Born on April 26, 1974 in Massillon, Ohio, a small town 20 miles south of Akron, Patrick Sweany turned professional in the late '90s. First, he became a fixture at regional blues festivals, then in 1999 he put out his debut I Wanna Tell You on Ayao Records. Sweany switched from acoustic to electric in 1991, assembling a band that notably featured Dan Auerbach, a guitarist who would later gain fame as the leader of the Black Keys. Over the next few years, he ground away on the blues circuit, releasing henryfordbedroom on Ayao in 2003.
In 2006, Sweany signed with Nine Mile, releasing the Dan Auerbach-produced album C'mon C'mere that year. Auerbach also produced 2008's Every Hour Is a Dollar Gone. Sweany relocated to Nashville 2009, releasing That Old Southern Drag in 2011.
By this point, Sweany's career started to gain momentum due to his appearances on streaming services. Close to the Floor appeared in 2013 and Daytime Turned to Nighttime arrived in 2015. Sweany expanded his sonic horizons on Ancient Noise, a 2018 album recorded at Sam Phillips Recording.
Up and Down
Patrick Sweany Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should be in an office hatin' life
And drinking coffee
Instead I′m staring out at my yard
The world ain't made by a man and a Van
Scraping along like I do
Lord I feel a higher power lord pushing Every hour
Baby, is that working for you?
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Any chance to get ahead, lord is quickly Put to bed
Wouldn't let us out of the rain
Wanna cancel out what is this all about?
Whether I′m running miles away
Try my patience lord get funny with my Money
Workin′ me out like a fool
'Ain′t ever coming back cause of Courtesy you lack
Baby, how's that working for you?
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
And I′m on my way to Georgia
On my way to Texas too
I'm on my way to New York City alone
I′m tryna
Tryna get a message to you:
Well I need a working for me
Instead of working 'gainst me
Wearin' me out like a tool
Miles to drive lord before I sleep
Three people in a room for two
Short on cash close to the floor
Livin′ with my clothes and shoes
Operator system lord system of survival
Baby, is that working for you?
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh ooh
Whooo ooh oohh
Whooo ooh oohh
In Patrick Sweany's song Up and Down, the singer expresses his frustration with his current situation in life. He feels like a failure because he hasn't achieved the success that society expects from him. He believes that he should be working in an office, hating his life and drinking coffee, but instead, he's staring at his yard. The singer feels like the world is not designed for someone like him, who only has a van and is scraping by. He believes that there's a higher power pushing him every hour, but he questions whether this is actually working for him.
The singer is desperate to get ahead in life, but every chance he gets is quickly put to bed. He feels like the world is against him, and he's stuck in a situation that he doesn't understand. He's running miles away from his problems, but they keep following him. The singer is tired of being worked like a fool and being taken advantage of. He feels like he's never going to go back to his old life because of the lack of courtesy he experiences from others.
The singer ends the song by saying that he's on his way to Georgia, Texas, and New York City, trying to get a message across. He needs someone to work for him instead of against him, and he's tired of being worn out like a tool. He needs to survive, but the system is not working for him. The song is about an average person who feels like they're stuck in a situation that they can't control, and they're desperate for a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
Have a shame to my life cause my Wife's gotta keep thier job
I feel ashamed because my wife is the one who has to support us financially.
I should be in an office hatin' life And drinking coffee
I should be doing a mundane office job instead of struggling to make ends meet.
Instead I'm staring out at my yard The world ain't made by a man and a Van Scraping along like I do
I'm stuck doing manual labor, barely scraping by, while others seem to have it easier.
Lord I feel a higher power lord pushing Every hour Baby, is that working for you?
I feel like there is some greater power pushing me to keep going, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it.
Any chance to get ahead, lord is quickly Put to bed Wouldn't let us out of the rain Wanna cancel out what is this all about?
Every time I try to get ahead, something always pulls me back down. I feel like giving up and questioning the meaning of it all.
Whether I'm running miles away Try my patience lord get funny with my Money Workin' me out like a fool
I'm constantly struggling to stay afloat, while also feeling like I'm being mocked for it.
Ain't ever coming back cause of Courtesy you lack Baby, how's that working for you?
I'm done with this situation because of the lack of respect and kindness that I receive. Is it really worth it for you to treat me this way?
And I'm on my way to Georgia On my way to Texas too I'm on my way to New York City alone
I'm leaving to go on a journey, seeking something new and hoping to find a better life.
I'm tryna Tryna get a message to you: Well I need a working for me Instead of working 'gainst me
I'm trying to tell you that I need something that helps me, instead of constantly working against me.
Wearin' me out like a tool Miles to drive lord before I sleep Three people in a room for two Short on cash close to the floor Livin' with my clothes and shoes Operator system lord system of survival
I'm worn out from working so hard, but I still have a long way to go. I'm struggling to make ends meet and constantly living in survival mode.
Baby, is that working for you?
I'm questioning whether this life is really worth it for me or anyone else involved.
Contributed by Addison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Durlon Bryant
Saw him in Memphis, he opened for the greyhounds. I drove 6 hours for the show and talked to him at the bar, he asked if I was there to see the greyhounds and I was like “no man, I’m here to see you” I don’t think he believed me lol. Dudes super humble. And puts in hell of a show!
Tim Arnold
Came across Patrick on Spotify. Glad I did, this is a great song!
Pamela Sago
Love it, love it, love it!! Not a groove to sit quietly to.
Christy Denney
I just saw him last week and was blown away! I told him after the show fan for life!! My drummer turned him on to me Thanks Pang!!
Comment Licker
Man i dig this. Keep em coming Patrick.
Jacob Neubaum
Thank God for Pandora. This dude is killer talented and I am so glad I found him!
Niinsa62
Heard this during the closing credits of a Get Shorty episode and just had to try to find out who it was. This was halfway through season 3 of Get Shorty, and even though the soundtrack always is terrific, this was the first time I really really really had to find out what and who the closing credit music was (it's different every episode)! Great music, and a great performer!
Emily Roberts
Me and my fiance Ray love Patrick Sweany; great live performance and he works his own merch booth!
Hunter West
Fucking badass! So underrated
Laz Kech
Entered my all time top5 list with songs I listen in underwear plus socks preparing suitcase for vacations, while 1st minute of 1st hearing