It is not a term you would normally associate with conte… Read Full Bio ↴Work ethic.
It is not a term you would normally associate with contemporary music, where memorable performances, on stage and in the studio, are just supposed to happen with effortless spontaneity.
The reality, of course, is that the best music is the result of dedication, determination and the constant quest to go beyond the good to grasp the great. For Pat McGee Band, the best music is nurtured through a touring schedule that puts the band before its fans up to 250 times a year, an unwavering allegiance to the songwriting art and a fierce commitment to a collective creative evolution.
The eleven original tracks on the brilliant new Warner Bros. Records release, Save Me conclusively demonstrate the virtue of Pat McGee Band's hard work in making fresh, original music that actually sounds effortlessly spontaneous.
It's the kind of sheer devotion to their craft that has set this Virginia-based quintet apart since their inception in the late-90s. In the process, they've garnered a rabid fan base and a word-of-mouth reputation for an emotionally charged collection of songs and a great live show. Inspired improvisational skills have made Pat McGee Band a premier live experience, a reputation about to extend to recorded realms with Save Me.
We made a real return to our rock roots, asserts McGee on the creative impetus behind Save Me. Commenting on his deeply imbedded influences in classic rock, McGee states, this is a real guitar driven record with a major emphasis on songwriting. We went into the process with one goal: to make it believable. Its not about perfection. Its about authenticity. We reached deep.
As the long-awaited follow-up to Shine, their 2001 major label debut, Save Me marks a new trajectory in the bands well-beaten, hard-worn path. Its a musical course that includes three well-received independent releases that together sold over 100,000 copies before the band ever arrived at a major label. The five members of Pat McGee Band, Pat McGee (vocals and guitar), Brian Fechino (guitar), Chardy McEwan (percussion), Chris Williams (drums), and John Small (bass), have slugged it out together for years. Add to that a near constant tour schedule that, to date, has encompassed over a half million miles in forty-four states, and its clear that McGee and company have made their musical mark the old fashioned way one song and one show at a time. We feed off of each other live, says McGee. We never know where our live shows will lead us.
Along the way, they've perfected the art of consistent creative progression. Save Me was a stretch for us, McGee continues. With our last album we concentrated on making everything sound just right. This time the emphasis was on feeling. We worked a lot of these songs out in a live setting and felt comfortable with where we were going. That allowed us to have more fun in the studio. We weren't so focused on getting every last note in a three-part harmony down, which meant we really had to make the performances count in the moment. It was challenging, but we got it done because of all the experience we have backing us up.
From the evidence of Save Me, that contention has the ring of positive understatement. Produced by Gregg Wattenberg and Marti Frederiksen, Save Me does indeed accomplish that rare synthesis of inspired immediacy and hard won expertise on a selection of songs and performances that are easily the best in this bands career.
The heart of the Save Me tracks reveals a lot about the creative direction, all of which unfolded during a recording process that stretched from Summer 2002 to Spring 2003.
Dont Give Up, for example, came to McGee while he was on stage singing the chorus to the bands anthem and fan-favorite, Rebecca. The whole thing just popped into my head at once, he explains. As soon as I got off stage, I called my message machine and sang the melody into it so I wouldn't forget.
Annabel, was just fun to play, he says. Its got a real summer vibe and the fans immediately latched onto it. We had them singing along.
It was, in fact, audience response to the new material that proved invaluable in shaping the recording process. Must Have Been Love is one of our heavier live songs, continues McGee. It was a blast to play live and we knew from the reaction we were getting that it was a keeper. Also, squarely in that category, is the atmospheric Shady. It started out an alt-rock epic, with a huge guitar riff, McGee recounts, but it wasn't working for us. So we really slowed it down and it immediately worked.
Pats lyrical skills also figured prominently on this record. Most of the songs are about relationships and all the ways they can go right or wrong, McGee explains. Beautiful Ways is about a love affair built on false premises, while You And I takes the point of view of a guy whos just blown the best thing in his life. I tried to write about situations people could relate to. Its a way for them to connect their own thoughts and feelings with a song.
The connection between Pat McGee Band and their growing legion of fans is certain to be solidified by the accomplishment of Save Me. It is a triumph built on a formidable talent and nurtured by a desire to put their fans first.
Pride
Pat McGee Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well this man knows the ways of life on the underground.
Now passing him by don抰 you know won抰 hurt his pride.
Now sympathy ain抰 what he needs to heal his cries.
So load up on your intuition, it抯 telling you right.
Don抰 care about his situation, he抣l be eating good.
Chorus
Don抰 forget me now old friend.
Got you through the hardest times.
I know you抣l be doin' fine.
It抯 been said you should give your life for another man.
Well all right now抯 your only chance we抎 all understand.
Until you抮e walking in his shoes don抰 be knocking?him down.
When you抮e looking over your shoulder he抣l be coming around.
So don抰 put him though an interrogation, he抯 got nothing?for you.
Let him walk on by in this so-call Nation, he抯 just passing.
The lyrics of Pat McGee Band's song "Pride" speak of the resilience of a man who has lived a hard life and has been knocked down multiple times. The singer acknowledges that this man has learned to survive and thrive in the underground world and that passing him by will not hurt his pride. He does not need sympathy to heal his cries as he knows how to take care of himself. The singer urges the listener to trust their intuition and not care about this man's situation because he will soon be eating well and doing fine. In the chorus, the singer acknowledges that things are looking up for this man and reminds the listener not to forget him.
The second verse speaks of the importance of empathy and not knocking a person down until you have walked a mile in their shoes. The singer urges the listener not to put this man through any interrogation because he has nothing to offer. This man is just passing through the so-called nation and as the singer looks over his shoulder, he can see this man coming around.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been said you should measure a man when he's been kicked down.
A man's true worth can be judged when he is going through tough times.
Well this man knows the ways of life on the underground.
The man has faced and overcome difficult situations in his life.
Now passing him by don't you know won't hurt his pride.
The man is self-sufficient and doesn't need sympathy from others.
Now sympathy ain't what he needs to heal his cries.
The man doesn't need others to feel sorry for him to overcome his problems.
So load up on your intuition, it's telling you right.
Trust your instincts about the man and his abilities.
Don't care about his situation, he'll be eating good.
The man will overcome his challenges and come out stronger in the end.
Now things are looking up for him.
The man's situation is improving.
Don't forget me now old friend.
The man wants his friends to remember him and the struggles he overcame.
Got you through the hardest times.
The man's friends helped him during his toughest moments.
I know you'll be doin' fine.
The man is confident that his friends will overcome their own difficulties.
It's been said you should give your life for another man.
True altruism means being willing to sacrifice for others.
Well all right now's your only chance we'd all understand.
If you have the opportunity to help someone, take it, and others will support you.
Until you're walking in his shoes don't be knocking him down.
Don't judge someone until you've experienced their situation for yourself.
When you're looking over your shoulder he'll be coming around.
Even if others doubt him, the man will prove them wrong in the end.
So don't put him through an interrogation, he's got nothing for you.
Don't try to pry into the man's personal life, as he doesn't owe you any explanations.
Let him walk on by in this so-called Nation, he's just passing.
The man isn't interested in drama or attention, he just wants to live his life and move on from his struggles.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.