Under this five-piece lineup, Pirates of the Mississippi made its national debut in 1990 with a cover of Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues"; a #26 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, it was the debut single from their self-titled debut album. "Honky Tonk Blues" was followed by ten more singles, all of which charted between 1990 and 1995; in that same time span, the band would release four more studio albums and a compilation album. Severs was replaced by Greg Trostle in 1994; two years later, the five members parted ways.
In 2000, Rich and Bill reunited and began recording again as a duo, once again using the name Pirates of the Mississippi. The re-established lineup of Alves and McCorvey has produced one album to date -- 2006's Heaven and a Dixie Night, on the independent CBuJ Ent. label.
Pirates of the Mississippi was formed in 1987, when Nashville session musicians Bill McCorvey (lead vocals), Rich Alves (guitar), Dean Townson (bass guitar), Jimmy Lowe (drums), and Pat Severs (steel guitar) started performing together. Originally, they identified themselves as the We Don't Want a Freaking Record Deal Band; upon witnessing a group of fans wearing clogs, the group changed its name to The Cloggers. Eventually, they settled on the name Pirates of the Mississippi; this name was inspired by Lowe, whom the other members thought resembled a pirate.
Pirates of the Mississippi soon began playing various clubs around Nashville; eventually, they attracted the attention of an A&R representative at Capitol Records, who signed them to a recording contract in 1990. That year, they released their debut album (also titled Pirates of the Mississippi, with its first single being a cover of Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues"; this cover peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. "Feed Jake", the third single from the album, became the group's highest-charting hit, peaking at #15. Its success helped the Pirates earn a Top New Vocal Group award from the Academy of Country Music.
1991's Walk the Plank, their second album for Capitol. produced two Top 40 hits and a #41. After a restructuring of Capitol Nashville, the band was shifted to Liberty Records, where they would release their third and fourth albums: A Street Man Named Desire (1992) and Dream You (1993). Each album produced only one chart single.
By 1994, a compilation album entitled The Best of Pirates of the Mississippi was issued. This compilation included several tracks from their first four albums, as well as newly recorded dance mixes. The same year, Severs was replaced with Greg Trostle on steel guitar. Not long afterward, they would exit Liberty's roster for Giant Records, where they would release the album Paradise. That album's only single failed to chart at all, and the band broke up in 1996, with Alves and McCorvey choosing to focus on their songwriting.
In 2000, Rich Alves and Bill McCorvey decided to reunite as a duo, again assuming the name Pirates of the Mississippi. They were signed to CBuJ Ent. Records in 2006, releasing the album Heaven and a Dixie Night that year. Former member Pat Severs has since joined the house band on Nashville Star, a talent show which airs on the USA Networks. McCorvey has also founded a second band named Buffalo Rome, although he and Alves continue to tour as Pirates of the Mississippi as well.
Too Much
Pirates Of The Mississippi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too much trouble will bring ya heartache
Too much gravy will make ya fat
Too much rain is where ya at
Too much coffee will raise your heart tick
Too much road will make ya homesick
Too much money will make ya lazy
Too much, just ain't enough
Too much ain't enough
Baby, you're the only thing
I do too much of ain't enough
Too much hot rod get ya a ticket
Too much dog make ya kick it
Too much hidin' out will find ya
Too much you know, what'll blind ya?
Too much wrist watch make ya hurry
Too much waitin' will make ya worry
Too much smokin' will give ya cancer
Too much cocaine ain't the answer
Too much, just ain't enough
Too much ain't enough
Baby, you're the only thing
I do too much of ain't enough
Too much walkin' will wear ya shoes out
Too much juice will blow your fuse out
Too much Mexican food will fill ya
Too much honky tonk will kill ya
Too much chip will bruise your shoulder
Too much birthday will make ya older
Too much map always lost me
Too much fun always cost me
Too much, just ain't enough
Too much ain't enough
Baby, you're the only thing
I do too much of ain't enough
The lyrics to Pirates of the Mississippi's song "Too Much" describe the idea that excess in any aspect of life can lead to negative consequences. The song covers a range of examples from working too much, to eating too much, to drinking too much. The repeated phrase "Too much, just ain't enough" reinforces the message that moderation is key. The chorus speaks to the singer's love interest, explaining that they are the only thing in their life that they cannot get enough of, but even this love can be taken too far if not balanced with other aspects of life.
The lyrics use a lot of humor and colloquial language to convey their message. The references to specific types of food, drinks, and activities give the song a relatable quality, with listeners likely finding at least one example that they can connect with. Throughout the song, there is an underlying theme of the balance that is necessary for a fulfilling life. Too much of anything can lead to negative consequences, and the singer is encouraging listeners to find a balance that works for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much workin' will make your back break
Working too much can strain your back and cause it to break.
Too much trouble will bring ya heartache
Getting into too much trouble can lead to heartache and emotional pain.
Too much gravy will make ya fat
Eating too much gravy can result in weight gain and make you fat.
Too much rain is where ya at
Being in an area with constant rain can be overwhelming and depressing.
Too much coffee will raise your heart tick
Drinking too much coffee can raise your heart rate.
Too much road will make ya homesick
Being on the road too much can make you long for home and feel homesick.
Too much money will make ya lazy
Having too much money can result in becoming lazy and unmotivated.
Too much whiskey will drive ya crazy
Drinking too much whiskey can result in becoming emotionally unstable and crazy.
Too much, just ain't enough
No matter how much you do something, it may never be enough.
Baby, you're the only thing I do too much of ain't enough
You are the only thing that I can't get enough of, no matter how much I have.
Too much hot rod get ya a ticket
Driving a hot rod too much can result in getting speeding tickets.
Too much dog make ya kick it
Having too many dogs can lead to neglect and mistreatment of some dogs.
Too much hidin' out will find ya
Hiding out too much can result in being found and facing consequences.
Too much you know, what'll blind ya?
Doing too much of something you know will have negative consequences can lead to blindness to its impact.
Too much wrist watch make ya hurry
Checking your wrist watch too much can make you feel hurried and stressed.
Too much waitin' will make ya worry
Waiting too much can lead to worrying about whether what you are waiting for will happen or not.
Too much smokin' will give ya cancer
Smoking too much can lead to developing cancer.
Too much cocaine ain't the answer
Using too much cocaine is not the answer to solving problems and can lead to addiction and negative outcomes.
Too much walkin' will wear ya shoes out
Walking too much can wear out your shoes.
Too much juice will blow your fuse out
Drinking too much juice can make you feel overstimulated and overwhelmed, like a fuse that's blown out.
Too much Mexican food will fill ya
Eating too much Mexican food can make you feel full and possibly overeat.
Too much honky tonk will kill ya
Going to too many honky tonks can lead to negative consequences and possibly destroy you.
Too much chip will bruise your shoulder
Eating too many chips can result in feeling bloated and possibly bruising your shoulder.
Too much birthday will make ya older
Celebrating too many birthdays can make you feel like you're getting older too quickly.
Too much map always lost me
Using a map too much can result in losing track of where you are or where you are supposed to go.
Too much fun always cost me
Having too much fun can come at a cost, such as overspending or facing negative consequences for reckless behavior.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GUY CLARK, LEE ROY PARNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kenneth Lamb
Pure Honky Tonk and great steel guitar; pretty girls and everyone having fun. What's not to like?
Dawna Kern
Too much Pirates make me smile
David R. Davidson
Good morning! Thank ya for sharing this one from POM. Dandy fine song and video. Have a good day guys!
Cari Rodecker
Tooo mmuuucccchhhh
Death is Certain Life Is Not
Too much of that pink🍒🍰 is never enough
MarkhorSculpin
Everyone looks so happy.
Thomas Brown
👍❤️
Tony Black sheep
Been there done that except finding her .