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.
Ever Wonder Why
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you ever stop and wonder why?
Would you think it's lost that I paid the cost?
Stop and give a poor boy a ride and forget my past
If I ever get home I'm never gonna worry
The things that I could've done
'Cause I've done a lot of things I could've done better
'Cause I fell in love and then lost touch
I dropped it and broke her heart
I drove off a cliff and I barely missed
Walkin' with her in the park, just a selfish boy
But I have not forgot that the food in the pot
Ain't cookin' for a boy like me
I been fightin' all night with the dogs in the alley
Looking for a bone to eat, starving to death
Well, everybody's troubled with your hustle and your bustle
Your payment on your house is late
If I ever have a problem like it, I guess I'll be in pretty good shape
You can kiss my ass goodbye
When I feel the wind blow, I see a ghost in the road
And headlights are a beautiful sight
And out in the desert, I could sit on up in heaven
And the sun keeps settin' for miles
And here comes another song
Then I take a pen and a little piece of paper
I scribble on down the lines
And what you're hearin' now is something I found
Hidin' way down inside the cellar of my heart
And I hope everybody had a real good time
I hope I didn't bring you down
These ain't sad songs, don't take 'em wrong
I haven't been home in a while, I'll see you all around
The song "Ever Wonder Why" by Ryan Bingham is about a man who has made mistakes and is living a nomadic life. He wonders if anyone who sees him walking down the side of the road would stop and wonder why he is there. He admits that he has paid the cost for his mistakes and that he is a poor boy. He reflects on the things he could have done better, including losing touch with someone he loved and driving off a cliff. He acknowledges that he is selfish but is aware that he needs to survive by fighting for what he needs to eat.
The chorus of the song talks about how people are always in a hurry, hustling and bustling in their daily lives, but the singer is not worried about all of that. They are content with what they have and not burdened by the problems of others. The song ends with the singer hoping that his listeners had a good time and that they didn't get too caught up in the sadness of his songs.
Overall, the song is about finding contentment and peace in one's life despite the mistakes they have made and the difficulties they face. It is a bittersweet reflection on the struggles of life and the resilience that one must have to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
If you ever see me walking down the side of the road
Have you ever thought of speaking to people who seem distressed or hopeless, about the reasons behind their suffering?
Would you ever stop and wonder why?
Have you ever stopped to have a conversation with someone that seems lost or alone?
Would you think it's lost that I paid the cost?
Do you think that someone who's wandering around aimlessly has actually paid a price to get there?
Stop and give a poor boy a ride and forget my past
Maybe the best way to help people who are struggling is to be kind and compassionate, without judging them based on the choices they've made in the past?
If I ever get home I'm never gonna worry
In the future I won't regret what I didn't do when I was out there exploring the world
The things that I could've done
There are many things that I could've accomplished in my life that I didn't
But now it don't matter none, I've raised my glass
None of those things I didn't do matter now because I've learned how to let go and find happiness in new experiences
'Cause I fell in love and then lost touch
I was in a relationship and then it fell apart and we no longer speak
I dropped it and broke her heart
I'm responsible for ending the relationship and hurting her in the process
I drove off a cliff and I barely missed
I made a major mistake that almost ruined everything
Walkin' with her in the park, just a selfish boy
I broke her heart because I was too self-centered to think about her feelings
But I have not forgot that the food in the pot
Despite my carefree life, I'm still aware that there are people who struggle to put food on the table
Ain't cookin' for a boy like me
I'm not entitled to the basic necessities of life just because of who I am
I been fightin' all night with the dogs in the alley
I've been struggling to survive, just like stray dogs do
Looking for a bone to eat, starving to death
I'm so deprived of resources that I may not make it through the night
Well, everybody's troubled with your hustle and your bustle
We're all busy and stressed out about our daily struggles
Your payment on your house is late
You're having financial difficulties because you can't make mortgage payments on time
If I ever have a problem like it, I guess I'll be in pretty good shape
If my biggest problem was a late mortgage payment, I'll actually be lucky to have only such problems in life
You can kiss my ass goodbye
I don't care about your false pretence of success or status
When I feel the wind blow, I see a ghost in the road
In moments of solitude and reflection, memories from my past come back and haunt me
And headlights are a beautiful sight
The simplest things, like the light of car headlights on the road, can have a profound impact on us
And out in the desert, I could sit on up in heaven
Being alone in the desert is both scary and peaceful at the same time
And the sun keeps settin' for miles
The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me
And here comes another song
Music is often the only thing that gets me through life's toughest moments
Then I take a pen and a little piece of paper
When life gets hard, I write my feelings on paper
I scribble on down the lines
I pour my heart out onto the page
And what you're hearin' now is something I found
The song you're listening to is the product of my intense emotions
Hidin' way down inside the cellar of my heart
This song was written from a deep, dark place within me that I didn't know existed
And I hope everybody had a real good time
I want people to enjoy my music and have a good time
I hope I didn't bring you down
I don't want my music to depress people
These ain't sad songs, don't take 'em wrong
My music isn't meant to be interpreted as depressing, even though some of the lyrics might indicate otherwise
I haven't been home in a while, I'll see you all around
I've been travelling for a long time, but I'll come back one day and we can catch up then
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