“There’s something magical that happens when these musicians play together,” says Ray LaMontagne. “I’ve been wanting to capture what we’ve been doing live for a while. The chemistry is really special.”
The billing on LaMontagne’s fourth album, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, reveals instantly that something new is happening with this project. The record is credited to “Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs”—the first time that the singer/songwriter has defined himself within a band setting, rather than as a solo artist. In addition, it marks the first time that LaMontagne has taken on the role of producer. And as soon as the music starts, with the Joe Cocker-style soul power of the opening “Repo Man,” it’s apparent that one of the world’s most acclaimed artists has moved into some fresh territory.
Not that he was necessarily in need of a new direction. The album is the follow-up to 2008’s Gossip in the Grain, which debuted in the Top Five on the Billboard charts; garnered two 2010 Grammy nominations; earned LaMontagne a coveted slot performing on Saturday Night Live; and continued the expansion of a highly-respected career that began with his first album, Trouble, in 2004.
The line-up of the Pariah Dogs, and their alliance with LaMontagne, is already well-proven and familiar. These musicians—Eric Heywood and Greg Leisz on guitars, Jennifer Condos on bass, and Jay Bellerose on drums—have been working as the singer’s touring band for the last few years, and developing into a tight-knit team. Though he had thought about trying to get all of these busy session players together in the studio before, only now did time and circumstance align and make it possible.
For one thing, there was a new work set-up that LaMontagne was excited about. “I just bought this old estate in western Massachusetts that belonged to the first US ambassador to Russia,” he says. “There’s this beautiful room in the house, that was once a connected barn that was turned into a ballroom in the early 1900’s and I felt like it would make a great place to record.
“It was an unknown space and an unknown situation, but it all worked,” says drummer Bellerose. “It was one of the easiest sessions I’ve ever done—the songs just played themselves. We were scheduled to record for two weeks, but we were done tracking in five or six days.”
The last song on God Willin’, “The Devil’s in the Jukebox,” was the first thing that the group recorded. Bellerose notes that this simple, bluesy track set a tone for the sessions. “It was kind of a springboard,” he says. “It loosened everybody up, gave us a chance to breathe.”
“That’s one of those songs I tend to write that is so damn linear, it’s up to us to make it interesting,” says LaMontagne with a laugh. “If you take it apart, there’s not a lot happening. But the way these guys approach songs is always surprising. Where they take the melody, the interplay between the rhythm section—who knows what they’re going to come up with?”
Guitarist Heywood says that the singer “made a decision beforehand to trust the band, and he really stuck to that.” He points to the album’s title track as an example of the way these sessions allowed each song to find its own path. Heywood and Leisz both play pedal steel, and they looked to LaMontagne to determine the arrangements and instrumentation.
“On that one, he said, ‘How about two pedal steels?,” Heywood recalls. “And then Jay started doing this bombastic, artillery-style drum thing. The song reads as a letter, with no chorus or bridge, so the whole thing was the most surprising track for me, and definitely one of my favorites. And Ray’s vocal performance is amazing.”
Ray LaMontagne has one of the remarkable stories in music’s past decade. Since leaving his job in a Maine shoe factory to pursue his calling as a musician, he has released three studio albums and two live EPs, won awards and topped critics’ polls internationally, and established himself as one of the most distinctive talents of his generation. His songs have been featured in numerous films and television shows, including multiple performances of his compositions on American Idol.
Yet he maintains that, until God Willin’, all of these accomplishments have come despite his own struggles in the recording studio. “The process has always been laborious, it’s been difficult for me to get any momentum,” he says. “I always felt like I was swimming upstream.”
But this time, things were different. “Ray was really in his comfort zone,” says Bellerose. “He was home with family, he’s really relaxed around this band—there was never a moment that felt uncomfortable. I think he’s just having a lot more fun communicating with more people, and getting out of being on his own as a singer/songwriter.”
LaMontagne claims that he didn’t specifically set out to write songs for this group of musicians, though he certainly had its sound in his mind. Regardless of the outcome, he says that his process didn’t—and can’t ever—change.
“For me, songs just have to happen, they have to come out of nowhere,” he says. “Otherwise it sounds like you’re trying to write a song, and I can spot that a mile away—and I think listeners can, too.
“I won’t ever sit down and write unless something is knocking at the door. I can go months without writing a song—and that’s when it gets scary, when you feel like you’re never going to write another song because they’re just not coming around.”
LaMontagne’s steady output, however, indicates that there’s little cause for concern. And for God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, in addition to his own extraordinary writing, these ten songs had the benefit of contributions from an exceptional bunch of musicians, collaborating under ideal conditions. Even the notoriously self-critical LaMontagne can’t hide his delight at the results.
“These guys are all so good, and I trust their instincts, I just wanted to write songs that I felt would excite them,” concludes LaMontagne “There was a certain amount of pressure, because they’re so much more accomplished than I am as a musician. But I knew that if I could pull together a batch of songs I was happy with, there was really no risk involved.”
This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.
Old Before Your Time
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everywhere I turned the doors were closin'
It took every ounce of faith I had to keep on keepin' on
And still I felt like I was only losin'
I refused then like I do now to let anybody tie me down
And I lost a few good friends along the way
I was raised up poor and I wanted more
Lookin' back I see a kid who was just
Afraid, hungry and old before his time
Through the years I've known my share of broken hearted fools
And those who couldn't choose a path worth taking
There's nothin' in the world so sad as talking to a man
Who never knew his life was his for making
Ain't it about time you realize? It's not worth keepin' score
You win some, you lose some and you let it go
What's the use of stacking on every failure, another stone
Till you find you've spent your whole life building walls,
Lonely and old before your time
It took so long to see
That truth was all around me
Now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turnin' gold
Like the sky my soul is also turnin'
Turnin' from the past, at last and all I've left behind
Could it be that I am finally learnin'?
Learnin' that I'm deserving of love and the peaceful heart
I won't tear myself apart no more for tryin'
I'm tired of lyin' to myself, tryin' to buy what can't be bought
It's not livin' that you're doin' if it feels like dyin'
Cryin', growin' old before your time
Cryin', growin' old before your time
The song "Old Before Your Time" by Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs's is about a man reflecting on his life, and the struggles he faced starting out as a young man looking "for a pot of gold." He talks about how he had to face countless closed doors and struggled to maintain faith in himself, feeling like he was constantly "losin'." He describes his determination to never let anybody tie him down, even if that resulted in losing some good friends along the way. Understanding his upbringing, he wanted more from life, which at times made him seem a little too proud. Looking back, he realizes that he was just afraid, hungry, and old before his time.
Throughout the years, the man had seen plenty of broken-hearted individuals who could never choose a path worth taking in life. The song recognizes the sadness in realizing that one's life is theirs for the making and not taking advantage of it. The song goes on to share the valuable lesson that we win some, we lose some, and it's not worth keeping score. Stacking every failure like another stone will only lead to building walls that will ultimately make someone lonely, and old before their time.
The final verses of the song describe how the man has come to a moment of realization. He understands that truth has always been around him, and now, he sees it. His soul and the sky are both turning from the past, and he's learning to accept that he is deserving of love and a peaceful heart. He is no longer going to tear himself apart, trying to purchase what can't be bought, living a life that feels like dying. Instead, he is turning towards growth and away from the idea of crying, growing old before his time.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a younger man lookin' for a pot of gold
When I was younger, I was searching for wealth and success.
Everywhere I turned the doors were closin'
Despite my efforts, I faced many rejections and obstacles.
It took every ounce of faith I had to keep on keepin' on
I had to rely on my belief and perseverance to keep going.
And still I felt like I was only losin'
Nevertheless, I felt like I was not making progress and failing.
I refused then like I do now to let anybody tie me down
I never wanted to be held back or restricted by anyone or anything.
And I lost a few good friends along the way
I had to let go of some close friends during this journey.
I was raised up poor and I wanted more
Being raised in poverty made me crave for a better life.
And maybe I'm a little too proud
I admit that I may have been overly confident and arrogant.
Lookin' back I see a kid who was just afraid, hungry and old before his time
Reflecting on the past, I realize that I was a fearful and anxious kid who grew up too fast.
Through the years I've known my share of broken hearted fools
Over the years, I've met many people who have experienced heartbreak and failure.
And those who couldn't choose a path worth taking
I've also encountered individuals who struggled to find their purpose or direction in life.
There's nothin' in the world so sad as talking to a man
I find it heartbreaking to talk to someone who has wasted their life without realizing their potential.
Who never knew his life was his for making
Some people fail to recognize that they have the power to shape their own destiny.
Ain't it about time you realize? It's not worth keepin' score
Isn't it time to understand that keeping track of wins and losses is pointless?
You win some, you lose some and you let it go
Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you fail, and you should learn to move on.
What's the use of stacking on every failure, another stone
What's the point of dwelling on every mistake and making it weigh you down?
Till you find you've spent your whole life building walls,
If you're not careful, you might realize that you've built walls around yourself and missed out on life's opportunities.
Lonely and old before your time
You may end up lonely and feeling older than your years.
It took so long to see
It took me a long time to realize.
That truth was all around me
That the answers to my problems were right in front of me.
Now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turnin' gold
The day is ending and the sky is turning orange-yellow.
Like the sky my soul is also turnin'
My soul is also changing and growing.
Turnin' from the past, at last and all I've left behind
I am finally moving away from my past and leaving behind all my previous mistakes and regrets.
Could it be that I am finally learnin'?
Is it possible that I'm finally starting to understand and learn from my experiences?
Learnin' that I'm deserving of love and the peaceful heart
I am realizing that I deserve love and a peaceful heart.
I won't tear myself apart no more for tryin'
I won't destroy myself anymore trying to achieve success.
I'm tired of lyin' to myself, tryin' to buy what can't be bought
I'm tired of deceiving myself and trying to buy things that can't be purchased with money.
It's not livin' that you're doin' if it feels like dyin'
It's not really living if it's making you miserable.
Cryin', growin' old before your time
Crying and aging prematurely because of your choices.
Cryin', growin' old before your time
Crying and aging prematurely because of your choices.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: RAYCHARLES JACK LAMONTAGNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Allagi22
I refused then like I do now to let anybody tie me down
And I lost a few good friends along the way
I was raised up poor and I wanted more
And maybe I'm a little too proud
Lookin' back I see a kid who was just
Afraid, hungry and old before his time
Ain't it about time you realize? It's not worth keepin' score
You win some, you lose some and you let it go
What's the use of stacking on every failure, another stone
Till you find you've spent your whole life building walls,
Lonely and old before your time
@therebellion96
One Of The Best Songs He's Ever Written!
@sonicfoxxmusic4281
WOW....you rock...always felt this way about this song.
NICE ONE.
@theboyjames3065
Completely agree!
@kellyslingerland6611
One of the best songs anyone has ever written.
Front to back, a lesson in living
@unknownbrother273
I like this one too
@kareth117
Once in a while, there comes along an artist who truly speaks the words of a man's heart... this is purely beautiful. I love it. Ray, you're wonderful. Keep it up!
@schoolvocalize
True
@mikefromchelsea8119
Hits the soul. Thanks for this gift
@tainted_timmy6726
Saw him in Nashville with David Gray. You talk about about a concert that was worth every dime I had. Absolutely amazing!!!
@Therealhtrinity
Tim Smith dream concert!