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.
For What It's Worth
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A nickels just a nickel son
Your pleasure becomes your pain
It's gonna hurt
Your out on the road
Your just an old horse walking alone
Shaken off the miles been rode
Pardon me
Wickedness unravels
Some crooked man
Dealing cards to an honest man
Stealing up all his farming land
It's a damn shame
His oldest son is starving now
There ain't no mule to pull the plow
There ain't no rain
Cause all the crops are burning dry
Except for the tear in his mama's eye
In her eye
Everything is fine
With one touch
The water turns to rust
Tell me who is there to trust
Anymore
Your falling fast
You're just a rock in glass
Running from your shattered past
For what it's worth
Said a nickels just a nickel son
Your pleasure becomes your pain
It's gonna hurt
Your out on the road
Your just an old horse walking alone
Shaken off the miles been rode
Pardon me
Through the valley of the shadows
Wickedness unravels
With one touch
Said the water turns to rust
Tell me who is there to trust
Anymore
When your falling fast
You're just a rock in glass
Running from your shattered past
Tell me all you need
Is a guitar string and a bended knee
A country boy, that's all you need to be
Think I'm in tune
Always gotta be a fucking train
Sometimes I can't recall
What's left of me
Laughter on my back been peeled on off
And the past is always catching up with me
But I'm tired of stepping on memories and walking on
If you could only see the best in me
I wouldn't have to pick the guitar or write you a song
But you only be what you can see
And I guess the heart don't always come with the soul
I think I'll go on and call my mama
Tell her I loving you if I ever did ever drove me away
It wasn't that I didn't want to stick around
Just I couldn't find the courage in the bottom of the bottle to stay
Well around my old man cleared up
Well then tell him that everything will be okay
And even if you can't give up on the drinking
Well I guess I couldn't either and I still gonna love you anyways
Well I called my sister out in vegas
Well and tell her to roll the dice for me
And if you help me I'll help you roll you a seven
Well I hope you can buy you a pretty house out in la
This is the best in me
The lyrics of For What It's Worth by Ryan Bingham reflect a state of disillusionment and brokenness. The repeated line "For what it's worth, a nickel's just a nickel son, your pleasure becomes your pain, it's gonna hurt" suggests a sense of hopelessness and futility, as the singer confronts the reality that everything he once believed in or hoped for has been revealed as hollow and ultimately unfulfilling. The song speaks to the ways in which life can wear a person down, through loss, disillusionment, and broken relationships.
The verse about the crooked man stealing from an honest farmer, leaving his family to suffer, paints a picture of the kind of injustice that can occur in a rough world. This is further reflected in the line "through the valley of the shadows, wickedness unravels", which implies that darkness is never far away, and that the veneer of civilization is thin.
The song ends on a bit of a hopeful note, with the singer expressing a desire to connect with loved ones and urging someone to see "the best in me". The final lines suggest a desire for a better life, with references to buying a house in LA and hoping for luck in Las Vegas. However, the repeated refrain about the inevitability of pain and disappointment suggests that the path forward is never easy.
Line by Line Meaning
For what it's worth
Despite its lack of value, this is my message
A nickels just a nickel son
Don't get too attached to anything material as it has little worth in the grand scheme of things
Your pleasure becomes your pain
Indulging too much in your desires can lead to consequences
It's gonna hurt
The consequences of actions can lead to pain
Your out on the road
Life is a journey and you need to keep progressing
Your just an old horse walking alone
You may feel like a lone traveler in your journey
Shaken off the miles been rode
You've come a long way and have faced many obstacles
Pardon me
Excuse me for interrupting
Through the valley of the shadows
Going through a difficult time in life
Wickedness unravels
Evil deeds and misfortunes can come to light
Some crooked man
A dishonest individual
Dealing cards to an honest man
Taking advantage of someone who trusts you
Stealing up all his farming land
Taking someone's property or livelihood
It's a damn shame
It's a sad situation
His oldest son is starving now
Highlighted a dire situation where there's no enough food to go around
There ain't no mule to pull the plow
A lack of resources to make a living
There ain't no rain
Lack of resources to grow crops
Cause all the crops are burning dry
Dire situation where the crops are being destroyed
Except for the tear in his mama's eye
The only thing that hasn't changed is his mother's sadness
In her eye
Referring to his mother's sadness
Everything is fine
Everything is not okay and the situation is dire
With one touch
With one action or event
The water turns to rust
Things can quickly deteriorate or turn bad
Tell me who is there to trust
Who can you rely on in difficult times?
Anymore
Especially if everything is falling apart
Your falling fast
Everything is escalating quickly
You're just a rock in glass
You're fragile and can shatter easily
Running from your shattered past
Escaping from past mistakes and misfortunes
Tell me all you need
Share with me what you truly require
Is a guitar string and a bended knee
All you need is something to make music and the humility to learn and grow from it
A country boy, that's all you need to be
Being who you are is enough
Think I'm in tune
I feel like I'm finally finding my way
Always gotta be a fucking train
Life is always moving forward and you must keep up
Sometimes I can't recall
There are times where I forget what has happened to me
What's left of me
What remains of who I was and who I've become
Laughter on my back been peeled on off
All the joy and happiness I've experienced seems to have disappeared
And the past is always catching up with me
The consequences of my past actions will always linger and impact me
But I'm tired of stepping on memories and walking on
I'm tired of avoiding my past and suppressing my emotions
If you could only see the best in me
If only you could see me for who I am and what I'm capable of
I wouldn't have to pick the guitar or write you a song
I wouldn't have to express myself through art to show you who I am
But you only be what you can see
You only know what you've experienced or seen of me
And I guess the heart don't always come with the soul
I may have a lot of passion, but it doesn't always translate to my actions
I think I'll go on and call my mama
I want to reconnect with my family and loved ones
Tell her I loving you if I ever did ever drove me away
Tell her that I still love her even though I've been absent
It wasn't that I didn't want to stick around
I had my reasons for leaving
Just I couldn't find the courage in the bottom of the bottle to stay
I was struggling with addiction and couldn't handle the pressure of staying
Well around my old man cleared up
Now that I'm sober, my mind is clearer
Well then tell him that everything will be okay
Assuring him that despite the past, everything will be okay
And even if you can't give up on the drinking
Acknowledging addiction is difficult to overcome
Well I guess I couldn't either and I still gonna love you anyways
Despite our flaws, we still love each other
Well I called my sister out in vegas
Reaching out to another loved one
Well and tell her to roll the dice for me
Asking her to take a chance or risk on my behalf
And if you help me I'll help you roll you a seven
In return, I'm willing to help her achieve her own goals
Well I hope you can buy you a pretty house out in la
Wishing the best for her and hoping she finds happiness
This is the best in me
This is all I can offer and give
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