Keystone Clan
Read Southall Band Lyrics
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She told me she loved me
On the summer I turned 18
She was a blue-eyed blonde
She was every young man′s dream
I was just a young pup
Still wet behind the ears
Cousin had a single wide, out north of town
Daddies would ground their daughters if they came around
We were a Keystone clan, not much for moonshine
Kentucky deluxe and a 32-ounce, couple boxes of bagged wine
Never took it easy
We were always hammered down
Never had girlfriends, unless they lived in seperate towns
Had a little money, but we never had much
The last thing we wanted was love
Yeah we′re grown up now, we got our lives to live
All my rowdy friends are raisin' kids
Talk more about the old times, still make a few
But I don't see my clan as much as I used to
Never took it easy
We were always hammered down
Never had girlfriends, unless they lived in seperate towns
Had a little money, but we never had much
The last thing we wanted was love
The last thing we wanted was love
(Cheering)
The Read Southall Band's "Keystone Clan" is a nostalgic ballad that reminisces about the good old days of a close-knit group of friends when love was the last thing on their mind. The song tells a story of a young man who fell in love with a blue-eyed blonde during the summer he turned 18. He was still naive and inexperienced at that time, smoking left-handed cigarettes and drinking cheap beer. He was part of the Keystone clan, whose members lived in a single wide north of town. They were not much for moonshine but preferred Kentucky deluxe and a 32-ounce, couple boxes of bagged wine. The Keystone clan never took it easy and was always hammered down, with no girlfriends unless they lived in separate towns. They had a little money but never had much.
The chorus depicts the grown-up clan, now leading independent lives and raising kids. They still talk about the old times and indulge in a few wild moments, but they don't meet as often as they used to. The repeated refrain, "never took it easy, we were always hammered down," celebrates the good times they had, but it also hints at the underlying pain and struggles that they might have faced. The last line, "the last thing we wanted was love," is a reminder that the clan valued their freedom and friendship over any romantic involvement.
"Keystone Clan" is a touching ode to friendship, youth, and carefree days. While it glorifies the reckless lifestyle of a group of young men, it also subtly reflects on the complexity of their emotions and their desire for deeper connections. The song's dynamic melodies, driven by a robust guitar riff, and the singer's passionate delivery add to its emotional power, making it a crowd-favorite in the band's live shows.
Line by Line Meaning
She told me she loved me
A girl expressed affection towards the singer during the summer when he became an adult.
On the summer I turned 18
The singer became an adult during the summer he met the girl.
She was a blue-eyed blonde
The girl he met had blue eyes and blonde hair.
She was every young man's dream
The girl he met was very desirable and attractive to men.
I was just a young pup
The singer was still very young and inexperienced.
Still wet behind the ears
The singer was still naive and inexperienced in life.
Smokin left-handed cigarettes and drinkin' cheap beer
The singer smoked cigarettes and drank cheap beer, while also being left-handed.
Cousin had a single wide, out north of town
The singer's cousin lived in a mobile home located to the north of their town.
Daddies would ground their daughters if they came around
The fathers of local girls would punish them if they were caught socializing with the singer and his group.
We were a Keystone clan, not much for moonshine
The singer and his group were known as the Keystone clan, but didn't partake in drinking moonshine.
Kentucky deluxe and a 32-ounce, couple boxes of bagged wine
The only types of alcohol the singer and his group drank were Kentucky deluxe and bagged wine.
Never took it easy
The singer and his group were always partying hard and never took it easy.
We were always hammered down
The singer and his group were always very intoxicated.
Never had girlfriends, unless they lived in separate towns
The singer and his group rarely had girlfriends, and when they did, they lived in separate towns.
Had a little money, but we never had much
The singer and his group had some money, but were never wealthy.
The last thing we wanted was love
The singer and his group were not interested in romantic relationships.
Yeah we're grown up now, we got our lives to live
The singer and his group are now adults and have their own lives to lead.
All my rowdy friends are raisin' kids
Many of the singer's wild and crazy friends are now raising children of their own.
Talk more about the old times, still make a few
The singer and his friends reminisce about the old days and still have some wild times.
But I don't see my clan as much as I used to
The singer does not see his former group of friends as often as he used to.
The last thing we wanted was love
The singer and his group were not interested in romantic relationships.
The last thing we wanted was love
The singer and his group were not interested in romantic relationships.
Writer(s): Robert Read Southall
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.