With a keen eye of observation and a wise man’s knowledge, Ray Wylie Hubbard composes and performs a dozen songs that couldn’t spring from anywhere else but out of his fertile rock and roll bluesy poet-in-the-blistering-heat southern noggin. ”I like to look at both enlightenment and endarkenment,” he declares. “I feel comfortable observing each.”
His 2010 album "A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment" demonstrates the kind of talent that every great songwriter yearns for. Throughout the album, his focus remains on the song-constructing and performing stories set to music that resonate in a way that is completely his own. Hubbard recruits an ensemble of accomplished musicians to make the album’s larger than life outlaw tunes echo from track to track. Among the musicians featured on the album are Kevin Russell (The Gourds), Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen), Bukka Allen (Ian Moore, Jack Ingram), Billy Cassis (Bob Schneider,Double Trouble, Soulhat), Ray Bonneville (B.B. King, JJ Cale, Muddy Waters), Seth James (Percy Sledge, Delbert McClinton), David Abeyta (Reckless Kelly) and The Trishas as well as his own son, Lucas Hubbard.
The writing and recording of A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment came on the heels of Hubbard’s first screenplay endeavor, which was funded and filmed with a cast of icons including Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam and Lizzy Caplan. A weekly radio show, constant touring, and producing kept him busy, but didn’t manage to steal the Texan singer-songwriters focus. The outcome of the album is a juxtaposition of songs like “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” a fundamental gospel piece, and “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” cowritten with Hayes Carll.
Kilowatts
Ray Wylie Hubbard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And says "There are some souls I ain't gonna get
I'd take all the little critters if I could
But some are to smart for their own damn good
They don't even believe I'm here
They ain't seen where I've been
Every once in a while I hear one say
Get me out of this I'll never do it again"
All it takes is some grains of faith
And a few kilowatts of sweat and grace
All it takes is some grains of faith
And a few kilowatts of sweat and grace
Mama's been casting spells and such
Lining them up to get their fortunes told
She's been doing this for a while
I wouldn't go so far as to call her old
I saw her break a hex one time
Said all that glitters is not gold
Then she took a diamond ring
And threw it down a crawdad hole and said
Chorus
Lucinda's been laying down on the job
That's a hard way to make some money
Say's "Here I am in the USA "
"I ain't seen no milk and honey"
All I seen is tattooed hands
Waving up wadded dollar bills
Maybe I oughta' get redeemed
It's getting to where I can't buy a thrill
Chorus
God coughs and puts out the cigarette
And says whats this got to do with you
It's hard to get a rascals attention
I keep raising the stakes until I do
Death kind of puts a damper on things
So you might want to remember this
See yourself as you would like to be
Then he winds his watch and he blows me a kiss and says
Chorus
The lyrics of "Kilowatts" by Ray Wylie Hubbard are both profound and humorous, touching upon themes of faith, existence, and redemption. The song begins with a depiction of God who appears to be disappointed in some of the souls he can't seem to save. He remarks that some creatures are too smart for their own good and don't even believe in him. He hears some of them saying they'll never do it again, suggesting that they're willing to change their ways if given a second chance. The chorus of the song emphasizes that all it takes is a bit of faith and hard work to find redemption and grace.
The next verse shifts focus to the singer's mother, who practices witchcraft and fortune-telling. The verses continue in a similar vein, describing the life of Lucinda, who's been struggling to make a living in the USA. The final verse returns to God, who coughs and puts out a cigarette, and asks what all this has to do with the singer. Instead, he encourages the singer to see themselves as they would like to be, suggesting that they can change their ways through a little bit of self-reflection and positive thinking.
Overall, "Kilowatts" is a song that explores the human condition with a mix of humor, insight, and reverence. It touches upon themes of redemption, self-improvement, and spirituality in a way that feels both grounded and otherworldly.
Line by Line Meaning
God smiles and lights a cigarette
God is amused and begins to smoke a cigarette as he watches over the world.
And says "There are some souls I ain't gonna get
God realizes that some people will never believe in him, no matter how hard he may try.
I'd take all the little critters if I could
God would like to save all of his creations, but some are beyond his reach.
But some are to smart for their own damn good
Some people are too intelligent for their own good, and refuse to believe in something they cannot see or prove.
They don't even believe I'm here
Despite all the evidence around them, some people choose not to believe in God's existence.
They ain't seen where I've been
Those who doubt the existence of God have never witnessed the miracles he has performed.
Every once in a while I hear one say
Although God cannot be heard in this world, sometimes he overhears the pleadings of those who don't believe in him.
Get me out of this I'll never do it again"
People often call out to God in desperation, but soon forget their promises once their troubles have passed.
All it takes is some grains of faith
Believing in God doesn't require much - just a small amount of faith is enough to make a difference.
And a few kilowatts of sweat and grace
Through hard work and perseverance, a person can achieve amazing things with the help of God's grace.
Mama's been casting spells and such
The singer's mother practices witchcraft, and uses it to divine people's fortunes.
Lining them up to get their fortunes told
People come to the singer's mother to receive readings of their future prospects.
She's been doing this for a while
The singer's mother has been practicing witchcraft for many years.
I wouldn't go so far as to call her old
Although the singer's mother is not young, she is not quite elderly either.
I saw her break a hex one time
The singer once witnessed his mother breaking a spell that had been cast upon someone.
Said all that glitters is not gold
The spell-breaker reminded the person affected by the hex that not everything that appears valuable is worth pursuing.
Then she took a diamond ring
After breaking the hex, the singer's mother took a valuable object (a diamond ring) and cast it away.
And threw it down a crawdad hole and said
The ring was cast away into a small body of water, and the mother made a snide comment about its worthlessness.
Lucinda's been laying down on the job
The singer knows a woman named Lucinda who is not performing her job very well.
That's a hard way to make some money
Lucinda's difficult job makes it challenging for her to earn a living wage.
Say's "Here I am in the USA "
Lucinda bemoans the fact that, even in the wealthy United States, she struggles to make ends meet.
"I ain't seen no milk and honey"
Lucinda feels that she has not seen any of the blessings and abundance promised in the Holy Bible.
All I seen is tattooed hands
Instead of seeing the promised milk and honey, Lucinda sees evidence of poverty and hard living.
Waving up wadded dollar bills
Lucinda sees people using crumpled money, which is a sign that they are not financially well off.
Maybe I oughta' get redeemed
After seeing the struggles of daily life, Lucinda considers finding faith or salvation in God.
It's getting to where I can't buy a thrill
Lucinda has become jaded and dissatisfied as a result of her failed attempts to find happiness.
God coughs and puts out the cigarette
God finishes smoking his cigarette and clears his throat before speaking to the singer again.
And says whats this got to do with you
God is curious as to why the singer is concerned with the problems of others instead of his own life.
It's hard to get a rascals attention
God acknowledges that it can be challenging to make someone pay attention to him if they don't want to.
I keep raising the stakes until I do
God can be very persistent when trying to get someone to notice him, and may escalate the situation to get his way.
Death kind of puts a damper on things
God acknowledges that many people may only turn to him in times of grief or hardship, which is less than ideal.
So you might want to remember this
God gives the singer a piece of advice to keep in mind for the future.
See yourself as you would like to be
God advises the singer to visualize the kind of person he would like to become, and strive to become that person.
Then he winds his watch and he blows me a kiss and says
God concludes his conversation with the singer in a fond manner, blowing him a kiss as he disappears.
Contributed by Aaliyah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.