Green began his musical career when he was 18 and in college at Texas Tech in Lubbock. "I started playing guitar to pick up the chicks," Green laughs. "Before that, I only sang in the shower. I could mimic other people's voices. It took me a long time to find my own voice, but once I did, I became very comfortable with it. It's not real pretty but it's believable."
During those college years, Green started playing clubs and opening shows for other artists. In 1995, he put out his first independent record.
"I don't know exactly where it began, if it was Willie Nelson's picnic or one of Jerry Jeff's shows, but I got asked to play and there was a huge crowd there," Green says. "After that show, we started getting some radio support. All of a sudden, everything started happening at once. We were selling a ton of records. We were able sell out Billy Bob's. In Dallas-Fort Worth, we were selling 4, 5, 6000 seats. In Houston and everywhere else, it started being 1000, 2000 seats. It just started steamrolling. I think it was a combination of the popularity of Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson leading the forefront for us little guys. We just all fell in line behind them."
The result of that faith was Green's 2001 major-label debut, Three Days, on Republic/Universal. The album Wave On Wave followed in 2003, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard country albums chart, and the title track cracked the Top 5 on the singles chart. He released Lucky Ones in 2004. In 2006, after a move to the RCA imprint BNA, he issued Cannonball.
Nightmare
Pat Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dreamed that Texas was burnin' down, burnin' down.
And all the old people I'd grown up to love
Were leaving town.
So I cried "Oh Moses, bring a flood from the Red Red Sea
Bring back Towns Van Zandt and my heroes back to me.
'Cause I can play their songs but it ain't the way they do,
I had a nightmare, a nightmare, it was a nightmare.
Now Buddy Holly was ridin' on the wind.
Stevie Ray well he was too.
And when their star came tumbling to the ground
Wasn't a thing all the king's horses and all the king's men could do.
Me I just got my old barstool.
Man it's burnin' me down, it's burnin' me down.
Just like a brushfire that burns on through the night
One of these days how it's going
One of these days I'm gonna' burn on out.
So I cried "Oh Moses, bring a flood from the Red Red Sea
Bring back Towns Van Zandt and my heroes back to me.
'Cause I can play their songs but it ain't the way they do,
It ain't the way they do."
I had a nightmare, a nightmare, it was a nightmare.
I had a nightmare, a nightmare
"Nightmare" is a song by Pat Green, and it tells the tale of a horrific dream he had about the destruction of Texas. In the song, he describes his fear that he will never again be able to experience the magic of his youth, as all his old heroes are leaving town. Green's lyrics are powerful and emotive, as he ponders the loss of great musicians such as Townes Van Zandt and Buddy Holly, and his own limited ability to reproduce their music in the same way they did.
The song looks nostalgically back at the past and mourns the loss of the great musicians and characters that shaped Green's life. He longs for the way that these people could create magic, and bring beauty and excitement to his world. In the face of the destruction he dreams of in Texas, Green is left feeling powerless, and the sense of helplessness is palpable in his lyrics.
Overall, "Nightmare" is a beautifully written and performed song that explores themes of nostalgia, loss, and powerlessness in the face of destruction. It is a haunting reminder of the power of music to heal and inspire, and of the great people who have shaped our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I had me a nightmare
Pat Green had a nightmare last night that he's about to narrate.
I dreamed that Texas was burnin' down, burnin' down.
His dream was about the burning of Texas, which may symbolize a personal crisis or hardship.
And all the old people I'd grown up to love
In his dream, the people he's known and loved from his youth are leaving town.
Were leaving town.
Everyone he knew and loved was leaving in his nightmare which could represent his fear of loss.
So I cried "Oh Moses, bring a flood from the Red Red Sea
Pat Green is pleading for divine intervention to end his nightmare and restore normalcy to life.
Bring back Towns Van Zandt and my heroes back to me.
He's asking for his idols, Towns Van Zandt, and other heroes to come back to save him from the nightmarish situation.
'Cause I can play their songs but it ain't the way they do,
Pat Green believes he's got the talent but knows it's not enough to fill the void created by his heroes' absence.
It ain't the way they do."
Even if he tried, there's no way he can match the greatness of his idols, which is a matter of concern for him.
Now Buddy Holly was ridin' on the wind.
He begins narrating about his idol, Buddy Holly, who was once an inspiration for him.
Stevie Ray well he was too.
As for Stevie Ray, he was another influence that Pat wanted to emulate.
And when their star came tumbling to the ground
The downfall of his idols is a symbolic representation of failure and collapse.
Wasn't a thing all the king's horses and all the king's men could do.
No help was available when his idols needed them the most, with the king's horses and men being a metaphor for powerlessness and incapacity.
Me I just got my old barstool.
In contrast to his idols, Pat Green depicts himself as someone who's settled in the same old place, without any success or recognition.
Man it's burnin' me down, it's burnin' me down.
Pat Green's hopelessness is caught up with the overwhelming stress of his life, causing him to feel trapped and suffocated.
Just like a brushfire that burns on through the night
His emotions are like a never-ending brushfire that keeps intensifying through the night, eventually leading him to his doom.
One of these days how it's going
He knows that it's only a matter of time until his situation comes to a head.
One of these days I'm gonna' burn on out.
He feels that things will inevitably come to an end, and he'll burn out like a candle without much hope of relief in this nightmarish situation.
I had a nightmare, a nightmare, it was a nightmare.
Pat Green concludes the song, declaring it as nothing but a nightmare, perhaps hoping to wake up from the hardships and struggles life has dealt him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN JAMES GREEN, ANDREW JAMES MCKENZIE, AGOSTINO SOLDATI, CAMERON STOPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind