In 1999, Rocky Votolato branched out from his work with Waxwing, having written a handful of songs which did not really fit in with their more aggressive, fast tempo syle. Along the way he has toured with the likes of Damien Jurado, Small Brown Bike, The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams, Owen and The Casket Lottery, members of the latter having provided assistance as backing musicians on occasion. His studio albums have also been littered with appearances from some of Seattle's finest musicians (including players in the bands Red Stars Theory, Sharks Keep Moving, The Blood Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion and Sub Pop solo artist Rosie Thomas). On the production side, Votolato has worked with Matt Bayles (Pearl Jam, Botch, Murder City Devils, Hayden), along with Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie). It is a creative input which has helped see Rocky progress sylistically with every release, from his low key self-titled album released in 1999 - all pretty much recorded live, right through to his recent, alt-country, folk-esque offering, 'Makers'. A video was shot for the first track of Makers, "White Daisy Passing", a song which also appears on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Seattle indie feature film Cthulu.
Rocky also starred in the film 'The Edge of Quarrel', which he worked on with Dave Larson from Excursion Records. It also includes members of the Murder City Devils and Botch, and is about a gang war between straightedgers and punk rockers.
He is married with two children, and lives in Seattle.
Montana
Rocky Votolato Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The suns getting easier for me to look at
I've been singing these songs about you Montana
For so long without ever even knowing it
The things that you can't see
If you look you'll find
They'll deliver everything
Somewhere somehow I got everything backwards
From the gas tank to the engine
Ambition sets the pistons on fire
And when you feel the distance in an empty bed
Lord you'll know that you're the woman of a hard working guitar pickin' man
You know my dream has always been
A freight train leaving town
I grew up small town but I always knew I'd get out of that somehow
I'm barely breathing on this stage
But it's keeping me alive
There's nowhere I'd rather be
Than on my way home to you tonight
Driving north on 35 heading into the night
The suns getting easier for me to look at
Maybe Memphis TN, maybe New Orleans
Maybe Arizona, I guess we'll see
"Montana" by Rocky Votolato is a song about a musician on tour who is driving north on I-35 into the night. As he sings these songs about Montana, he realizes that he has been singing about the state without ever knowing it. The lyrics talk about finding the things that are hidden in plain sight and how sometimes it is about looking closer to understand better.
The song talks about ambition and how it sets the pistons on fire, referring to the musician's desire to succeed in the music industry. The woman he loves is his motivation, as he sings about coming home to her after being on a long tour. The musician grew up in a small town but always knew he wanted to get out and pursue his dreams. He describes feeling alive on stage even though he is barely breathing, and how he is always on his way back home to the woman he loves.
The song is a beautiful rendition of the life of a musician who is always on the road, traveling from one place to another to chase his dreams. It talks about the importance of never losing sight of what is truly valuable and how finding that one person who motivates you is essential to a fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving north on 35 heading into the night
Starting a journey towards the north on 35 freeway at night time
The suns getting easier for me to look at
Adjusting to the brightness of sun as the day progresses
I've been singing these songs about you Montana
Composed several songs about Montana, unaware that they were inspired by someone special
For so long without ever even knowing it
Having sung about Montana for an extended period without realizing what it truly meant
The things that you can't see
Things that are not visible
If you look you'll find
If you pay attention, you'll discover them
They'll deliver everything
They hold the potential to provide everything you need
Somewhere somehow I got everything backwards
Inadvertently mixed up the priorities and sequence of events
From the gas tank to the engine
From the automotive fuel system to the motor
Ambition sets the pistons on fire
Drive and determination provide the energy to run the engine
And when you feel the distance in an empty bed
Sense of loneliness in bed without a partner close by
Lord you'll know that you're the woman of a hard working guitar pickin' man
The woman of a dedicated musician who works persistently at playing the guitar
You know my dream has always been
Revealing a lifetime ambition
A freight train leaving town
To travel farther from the hometown on a train
I grew up small town but I always knew I'd get out of that somehow
Independent and optimistic about moving beyond the small-town origins
I'm barely breathing on this stage
Being totally absorbed in the music while on stage
But it's keeping me alive
Music is the life force keeping the artist going
There's nowhere I'd rather be
Being on stage and playing music is the ideal place for the artist
Than on my way home to you tonight
Eagerly anticipating going back to loved ones after touring
Maybe Memphis TN, maybe New Orleans
Possible cities for the next gig
Maybe Arizona, I guess we'll see
Arizona could be on the list of destinations, but it's uncertain
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Rocky Votolato
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason McCann
One his best. SOOO DAMN GOOD!
Nate Karr
I've sang this song for years for an acoustic cover... only now, after taking a step back at my recent years of family and a wife, does this song make sense. It means more to me now thatI'm 30 than it did when I was 25....
dada mae evans
feels. same. all the best to your little family
Kurt L
hands down dopest dope