Their debut album, "Live The Dream" (2011), explores addiction, recovery, politics, and friendship in the context of trying to make serious life changes without selling out what's important. The raw, self-produced follow up, "Who are your friends gonna be?" (2012), finds home in a darker space with more developed arrangements. Both albums are up for free streaming at http://ramshackleglory.bandcamp.com.
Ramshackle Glory has toured all over the United States. Currently the group is on hiatus after completing a 68 day tour in the summer of 2012, a journey documented by the band in the documentary "One more time for Texas!" (2012), available at http://youtu.be/9rmDXpoiUOE.
The band consists of Disdane on bass, Douglas on banjo, Eric on trumpet, Luke on drums, Nick on accordion, Pat on guitar, and Wyndham on piano. Andrew Link from the Taxpayers filled in on bass for parts of the summer 2012 tour while Disdane was stuck at home in Arizona, facing down 20 years in prison for standing up against Nazis in Phoenix during November 2010. (Disdane is currently not in jail, on three years of probation, after pleading guilty to one felony charge of Disorderly Conduct. More about that is on http://azantifa.wordpress.com.)
Last Song
Ramshackle Glory Lyrics
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Woke up to one intact.
Made it halfway on the walk to the grocery store,
Before I turned back.
We could walk until the concrete ends,
Quit work until the money's all spent.
But how long until we're walking back to the plasma clinic again?
The bosses we want off our backs are everywhere we can run,
And I dreamt of the needles to come,
And I woke up afraid,
Mad enough to burn down the radio,
That woke me up this way.
I could walk when the bus lines end,
Shoot dope until the money's all spent
But how long until I'm walking back,
To check into detox again?
The monkey I want off my back is everywhere I can run,
So if there's a way out then it's not on my own.
There's a way out but it's not on my-her-his-their-our own.
In Ramshackle Glory's song "Last Song," the lyrics are centered on the idea of feeling trapped and hopeless in a society that is oppressive and unyielding. The opening lines, "And I dreamt of a city on fire, woke up to one intact" express the disappointment and disillusionment that occur when one hopes for a radical revolution or change and nothing happens. The next few lines, "Made it halfway on the walk to the grocery store before I turned back" demonstrate the despair that can set in when one realizes that one's efforts are futile, and that radical change is unlikely.
The rest of the lyrics present a kind of resignation to the situation at hand, a feeling that there are no easy solutions or magical escapes. The lines "We could walk until the concrete ends, quit work until the money's all spent" express the idea that it's possible to reject the values of capitalist society, but that there's no guarantee that this will lead to freedom. The chorus captures the key message of the song, which is that the bosses are always watching, and there's nowhere to run. The lyrics "The bosses we want off our backs are everywhere we can run, so if there's a way out, then it's not on our own" express the idea that true freedom can only be achieved by collective action, not by individual efforts.
The final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope, however, with the idea that although there's no easy escape from the oppressive system, there is still a way out: "There's a way out, but it's not on my-her-his-their-our own." This line suggests that although collective action is necessary to achieve true freedom, it's also up to each individual to take responsibility for their own actions and make choices that reflect their values and beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
And I dreamt of a city on fire,
I had a dream about a burning city
Woke up to one intact.
When I woke up, the city was not on fire
Made it halfway on the walk to the grocery store,
I started walking to the store but didn't make it there
Before I turned back.
I decided to go back home
We could walk until the concrete ends,
We could keep walking until there is no more pavement
Quit work until the money's all spent.
Stop working until we run out of money
But how long until we're walking back to the plasma clinic again?
How long until we need to sell our plasma to make money?
The bosses we want off our backs are everywhere we can run,
The people who control us are always present, no matter where we go
So if there's a way out then it's not on our own.
We can't escape on our own, we need outside help
And I dreamt of the needles to come,
I had a nightmare about drug addiction
And I woke up afraid,
I was scared when I woke up
Mad enough to burn down the radio,
I was so angry I wanted to destroy something, like the radio
That woke me up this way.
The radio was the reason I woke up
I could walk when the bus lines end,
I could continue on foot when there are no more bus routes
Shoot dope until the money's all spent.
Use drugs until we run out of money
But how long until I'm walking back,
How long until I need to go back to get more drugs?
To check into detox again?
To go back to rehab?
The monkey I want off my back is everywhere I can run,
The addiction I want to overcome is always a part of me, no matter where I go
So if there's a way out then it's not on my-her-his-their-our own.
If we want to escape addiction, we need help from outside ourselves
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.