Growing up in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine, Picott was exposed to a surprising mix of music. His father, a former marine owned a record collection that spanned from the marches of John Philip Sousa to the rhythm and blues of Ray Charles. His older brother, an avid record collector, introduced Rod to the punk poetry of Patti Smith and The Clash, finishing the groundwork of influences that Rod would draw from later in his own music. Through his teens and early twenties Picott payed his dues bumping around the raucous and thriving local music scene that ran from Boston MA. north to Portland ME.
After a few years in Boulder, Colorado busking on the streets and studying song craft with hit songwriter Stephen Allen Davis, 1994 saw a move to Nashville TN. Picott quickly established himself as one of the sharper penned new writers in town while hosting a weekly showcase called Rod Picott's Fireside Whiskey Hour. Two years later Picott was invited to be the opening act for Alison Krauss and Union Station on the western swing of their 1997 tour. In 2001 Picott's co-write with Slaid Cleaves became the most played song on Americana radio when Cleaves Rounder Records release of the same name broke Cleaves to a worldwide audience.
Picott's own 2001 debut release, Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues, announced his arrival as an artist of note. The album received airplay from Bob Harris on the BBC, and Music Row magazine’s Robert Oermann called the debut, "the birth of a major, major artist".
2002's Straydogs displayed even finer skills as a writer and vocalist and featured guest appearances from Alison Krauss and frequent co-writer Slaid Cleaves. The album was embraced by Americana radio and found it's way onto the chart for 5 weeks. It also found it's way onto many year’s-best lists in both the States and Europe.
Released in November 2004 , Girl From Arkansas, brought Picott's eye for lyric detail and whiskey-voiced delivery together with a newfound intimacy.
In 2005 a collection of live performances titled Travel Log was released. Recorded in front of a small crowd in Charlotte N.C. the cd documents a soulful and sometimes magical performance with accompaniment from Dobro and lapsteel player Matt Mauch.
In 2006 Picott co-produced, [with David Henry] Slaid Cleaves' Rounder Records release Unsung.
In the summer of 2007 Rod assembled some of his favorite musicians. The resulting cd Summerbirds is a beautifully realized collection that contains both full on rockers and the elegant ballads his audience has come to know him for. Maverick magazine called Summerbirds "as damn near perfect as you can get" and gave the album a full five star review. A full band tour through the UK and Italy followed the European release of Summerbirds. Rod and the band played live on the BBC in London and a distribution deal with Proper Distribution was signed for the album.
At the Folk Alliance Conference in Austin Tx. in 2006 Rod Picott met Texas fiddle sensation Amanda Shires. Over the following 2 years they toured throughout the States and Europe playing more than 150 shows together. In the winter of 2008 they began co-writing and recording their debut duo project. Picott and Amanda Shires are currently touring in support of their debut duo release, titled "Sew Your Heart with Wires" . The album is a completely acoustic recording featuring only their two voices, Picott's guitar and Shires' fiddle and Ukelele. The songs range from a murder ballad [Little Darlin'] to a gospel rave up [When You Get Your Story Told] to an outlaw narrative [Ruby]. All ten tracks were co-written by Rod Picott and Amanda Shires. The album's sound is rich, full of texture and drenched with soul and reverb. The album is distributed by Proper Distribution. "Sew Your Heart with Wires" received unanimous rave reviews, reached #7 on the Euro Americana Chart and was voted #4 Best Debut of 2008 by the FAR Chart radio reporters.
Picott released Welding Burns in 2011.
Mama's Boy
Rod Picott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They hung a clothesline
Up to make a ring
Drinking Mickey's big mouth
The first day of spring
His uncle was a boxer
His grandfather too
couple times in 62
So they tied the gloves
On his shaky hands
Gonna turn that boy
into a man
A wasp will sting and flowers grow
Learn to make a fist and when to throw
In his dirty shirt and his corduroys
He wasn't tough enough he was a mama's boy
With his books and paint
and his record player
Pull the splinter out
Wipe your tear
His daddy said
You gotta toughen up
You need a busted lip
To find what you're made of
Chorus
Now Sonny Liston
And Cassius Clay
Clay was a kid
Back on that day
Ain't no tellin'
What was running round
inside his head
When Sonny he went down
Chorus
The lyrics to Rod Picott's song "Mama's Boy" tell the story of a young boy who is expected to toughen up and become a man. The imagery of hanging a clothesline to make a ring suggests that the boy's family is using makeshift means to train him in boxing. They drink Mickey's big mouth, a reference to a malt liquor brand, to celebrate the first day of spring, possibly signifying a fresh start for the boy.
The boy comes from a lineage of boxers, with his uncle, grandfather, and father all having participated in the sport to some extent. The gloves being tied onto his shaky hands symbolizes the boy's vulnerability and his family's attempt to mold him into a fighter. They believe that turning him into a man requires him to toughen up and develop the skills needed to succeed in the ring.
However, despite their efforts, the boy is not able to meet their expectations. The lyric, "He wasn't tough enough he was a mama's boy," implies that he falls short of their definition of masculinity. Instead of embracing the rough and tough image associated with boxing, he is portrayed as someone who enjoys more artistic pursuits like books, paint, and a record player. His sensitivity is highlighted when his daddy tells him that he needs a busted lip to truly discover his inner strength.
The reference to Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) adds another layer of meaning to the song. Liston, a heavyweight champion, was defeated by the young and charismatic Clay in a historic match. The lyrics suggest that Clay, as a kid at the time, had something going on inside his head that propelled him to victory. This could be seen as a parallel to the boy in the song, who may possess hidden talents or strengths that are not being recognized or nurtured.
Overall, "Mama's Boy" explores the themes of masculinity, societal expectations, and the struggle of a young individual trying to find their own identity amidst pressure from others.
Line by Line Meaning
They hung a clothesline Up to make a ring
They improvised a makeshift boxing ring by hanging a clothesline
Drinking Mickey's big mouth The first day of spring
They were drinking Mickey's Big Mouth beer on the first day of spring
His uncle was a boxer His grandfather too
Both his uncle and grandfather were boxers
His father fought a couple times in 62
His father had a few boxing matches in 1962
So they tied the gloves On his shaky hands
They secured the boxing gloves onto his shaky hands
Gonna turn that boy into a man
They aimed to toughen him up and make him more mature
A wasp will sting and flowers grow
Life has both its hardships and its beauty
Learn to make a fist and when to throw
It is important to know how to defend yourself and when to take action
In his dirty shirt and his corduroys
He was not tough enough and was seen as weak or soft
He wasn't tough enough he was a mama's boy
He lacked the desired toughness and was overly reliant on his mother
With his books and paint and his record player
He enjoyed activities like reading, painting, and listening to music
Pull the splinter out Wipe your tear
Deal with your pain and emotions instead of avoiding them
His daddy said You gotta toughen up
His father advised him to become stronger and more resilient
You need a busted lip To find what you're made of
Experiencing hardships helps you discover your true strength and character
Chorus
Refrain that repeats the main message of the song
Now Sonny Liston And Cassius Clay
Referring to the famous boxing match between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali)
Clay was a kid Back on that day
At that time, Cassius Clay was young
Ain't no tellin' What was running round inside his head
There's no way to know exactly what thoughts were going through his mind
When Sonny he went down
When Sonny Liston was defeated
Chorus
Refrain that repeats the main message of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Slaid Cleaves, Rod Picott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tammy
on Gettin' To Me
Gettin to me