Known for spinning wild yarns against a unique blend of roots and urban grooves, Ridley's rekindled a love for an old flame on Buckles and Boots. Born out of early exposure to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash - courtesy of his father, the world's greatest country music lover - there's always been a strong underpinning of alt. Folk and Country to his music. "But with this record," he says, "I really wanted to be clear where it was going."
Where it went was straight up Country - no exceptions, and no apologies...
Alone, or with his band, Ridley Bent brings a level of commitment to his performances so complete, the audience can't help going where he takes them. "He's not strutting around the stage," says Ellis, "he's standing there like Hank Sr., holding his ground." More and more, people can't help but notice; Ridley was nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards. In 2008 he received three Canadian Country Music Award nominations, nine British Columbia Country Music Award nominations and was the winner of the Ray Mcauley Horizon Award as well as the Edmonton Folk Festival's Galaxie Rising Star Award. Ridley has also toured with Corb Lund, Doc Walker, and hit major Canadian Folk Fests like Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Hillside.
Lonesome Town
Ridley Bent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I drove all night with the radio on.
How did things get so bad,
How did things go so wrong?
Everything I held dear,
Is a thousand miles away from here,
Desperate man plays a dangerous hand.
A lonely bar on a dead-end street.
No one but me and the bar keep
I ask him where I am.
Lonesome town,
You're welcome if you're here to drown
But if you've got some living to do,
There's the door son.
This town is full of lonesome,
This town is full of lonesome.
I throw down a couple pints
A couple more and I stay the night
Night turns to weeks and weeks to years.
Time flies when you're dying slow,
And I bury that barkeep up the road
His time had come,
Yeah, he was old and so it goes
Lonesome town,
You're welcome if you're here to drown.
But if you've got some living to do,
There's the door son.
This town is full of lonesome,
This town is full of lonesome.
I take to tending bar,
Chain-smoking and drinking hard
Dim the lights because I like it dark
And I stoke the fire
Time flies when you're dying slow,
And a broken wing walks through the door.
She says "I think I'm lost,
I need a whiskey on the rocks."
Lonesome town,
You're welcome if you're here to drown,
But if you've got some living to do,
There's the door ma'am.
This town is full of lonesome,
This town is full of lonesome.
This town, this town, is full of lonesome.
The lyrics of "Lonesome Town" by Ridley Bent are about a man who is struggling with his life and decides to leave home to find some relief from his worries. He drives all night and ends up at a small bar in a place called Lonesome Town. The song takes on a nostalgic and conversational tone as Bent sings about his attempt to escape reality, but eventually finding himself stuck in the same town in which he was trying to escape from.
As the song goes along, it becomes clear that the singer has given up on any hope of leaving Lonesome Town. He starts to tend bar, smokes and drinks heavily, and even buries the old barkeep who was his only source of friendship. However, his life takes a turn when a woman with a broken wing walks into the bar. Despite the darkness of the Lonesome Town, the singer realizes that her presence provides a spark of hope and that it's possible to live a better life if one goes looking for it.
The lyrics of "Lonesome Town" are very descriptive of the loneliness and isolation that can exist in certain places, such as small towns. The song is a reflection of how people can find themselves in difficult situations and become stuck in patterns of behavior that can be destructive. It's a sad song, but also one with hope, as the singer realizes that there's a way out of Lonesome Town.
Line by Line Meaning
I was so shaken up I had to leave home,
The singer experienced a situation that was so distressing that they had to leave their home.
I drove all night with the radio on.
During their journey, the singer listened to the radio to distract themselves from their thoughts.
How did things get so bad,
The singer wonders how the situation they have found themselves in became so dire.
How did things go so wrong?
The artist reflects on the circumstances that led them to their current predicament.
Everything I held dear,
The artist values several cherished, important things in their life.
Is a thousand miles away from here,
However, everything they treasure is unachievable and far from their current location.
Desperate man plays a dangerous hand.
The singer finds themselves in a perilous situation, and they take desperate, risky measures to cope.
I slow down 'cause I need a drink,
To numb their emotions, the artist slows down in search of alcohol.
A lonely bar on a dead-end street.
They find a solitary bar in an obscure, uninviting area.
No one but me and the bar keep
The only people in the bar are the artist and the bartender.
I ask him where I am.
The singer queries the bartender's location.
Lonesome town,
The bartender responds to the artist's question by apprising them that they are in a town whose residents experience severe loneliness.
You're welcome if you're here to drown
The town welcomes individuals whose sole purpose is to distract themselves from their sorrows using liquor.
But if you've got some living to do,
The bartender also indicates that those who have other motives should leave town.
There's the door son.
The bartender accentuates this message by gesturing towards the door.
This town is full of lonesome,
The bartender reiterates to the artist how loneliness is the prevalent emotion throughout the town's residents.
I throw down a couple pints
The artist starts drinking heavily.
A couple more and I stay the night
The singer drinks more and decides to stay overnight.
Night turns to weeks and weeks to years.
The singer has spent an extended amount of time in the bar and feels as though time has passed them by.
Time flies when you're dying slow,
This reminds the artist of how quickly time passes when one is in a state of emotional numbness.
And I bury that barkeep up the road
After an extended period of time, the artist discovers that the bartender has passed on and makes arrangements for their burial.
His time had come,
The artist refers to the bartender's death as an inevitability.
Yeah, he was old and so it goes
The singer reminds themselves that the bartender's death is not surprising due to his age.
I take to tending bar,
The artist becomes the new bartender at the bar.
Chain-smoking and drinking hard
The singer falls deeper into a pattern of self-destructive behavior.
Dim the lights because I like it dark
The singer prefers gloomier surroundings to hide their emotions.
And I stoke the fire
The singer is very invested in their job as a bartender and thus takes great care to maintain the premises.
And a broken wing walks through the door.
A character who is equally lost and hurting enters the bar.
She says 'I think I'm lost,
The new character expresses their confusion with the events that led them to the bar.
I need a whiskey on the rocks.'
To forget her worries, she requests an alcoholic beverage.
But if you've got some living to do,
The singer gives the same advice to the new character that they had received upon entering the bar.
There's the door ma'am.
They emphasize the need for the new character to leave if they have intentions for living a fulfilling life.
This town is full of lonesome,
The artist reminds the broken-winged character of the town's overwhelming issue with loneliness.
This town, this town, is full of lonesome.
The artist emphasizes the tragic reality of the town, hoping to deter the character from settling there.
Contributed by Hailey P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.