"My initial meeting with Rocco - It was pure and centered and seemed to have a sense of purpose, and I felt that there was something burning in his heart that I could be helpful to. It had that kind of truth in it that I decided to run with. I like the street corner aspect of working with Rocco, it woke up a certain part of my renegade ways I’m trying to keep alive these days. I fully believe in DeLuca. I think that he’s got the power to be a contemporary troubadour, as I see it, and I hope I can be his friend for a long time, whether I am operating in the same limelight, ahead of him, behind him, in his shadow, whatever it takes, I’ll be there. The one thing that I love about Rocco DeLuca is he is driven by his own heart." - Daniel Lanois
Rocco Deluca (born December 27, 1975 in Torrance, California) was born in the winter in Southern California. Like other Angelenos he was surrounded by local literature, latino art, motorcycles, film and music. His early years were spent studying the likes of Billy Holiday and Nina Simone as well as the darker and raw Delta Blues heroes of the 1920's. At the age of seven, he taught himself to play listening to these records. By the time he was a teenager, Rocco had developed the skills and the confidence to start performing for others. For the first few years, he played only specific instruments. It wasn't until later he discovered he had a voice. Street busking, clubs, theatres and and festivals, Rocco has performed around the world many times over with his 1931 National by his side.
His authentic and unusual lyric and voice has since garnered him international attention and acclaim.
Rocco has had the good fortune to cross paths with and gain inspiration from various legends. John Lee Hooker gave DeLuca the opportunity to support his live shows. And later, Johnny Cash and June Carter were kind enough to invite him into their Hendersonville home, where values and excellence were displayed. Most recently, Deluca was recorded by and toured with Daniel Lanois, where he learned great lessons in work and experimentation.
After extensive travel from Kingston to London to the deserts of Texas and California, Rocco has placed his recent stories into a collection called Drugs 'n Hymns. Sifting through failures, cities, friendships, and geographic shapes, Rocco conjured images that were documented live in a room no bigger than a closet, with some help from the Echo Park Jubilee Tambo Flower Unsung Heroes Choir.
Drugs 'n Hymns is the culmination of detailed moments inspired by both the illuminated and the disturbed, unfolding into a drug deal that takes place during the Sacred Service- Always in conflict with salvation and sin, the cerebral and the bestial, light and shade. Rocco's love of contradiction is ever present.
Inspired by 'religion', literature and experience, DeLuca takes the listener on a pilgrimage, a forever evolving search for salvation.
Save Yourself
Rocco DeLuca & The Burden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ashes from your cigarette
Like a knife, they come and go
They go slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, slow
You don't recall what you used to know
You're thrown at the sun, implode
Before you hide in the shelter, the shelter, the shelter, the shelter
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
With a knife or with a gun
With the light from the sun
Ashes from your cigarette
Like a name soon forget
Remind me I'm disposable
Remind me I'm disposable
You're fucking controllable
It's hot in the shelter, the shelter below you
Sing la la la
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Save yourself!
Come on and save yourself!
Save yourself!
Ah!
Save yourself!
Come on and save yourself!
In "Save Yourself," Rocco DeLuca & The Burden sing about isolation, forgetfulness, and the importance of taking charge of one's own life. The repeated phrase "save yourself" functions as both a plea and a command, urging the listener to take action to avoid being forgotten, controlled, or consumed by the world around them.
The opening lines about a name being forgotten and ashes from a cigarette highlight the transience of life and the way that even seemingly meaningful things can quickly fade away. The knife that "they" come and go with may be a reference to the power that others hold over us and the way that we can be cut down by their words or actions. The repeated "slow, slow, slow" emphasizes the way that these blows can gradually wear us down over time.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of desperation and a need for self-preservation. The line "Remind me I'm disposable" conveys a feeling of worthlessness and a sense that the singer sees themselves as expendable. The repeated phrase "save yourself" takes on a sense of urgency, as if the singer is pleading with the listener to take their fate into their own hands before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, like a name soon forget
People forget who you are quickly, just like they forget a name.
Ashes from your cigarette
Your actions and decisions are fleeting, like the ashes of a cigarette.
Like a knife, they come and go
Similar to a knife, things can enter and exit your life in a sharp, unexpected manner.
They go slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, slow
Despite this sharpness, these things can also happen at a painfully slow rate.
You don't recall what you used to know
You've lost the knowledge or understanding of something that you once knew.
You're thrown at the sun, implode
You've been put through something so intense that you feel like you're going to collapse under the pressure.
Before you hide in the shelter, the shelter, the shelter, the shelter
You seek out comfort or respite from the struggles at hand, repeating it to emphasize the need to do so.
The shelter below you, sing la la la
In the comfort of your shelter, you try to ignore your problems by singing and distracting yourself.
Save yourself!
You need to take matters into your own hands and save yourself.
With a knife or with a gun
You're willing to do whatever it takes to save yourself, whether that's physically defending yourself or not.
With the light from the sun
Alternatively, you're trying to find inner strength and peace from the most constant and reliable source in your life, the sun.
Remind me I'm disposable
You feel like you can be replaced or easily discarded by others.
You're fucking controllable
You feel like you're being manipulated or controlled by someone.
It's hot in the shelter, the shelter below you
Even in your comfort zone, things are starting to become too much for you to handle.
Save yourself!
Again, you're calling attention to the fact that you need to save yourself.
Come on and save yourself!
You're urging yourself to take action and save yourself from whatever situation you're in.
Save yourself! Ah! Save yourself! Come on and save yourself!
You repeat your call to action multiple times, emphasizing the need to take control of your life and save yourself.
Contributed by Abigail B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TaiTaiWooWoo
Just saw him last night in Toronto, opening for Daniel Lanois & Black Dub. I've been apologizing to my ears & soul for not finding this minstrel sooner. I feel like a total asshole for being so late to join the Rocco DeLuca blues party. How is he not the biggest rock star in the world?
@degs24
Doesn't matter how many times I hear this...ALWAYS amazing.
@mydelkoGORE
Greetings from Poland!!! You're gr8 keep up!!!!
@donottawaguitar
thats amazing!
@ralf759
geile Mukke zu den Harley Video!
@TCt83067695
does he say save yourself child at the end?
@ralf759
geile Mukke zu den Harley Video!