Led by brothers Willy (vocals/guitar) and Cody Braun (vocals/fiddle/mandolin/harmonica), the alternative country-rock outfit Reckless Kelly formed in Bend Oregon in February 1996 before moving to Austin, Texas. The Brauns had previously toured with their father in Muzzie Braun & the Boys, a Western swing band, and were joined in their own group by the lead guitarist Casey Pollock, the bass guitarist Chris Schelske and the drummer Jay Nazz.
With their younger brothers Micky and Gary, Cody and Willy were raised in central Idaho near the Sawtooth Mountains, between Clayton and Challis in Custer County, and were homeschooled by their mother. Originally they were "Muzzie Braun & the Little Braun Brothers", as Muzzie and his brothers Gary and Billy were the "Braun Brothers" from Twin Falls in the 1970s and early 1980s, sons of the musician Eustaceus "Mustie" Braun (1917–1981). From North Dakota, Mustie was a neighbor and relative of the bandleader Lawrence Welk, and was a keyboard player during the last days of legalized gambling in Idaho at Weiser in the early 1950s. He then moved to the new Club 93 in Jackpot, Nevada, on the Idaho border, and moved his family to Twin Falls, about fifty miles (80 km) north. In February 1981, Mustie and wife Marian (née Beckman) were involved in a head-on collision north of Jackpot, and both died from their injuries.
In 1989, Muzzie and his sons appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show twice.
Reckless Kelly played locally on the historic Sixth Street in Austin. They turned Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, a small bar and restaurant, into a noted music venue. From November 1996 to May 1998, they filled the venue with their Monday night show. During this period, other music venues in Austin invited them to play, including the Continental Club, the Saxon pub, Stubb's barbecue, and Antone's home of the blues.
Reckless Kelly's first album, Millican, appeared in fall 1997 and was officially released in 1998. Acoustic: Live at Stubb's and The Day followed two years later, after which David Abeyta replaced Pollock on lead guitar. Under the Table & Above the Sun in 2003 began the band's relationship with the high-profile Sugar Hill label and won the hearts of the music press and the honky tonkin' legend Joe Ely, who sang the band's praises in interviews. Wicked Twisted Road was released in 2005, and the next year the live album Reckless Kelly Was Here captured the band's stage presence. Bulletproof was released in summer 2008 on a new label, Yep Roc Records, and includes tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. In 2010, Reckless released an album of songs by one of their musical heroes, Pinto Bennett. Somewhere in Time, in the band's own words, highlighted their love of "straight-up honky tonk". The band regularly returns to Austin to play before capacity crowds at venues like Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre.
Younger brothers Micky and Gary Braun front their own band, Micky & The Motorcars. Both bands play at the annual Braun Brothers Reunion in Challis, Idaho, in August.
Wicked Twisted Road
Reckless Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hit the million mile mark at seventeen years old
I never saw the rainbow, much less a pot of gold
Yeah, my first love was a wicked twisted road
My first love was a castle in the sky
I never thought I'd make it till I had the guts to try
Then I sat up in my tower while the whole world passed me by
My first love was a fearless driving rain
Scared to death I thought I'd never see her face again
They say God was crying so I guess he felt my pain
My first love was a fearless driving rain
My first love was a wild sinful night
I ran out with the big dogs
Guess I had more bark than bite
I know I won the battle but in the end I lost the fight
Yeah, my first love was a wild sinful night
My first love was an angry painful song
I wanted one so bad I went and did everything wrong
A lesson in reality would come before too long
Yeah, my first love was an angry painful song
My first love was a wicked twisted road
I hit the million mile mark at seventeen years old
I never saw the rainbow, much less a pot of gold
Yeah, my first love was a wicked twisted road
My first love was a wicked twisted road
The lyrics to Reckless Kelly's "Wicked Twisted Road" tell the story of the singer's first love and how it was a difficult and tumultuous journey. The first verse indicates that the road of his first love was "wicked twisted," suggesting it was a challenging and complicated pathway. He reached the "million mile mark" by the age of 17, indicating that the journey was long and full of obstacles. The singer notes that he never found the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow, suggesting he didn't get a happy ending or the success he was hoping for from this love.
The second verse suggests that the singer's first love was like a "castle in the sky" - an idealized, unattainable dream. He "sat up in his tower" while the rest of the world passed him by, suggesting that he was stuck in his own head, unable to move forward. The singer's first love was a "fearless driving rain" - something that was both scary and exhilarating. He felt like he might lose this love forever, but ultimately found solace in his belief that God was crying too.
The third verse talks about the singer's first love as a "wild sinful night". He ran with the big dogs, but ultimately lost the fight. The final verse notes that the singer's first love was an "angry painful song". He wanted it so much that he did everything wrong, but ultimately learned a valuable lesson in reality. The repetition of the chorus ("my first love was a wicked twisted road") throughout the song suggests that the singer is reflecting on his past and acknowledging the difficulties of his first love.
Line by Line Meaning
My first love was a wicked twisted road
The singer's first love was a difficult and tumultuous journey.
I hit the million mile mark at seventeen years old
The singer has experienced numerous challenges and obstacles at a young age.
I never saw the rainbow, much less a pot of gold
The singer has not experienced any rewards or prosperity despite their efforts and struggles.
Yeah, my first love was a castle in the sky
The artist's first love was a lofty and unattainable dream.
I never thought I'd make it till I had the guts to try
The artist was hesitant and lacked confidence in their abilities.
Then I sat up in my tower while the whole world passed me by
The singer watched as others succeeded while they remained stagnant.
My first love was a fearless driving rain
The singer's first love was a perilous and frightening experience.
Scared to death I thought I'd never see her face again
The artist was filled with fear and uncertainty during this experience.
They say God was crying so I guess he felt my pain
The artist felt a sense of divine empathy during their hardship.
My first love was a wild sinful night
The artist's first love was a reckless and hedonistic experience.
I ran out with the big dogs
The singer tried to match the behaviors of those around them.
Guess I had more bark than bite
The artist's outward confidence belied their true abilities.
I know I won the battle but in the end I lost the fight
The singer achieved a short-term victory but ultimately suffered a greater loss.
Yeah, my first love was an angry painful song
The singer's first love was a source of anger and pain.
I wanted one so bad I went and did everything wrong
The singer's desperation led them to make poor decisions.
A lesson in reality would come before too long
The artist learned a harsh lesson about life and love.
My first love was a wicked twisted road
The artist's first love was a difficult and tumultuous journey.
I hit the million mile mark at seventeen years old
The singer has experienced numerous challenges and obstacles at a young age.
I never saw the rainbow, much less a pot of gold
The singer has not experienced any rewards or prosperity despite their efforts and struggles.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WILLY BRAUN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind