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.
Mark
Rod Picott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was born the year that Kennedy was shot
They Johnson swore in as they flew his body back
When he was seven Paul McCartney had enough
Didn't want to be in a band he took his bass guitar and left
In the year that he died he was seventeen years old
He was just a kid could have been just any kid
Nobody really knows why he did what he did
But on a cool spring morning he reached underneath his bed
Took a pistol out and put it up against his head
We all dressed up went to a little church in Maine
Sat in those long hard pews while Sgt. Pepper played
They were his favorite but it's so long ago
No one knew what to say and still nobody knows
Chorus
It's hard to know It could have been a different way
There might have been a lover waiting and a sweeter song to play
All this time kept on running on
But I turn the radio station when they play that Beatles song
Chorus
The song "Mark" by Rod Picott explores the tragic story of a young man named Mark, whose life was marked by significant historical events and personal struggles. The lyrics depict the various milestones and moments in Mark's life, highlighting the impact they had on him and the ultimate tragedy that unfolded.
The first verse establishes Mark's birth during the year when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It further mentions the inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson as Kennedy's body was flown back, implying a somber atmosphere surrounding Mark's entrance into the world. The lyrics go on to chronicle another significant event, when Mark was seven years old and Paul McCartney decided to leave The Beatles. This departure symbolizes a turning point in Mark's own life, as he begins to navigate his own path.
The second verse reveals the untimely death of Mark at the age of seventeen. The lyrics emphasize his youth and the potential that was left unfulfilled. The song hints at the mystery behind Mark's actions, stating that nobody truly knows why he decided to take his own life. The final lines depict the funeral, where the mourners gather in a church in Maine, listening to the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," Mark's favorite. Despite the song's connection to Mark's life, nobody is able to find the right words to say, and the ambiguity surrounding his actions continues.
Line by Line Meaning
He was born the year that Kennedy was shot
He was born in the same year that President Kennedy was assassinated
They Johnson swore in as they flew his body back
They quickly inaugurated Lyndon B. Johnson as President while they transported Kennedy's body
When he was seven Paul McCartney had enough
At the age of seven, Paul McCartney decided he had enough and left his band
Didn't want to be in a band he took his bass guitar and left
He didn't want to continue being part of the band, so he left, taking his bass guitar with him
In the year that he died he was seventeen years old
When he passed away, he was only seventeen years old
Barely old enough to shave and he left so much untold
Being so young, he had yet to experience and express many aspects of life
He was just a kid could have been just any kid
He was an ordinary kid who could have been any other average child
Nobody really knows why he did what he did
The true reasons behind his actions remain unknown
But on a cool spring morning he reached underneath his bed
On a chilly spring morning, he retrieved something from under his bed
Took a pistol out and put it up against his head
He took out a pistol and held it against his own head
We all dressed up went to a little church in Maine
Everyone dressed up and attended a small church in Maine
Sat in those long hard pews while Sgt. Pepper played
They sat in the uncomfortable, long pews while the song 'Sgt. Pepper' was playing
They were his favorite but it's so long ago
The Beatles were his favorite band, but it feels like a distant memory now
No one knew what to say and still nobody knows
At that time, no one knew the right words to say, and even now, nobody truly understands
Chorus
Refrain or repeated section of the song
It's hard to know It could have been a different way
It's difficult to determine how things could have unfolded differently
There might have been a lover waiting and a sweeter song to play
Perhaps there was a potential lover waiting for him and a happier song that could have been enjoyed
All this time kept on running on
Time continued passing by consistently
But I turn the radio station when they play that Beatles song
However, whenever a Beatles song plays on the radio, I change the station
Chorus
Refrain or repeated section of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Rod Picott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tammy
on Gettin' To Me
Gettin to me