Roger Clyne's lyrics frequently showcase his Southwestern roots, and frequently imply images of cowboys, Federales, and references to Mexico and places in Arizona, amongst other Southwestern references.
After the demise of The Refreshments, a semi-successful rock band of the 1990s whose top radio hit was "Banditos," former frontman Roger Clyne and drummer P.H. Naffah formed a new band that would be called Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers.
The two were joined by former Gin Blossom, Scott Johnson; Steve Larson, former guitarist for another Tempe band, Dead Hot Workshop; and bass player Danny White. They released their first album, Honky Tonk Union in 1999.Honky Tonk Union was released in limited quantities with a bonus live CD, Real to Reel. The next year, they released an extended version of Real to Reel as a stand-alone album.
The musical feel of Honky Tonk Union was a noticeable change from Clyne's previous works with The Refreshments. Whereas The Refreshments had a prominent lead guitar and edgy southwestern rock feel, Honky Tonk Union displayed a heavier country influence along with focusing more on the singer-songwriter aspect of the band.
The Peacemakers' next studio effort, 2002's Sonoran Hope and Madness, explored the deeper themes of returning to the basics of life, of loss and of resurgence. Sonoran Hope and Madness was a tale of the demise of a much-loved way of life.
In 2002, Scott Johnson left the band to rejoin with the Gin Blossoms, leaving the part of lead guitar to Steve Larson.
2004 saw the release of Americano, the band's third, and most streamlined, studio effort. Ā”Americano! is a story set not in the dusty Mexican borderlands, like the previous albums, but on a Mexican beach, miles away from the daily grind. This album was conceived and written in a third-world cantina, and canvasses the spectrum of human emotion.
In early 2004, shortly after the release of Ā”Americano!, Danny White left the Peacemakers to start his own recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. He was replaced by Nick Scropos, who was the bassist for another Tempe band, Gloritone. Scropos was slated to join the band when it formed in 1998, but was unable to do so due to his obligation to Gloritone. His playing can be heard on track nine of Honky Tonk Union, Green & Dumb.
In March of 2005, the Peacemakers were asked to play at Billy Bob's Texas, a famous honky-tonk joint that has hosted the likes of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Pat Green. They quickly turned around and sold a live CD featuring songs from that performance entitled Live at Billy Bob's Texas, which sold well enough to make them the only independent band to have five consecutive top-10 albums on the Billboard Internet Sales Chart.
In April of 2006, the Peacemakers released a four song EP, Four Unlike Before, which is currently available only through iTunes.
The band's fourth studio album, No More Beautiful World, was released on March 20, 2007.
The Peacemakers tour heavily, both as a headlining band and opening for national acts such as Sammy Hagar and John Fogerty.
Twice a year, an ever-increasing following of fans from around the globe descend on the Mexican beach town of Rocky Point (Puerto PeƱasco) for their "Circus Mexicus" bash. Circus Mexicus features a four-hour long concert at the Sunset Cantina. The weekend culminates with a "hangover bash" at JJ's Cantina in nearby Cholla Bay on Sunday at which band members mingle with the fans and sign autographs.
The warm waters and ever increasing recreational opportunities motivate many participants to make "Circus Mexicus" a semi-annual pilgrimage of several days.
http://www.azpeacemakers.com/
Green & Dumb
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clouds tumble over themselves in the sky
And all the pretty horses come runnin to her
And even the dust devils break
But they'll catch your eye
I haunt her house from the outside
I watch her bake cornbread and talk on the phone
A mute moonlit statue of mine, she waltzes alone
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
And baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green and dumb
The wind ain't stopped blowin' since morning
It's got me froze up on the inside
And I could get warm in the bunk house
And thaw out on coffee and bread
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green and dumb
I need your government warning
Like I need a hole in my head
Well, I won't shoot your coyotes
And I won't burn your weeds
Your paycheck won't fill up this hollow
It won't die along the ages
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
The lyrics of Green & Dumb by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers describe a longing for someone, but the singer feels inadequate and "green and dumb" when it comes to expressing their feelings. The first verse uses nature to illustrate the beauty around the person the singer longs for, and how even natural phenomena like dust devils catch their eye because of their connection to this person. The second verse shifts to the singer haunting the person's house and observing them from afar. The "mute moonlit statue" suggests a feeling of being frozen in place, unable to act on their desire.
The chorus reveals the singer's insecurity and lack of confidence in expressing their feelings. They wish they could call the person "baby," but feel too "empty in the head and tied up in the tongue" to do so. The third verse continues with the theme of being frozen and unable to act by describing the singer's physical discomfort due to the weather. The mention of the bunk house and coffee and bread offer some relief, but the longing for the person is still present.
Line by Line Meaning
Daisies stand up on their tip-toes
The beauty of nature is captivating
Clouds tumble over themselves in the sky
The majesty of the sky is mesmerizing
And all the pretty horses come runnin to her
The subject of the song is a magnetic, alluring figure
And even the dust devils break
Even natural forces cannot resist this person's charm
But they'll catch your eye
Their presence is impossible to ignore
I haunt her house from the outside
The subject is too intimidated to initiate contact
I watch her bake cornbread and talk on the phone
The subject admires the person's domestic life from afar
And the wireless on the inside plays a sad sweet song
The subject imagines the person is listening to music and feeling emotions
A mute moonlit statue of mine, she waltzes alone
The subject feels like a powerless observer, watching the person dance alone
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
The subject is tempted to reach out to the person
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
The subject lacks the confidence to take action
The wind ain't stopped blowin' since morning
The subject is overwhelmed by external conditions
It's got me froze up on the inside
The subject is emotionally paralyzed
And I could get warm in the bunk house
There is a potential respite from the harsh environment
And thaw out on coffee and bread
The subject seeks basic comforts
I need your government warning
The subject seeks guidance and direction
Like I need a hole in my head
The subject does not want any more trouble or confusion
Well, I won't shoot your coyotes
The subject rejects traditional forms of aggression
And I won't burn your weeds
The subject seeks to coexist peacefully with nature
Your paycheck won't fill up this hollow
Material wealth cannot solve the subject's emotional emptiness
It won't die along the ages
The subject's pain will persist
If I weren't so green & dumb
The subject is inexperienced and naive
If I weren't so green & dumb
The subject is inexperienced and naive
If I weren't so green & dumb
The subject is inexperienced and naive
Lyrics Ā© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gaanjer
Daisies stand up on their tip-toes
Clouds tumble over themselves in the sky
And all the pretty horses come runnin to her
And even the dust devils break
But they'll catch your eye
I haunt her house from the outside
I watch her bake cornbread and talk on the phone
And the wireless on the inside plays a sad sweet song
A mute moonlit statue of mine, she waltzes alone
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
And baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green and dumb
The wind ain't stopped blowin' since morning
It's got me froze up on the inside
And I could get warm in the bunk house
And thaw out on coffee and bread
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green and dumb
I need your government warning
Like I need a hole in my head
Well, I won't shoot your coyotes
And I won't burn your weeds
Your paycheck won't fill up this hollow
It won't die along the ages
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so empty in the head and tied up in the tongue
But baby, baby, I could call you baby
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
If I weren't so green & dumb
@m.l.grosset3047
Roger Clyne...an American Songwriting icon and treasure!
@robbieanderson3758
I will NEVER tire of this song, nor will I tire of the haunting guitar that underpins the track.
@tlee7777
Here. Always. Solice. Thankyou.
@michaelscott8345
I saw these guys in 99 in El Paso, Texas. Hung out with them after the show. Roger gave me the name āSan Miguelā. Changed my life! Much as gracias, amigo!
@adavis3659
My fav and I'm privileged to have seen RCPM twice, hope to again one day...
@CapnJay214Supra
Best sad love song from a male perspective ever written.
@MrNAPATY
Just bought the refreshments 1996 album... great tracks
@GirlWithAnOpinion
Highly recommend the version recorded live at the now gone "Green Room" in Tempe, AZ. The energy in that place that night was epic! Roger, P.H., Steve, Scotty, and Danny were perfect!
@JasonBenesh
I went to my first couple Peacemakers shows knowing FFB&B really well, but barely knowing anything after that. Now I'm familiar with the whole catalogue, and my favorite album changes all the time. My wife loooooooves this song. I do too.
@npennow
Get to Mexico, sir! It's fantastic when they are there.