Bingham dropped out of school at 17 and was introduced to rodeo bull riding. He learned the emotional aspect of pain early in life, when shuttling between small towns and family members in the hardscrabble ranching communities of West Texas and Hobbs, New Mexico -- and became well-acquainted with the physical facets of pain during his years on the Southwestern rodeo circuit.
That ache is palpable in the grooves of Mescalito, Ryan Bingham’s Lost Highway debut, but what’s even more plain is the steely strength needed to overcome it -- a tenor that’s evident in both the singer-songwriter’s preternaturally wizened voice and his remarkably poignant songs, which resonate with roadhouse wisdom and rough-and-ready border-town piquancy.
The Beg For Broken Legs Songfacts reports that Bingham's fourth album, Tomorrowland, was recorded in Malibu, California with producer Justin Stanley and self-released through Bingham's new independent record label Axster Bingham Records on September 18, 2012.
He has won an Oscar for the best film song (Crazy Heart - The Weary Kind) in 2010.
Influences include Bob Dylan among others.
Dylan
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my thumb in the wind
I sure miss my kin but then again
I'm on the road with a song for you
I took a step, I lost a bet
They cut off my tongue, now they're full of regret
Careful what you say
Just make the cash, bet on the past
Everybody's so afraid to be last
You can't take back everythin' you leave behind
Is everybody so ashamed
For lettin' it all slide?
Is everybody so afraid?
Mr. Dylan's Hard Rain was fair warnin'
On a shake down in the alley
Breakin' people's faces, gonna start you up a rally
I've never seen a day in the sun with the gun
That's loaded for you
There's some hippies in the back room
Rockin' and a-rollin' and a-smokin' to an old tune
Someone took the guitar and a match
And set peace on fire
Hey my brother, what is wrong?
You lost all your money on the corner rollin' bones
Give him your cash, motherfucker
He's too fast for you
Is everybody so ashamed
For lettin' it all slide?
Is everybody so afraid?
Mr. Dylan's Hard Rain was fair warnin'
On the TV, there's a white man
Too much make up on his wife with God's plan
I guess the religious vote made it to Congress
And on the border of Tijuana
People are growin' truck loads of marijuana
Maybe someday our friends will be American farmers
Then the necklace in the south
A few hopeless people still hangin' it around
The wind's gonna cut you down in the long run
Is everybody so ashamed
For lettin' it all slide?
I won't be afraid
Mr. Dylan's Hard Rain is where it's pourin' in, fair warnin'
So can we save us from today?
The hands of the wretched are the ones gettin' paid
Everythin' stays the same, if you don't change it
And all the dreams will bust at the seam
It all goes down in the mighty machine
You don't care now, but someday you might need it
I heard the whistle start to blowin'
Then I saw the mountain in the back come tumblin'
Everybody's wishin' they could get out of the way
Everybody's wishin' they could dig their ass out of the grave
The lyrics of Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses's song Dylan's Hard Rain paint a picture of a society in turmoil. The song opens with the singer acknowledging his homeless status as he hitchhikes, although he misses his family, he finds solace in the fact that he is on the road with a song for his audience. However, his journey has not been without setbacks. He has lost a bet, cut off his tongue, and warns his listeners to be careful with their words if no one is going to listen anyway. The character reflects on the anxiety that permeates his society, everyone going about their business with a fear of being last, racing to bet on the past and move on, without looking back to take the present with them.
The singer highlights various vices that make society go awry: white-collar crime, drugs, religious hypocrisy, and racism. He laments that people are losing their money on street gambling, the whimsical religious vote is becoming increasingly influential in Congress, people are growing truckloads of marijuana, and people are still hanging necklaces in the south. Somewhat sardonically, the singer notes that these people might become American farmers someday. The character then warns everyone that everything stays the same if they don't change it, and all dreams about a better life will inevitably fail. The song ends on a sober note, with the mountain tumbling as everyone wishes they could dig their asses out of the grave.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm a homeless man
I'm a man without a home, wandering aimlessly
With my thumb in the wind
I'm hitchhiking, trying to get somewhere
I sure miss my kin but then again
I miss my family, but I also love being on the road
I'm on the road with a song for you
I'm a musician traveling and performing for my audience
I took a step, I lost a bet
I made a decision that ended up being a mistake
They cut off my tongue, now they're full of regret
After silencing me, those who did it feel remorse
Careful what you say
Be cautious of your words
If they ain't gonna listen anyway
Don't bother speaking if no one is willing to hear
Just make the cash, bet on the past
Focus on making money and repeating past successes
Everybody's so afraid to be last
People are too scared to lose or be at the bottom
You can't take back everythin' you leave behind
You can't undo everything you've done in the past
Is everybody so ashamed
Are people embarrassed or guilty about their actions?
For lettin' it all slide?
For allowing things to deteriorate or worsen
Mr. Dylan's Hard Rain was fair warnin'
Bob Dylan's song 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' was a warning that things could get worse
On a shake down in the alley
During a rough and illegal fight in a grimy location
Breakin' people's faces, gonna start you up a rally
Physically assaulting others could inspire a call to action or rebellion
I've never seen a day in the sun with the gun
I've never experienced a peaceful, enjoyable day with weapons around
That's loaded for you
There are weapons aimed specifically at you
There's some hippies in the back room
In another location, there are carefree, unconventional individuals
Rockin' and a-rollin' and a-smokin' to an old tune
They're dancing and enjoying life to an old song
Someone took the guitar and a match
Someone made an aggressive move by lighting a guitar on fire
And set peace on fire
This ignited conflict in what used to be a peaceful scene
Hey my brother, what is wrong?
What's troubling you, my friend?
You lost all your money on the corner rollin' bones
You wasted all your money on gambling
Give him your cash, motherfucker
Hand over your money to him quickly
He's too fast for you
He's extremely skilled or deceptive, making it hard to compete
On the TV, there's a white man
There's a prominent, influential white man on television
Too much make up on his wife with God's plan
The man's wife wears too much makeup while promoting religious ideals
I guess the religious vote made it to Congress
Government officials promote religious ideas to keep their supporters happy
And on the border of Tijuana
At the Mexico-US border near Tijuana
People are growin' truck loads of marijuana
Many people are cultivating large amounts of marijuana
Maybe someday our friends will be American farmers
Perhaps there will be a time when US farmers grow marijuana legally
Then the necklace in the south
In the southern US, there is a symbol of the past still present
A few hopeless people still hangin' it around
Still, some lost souls cling to this painful past symbol
The wind's gonna cut you down in the long run
Eventually, life's hardships will wear you down
I won't be afraid
I'm not scared
So can we save us from today?
Is there any way to rescue ourselves from today's problems?
The hands of the wretched are the ones gettin' paid
The people who are struggling the most are the ones being rewarded
Everythin' stays the same, if you don't change it
Things won't improve unless you put effort into making a change
And all the dreams will bust at the seam
All hopes and aspirations will break apart
It all goes down in the mighty machine
Everything is controlled by a powerful, impersonal system
You don't care now, but someday you might need it
You may not realize or appreciate something now, but you may need it later
I heard the whistle start to blowin'
I heard a warning sign or signal start to blare
Then I saw the mountain in the back come tumblin'
The mountain, a symbol of stability, suddenly crumbled
Everybody's wishin' they could get out of the way
Everyone wants to get out of this harmful situation
Everybody's wishin' they could dig their ass out of the grave
Everyone wants to be saved from this impending disaster
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE RYAN BINGHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliott P
on Western Shore
"Loud on the Western shore, you're no longer brave"
You used to be scared, but now you are bravely living your life out loud
Think you missed this one
More than once
Significant I think that he ended the song with "you are no longer brave".
Think it was easy for him to have been brave previously because he had nothing to lose as he also points out in What would I've become. He does now and that's changed him