-radio style of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, with nods to Todd Rundgren and Jeff Lynne on the FM side. And like those songwriters, you feel every word and every note in your blood.
He’s also a startling analyst, able to extract the most significance from his surroundings and his and others’ situations, and pair it with vivid detail. For instance, the folksy title track, where he draws parallels between a gambling addict and his life in music.
“I hate casinos,” Owsley opines. “They’re gross, to me. You know, no clocks, drinks for free, pumpin' in oxygen through the air vents, no windows, call girls, smell of cigarettes.” Like the losers at the tables, Owsley is begging for a lesson—“Let me learn the hard way.” He explains, “I guess the message is I’ll never learn. I keep getting hit in the face, and keep getting back up to get it again.”
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In making The Hard Way, Owsley has experienced a lesson he skipped by performing side and session gigs and writing in the wings. He’s learned that he must be a master of the results. “I guess,” he says, “in a world of pretenders, I’m a contender. Sorry if that sounds egotistical; I still have so much to learn, but most of the people on the radio today probably started playing guitar last week. And I’ve been doing this and preparing for today since birth—no kidding. It’s all I ever wanted, to be a legitimate player, writer, producer, and performer.”
All this… on his terms. He says, “it feels good to make music again, and for the right reasons. I’m optimistic about the future but most importantly want to be loyal to the fans that have stuck by me through thick and thin. This record is really for them.”
Not that he’s opposed to doing it again, or consigned to indie life. He’s learned some lessons, but he’d still take another shot at the spoils. “The final chapter has not been written. Who knows what will happen? Right now, all that matters is we’re taking control and doing it our way. The Hard Way.”
Sadly, Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 at the age of 44 of what the Tennessean reported to be "an apparent suicide". He is survived by 2 sons, his ex-wife and his wonderful music.
Band on the Run
Owsley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sent inside forever
Never seeing no one
Nice again like you
Mama you, mama you
If I ever get out of here
I thought of giving it all away
All I need is a pint a day
If I ever get out of here
If I ever get out of here
Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash
As we fell into the sun
And the first one said to the second one there
"I hope you're having fun"
Band on the run, band on the run
And the jailer man and sailor Sam
Were searching every one
For the band on the run, band on the run
Band on the run, band on the run
Well, the undertaker drew a heavy sigh
Seeing no one else had come
And a bell was ringing in the village square
For the rabbits on the run
Band on the run, band on the run
And the jailer man and sailor Sam
Were searching every one
For the band on the run, band on the run
Band on the run, band on the run
Band on the run, band on the run
Well, the night was falling as the desert world
Began to settle down
In the town they're searching for us every where
But we never will be found
Band on the run, band on the run
And the county judge who held a grudge
Will search for evermore
For the band on the run, band on the run
Band on the run, band on the run
The lyrics of "Band on the Run" by Owsley convey a message of escaping a monotonous and constrictive life into one of freedom and adventure. The singer is trapped inside four walls, never seeing anyone, but dreams of getting out and giving everything away to charity. The repeated line “If I ever get out of here” highlights the desperation of the singer. They yearn for a life outside these walls, where they can have a pint a day, enjoying every moment of freedom they have.
The next stanza is a vivid and poetic description of their escape. As they run off into the night, the rain explodes with a mighty crash, and the first one said to the second one, “I hope you're having fun.” They are being pursued by law enforcement agents, the jailer man and sailor Sam, who are searching for the band on the run. The undertaker and the villagers are also aware of their flight. But the singer remains untraceable, and the night falls in the desert world. The song ends with the prosecutor and the judge searching for them "evermore," emphasizing the idea that they will never be caught.
Line by Line Meaning
Stuck inside these four walls
Trapped within the confines of a space
Sent inside forever
Forced to be here indefinitely
Never seeing no one
Deprived of human interaction
Nice again like you
Missing the comfort of someone like you
Mama you, mama you
Yearning for maternal love and care
If I ever get out of here
Expressing a strong desire to escape from the current situation
I thought of giving it all away
Contemplating the act of surrendering all possessions
To a registered charity
Considering donating to a legitimate charitable organization
All I need is a pint a day
Claiming that a daily serving of alcohol is sufficient for survival
Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash
Describing a sudden and impactful rainfall
As we fell into the sun
Unfurling a dreamlike vision of falling into space
And the first one said to the second one there
Introducing a dialogue between two individuals
"I hope you're having fun"
Expressing a sarcastic remark towards the current situation
Band on the run, band on the run
A repetitive phrase that defines the theme of the song
And the jailer man and sailor Sam
Naming two individuals who are pursuing the band on the run
Were searching every one
Indicating that the search for the band is intensive
For the band on the run, band on the run
Repeating the main theme of the song
Well, the undertaker drew a heavy sigh
Describing a sign of frustration from an observer
Seeing no one else had come
Implying that the band on the run is alone and unsupported
And a bell was ringing in the village square
Providing a sense of urgency or danger
For the rabbits on the run
Metaphorically referring to the band on the run as vulnerable prey
Well, the night was falling as the desert world
Setting the scene in a barren and harsh environment
Began to settle down
Alluding to the landscape becoming calm and lifeless
In the town they're searching for us every where
Conveying the idea of a large and persistent manhunt
But we never will be found
Asserting that the band on the run will remain elusive and free
And the county judge who held a grudge
Introducing another antagonist in pursuit of the band
Will search for evermore
Suggesting the hunt for the band on the run will never end
For the band on the run, band on the run
Reiterating the recurring theme of the song
Band on the run, band on the run
Closing the song with a repeated phrase
Contributed by Alyssa P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frank Carmack
Magnificent. You can hear his sense of melody and harmony in his work-such a gifted artist. Makes perfect sense to record this homage to Macca. Discovered him in the late 90s, managing a music store across from a college campus. We did a "Coming Up Roses" promo with the WEA regional office in Cleveland, OH. That album, OWSLEY(on Giant) was one of the best things released in the 90s. Impeccable writing and playing. Had only heard OF Semantics until today. Also, guitar player and producer of much great music. RIP, Will.
Floyd Cassista
He was so positive and uplifting to all around him.He helped me in my darkest hour,but chose to leave in his.
Dave Ristrim
My God, I wish I knew Will while he was with us. Brilliant. Enough said.
Mike Sparkman
Oh wow I had no idea Will had passed. This song was one of my favorite songs growing up as a young child in the early 70's, and Will's version is one of my favorite covers of any song I've ever heard. RIP, Will.
elemsee
There needs to be more Owsley on YouTube, darnit.
AROwsley
Owsley is awesome!!
tehorix789
@elemsee Agreed. I found his first CD on the floor at a carnival in '99 or 2000, and have loved listening to it ever since! Great songwriting.
modspell
OMG, this guy's incredible. What the heck did he do??? <<:'(
AROwsley
very talented
Paul De Leon
did he wrote the "coming up roses"song?i really love it...pls post it if anyone has it....so cool music.....