30 miles
Oxbow Lyrics


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Way down
stood a crooked house
broken stairs
over grown with moss
ragged teeth
in a mouth that never smiled
30 dirty miles
to the house of blues

I saved to squander
and squandered what I spent

you know they'll always give losers room
and there are plenty of rooms to rent
in the house of blues

From above
wrought iron bars
nailed me to and from the floor
and don't you know
that love is always hard hard hard

Gave you some silver
and gave you some gold
gave you some silver
and all that I owned

and through the heart breaks
things just never got better




but hard hard hard times
will make a monkey eat red pepper

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Oxbow's song, "30 Miles," detail the struggles and hardships of a character who is faced with a difficult journey to reach a destination that is supposed to provide solace and hope: the house of blues. The house of blues serves as a metaphor for a place of redemption, a place to escape from the trials and tribulations of life. However, the journey to such a place is full of difficulties; as described in the lyrics, the house is located "30 dirty miles" away, and the journey is further complicated by "broken stairs" and a "crooked house" that embodies the unpredictability and lack of structure one often faces in life.


The song's narrator is frank about his own failings; he "saved to squander and squandered what [he] spent," alluding to his own inability to make wise decisions in life. However, the lyrics also depict a sense of camaraderie and shared struggle with other "losers" who find themselves at the house of blues. The wrought iron bars that imprison the singer suggest that even once he has reached his destination, hardship does not necessarily end; love is always "hard hard hard."


Line by Line Meaning

Way down
Deep in the distance


stood a crooked house
There was an old and dilapidated house


broken stairs
The stairs leading up to the house were damaged


over grown with moss
The stairs were covered with moss and overgrown plants


ragged teeth
The house had a rough and unattractive appearance


in a mouth that never smiled
The house never looked welcoming


30 dirty miles
The house was located 30 miles away and the journey was difficult


to the house of blues
The name of the destination was the house of blues


I saved to squander
I saved money to spend it foolishly


and squandered what I spent
I wasted money that I had already spent


you know they'll always give losers room
The house of blues will always have space for those who have lost their way


and there are plenty of rooms to rent
The house had many available rooms for rent


in the house of blues
The destination was the house of blues


From above
Looking up


wrought iron bars
Bars made of iron


nailed me to and from the floor
I was trapped or held down by the iron bars


and don't you know
And you should know


that love is always hard hard hard
Love is always difficult


Gave you some silver
I gave you some money


and gave you some gold
I gave you some valuable possessions


and through the heart breaks
Despite the emotional pain


things just never got better
Things did not improve


but hard hard hard times
Difficult times


will make a monkey eat red pepper
Will cause even the most unpleasant things to be endured




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eugene S. Robinson, Niko Wenner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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