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.
Roadhouse Blues
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since I was a young boy
Driftin' and a-ramblin' with my old man searchin'
'Round for that West Texas oil
Well, ain't nobody know
Where I'm gonna go
Well, ain't nobody know, no, no, no
Straight out them bad lands well, I come a-runnin' on
Out of New Mexico
Eighteen wheelers and freight trains and pump jacks
So high I've rode upon
Well, ain't nobody know
Where I'm gonna go
Well, ain't nobody know, no, no, no
This here gypsy road
Mr Armadillo, don't stand in my way
I ain't gonna stick around here
I don't know why I can't fly this here ride
On out the cosmic cowboy atmosphere
Well, ain't nobody know
Where I'm gonna go
Well, ain't nobody know, no, no, no
This here gypsy road
Get down, tell me one more song
In Ryan Bingham's "Roadhouse Blues," the singer discusses his life as a drifter and a rambling man who has paid his "roadhouse dues" since he was a young boy. He and his old man searched around West Texas for oil, and he's been on the move ever since. The singer reflects on his uncertain future and observes that no one knows where he will end up or where his "gypsy road" will lead him.
He reflects on his journey from the badlands of New Mexico, where he has traveled on high pump jacks, freight trains, and eighteen-wheelers, but ultimately, his path remains uncharted. The singer even requests an armadillo not to stand in his way, as he wants to leave the current place and fly away into the cosmic cowboy atmosphere.
The song expresses an underlying sense of restlessness and a desire for freedom that characterizes the lifestyle of many modern cowboys. The singer seems to be in constant motion and is always on the lookout for the next adventure. He appears to be chasing a dream, a feeling that is echoed in the song's lyrics, "This here gypsy road," which suggests that he may never settle down.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been payin' them here roadhouse dues
I have been working hard and paying my dues at the roadhouse.
Since I was a young boy
I have been doing this since I was a young boy.
Driftin' and a-ramblin' with my old man searchin'
I have been wandering with my old man as we searched for something.
'Round for that West Texas oil
We were looking for oil in West Texas.
Well, ain't nobody know
Nobody knows where I am going.
Where I'm gonna go
I don't even know where I am going.
This here gypsy road
I am on a journey like a gypsy, not staying in one place for too long.
Straight out them bad lands well, I come a-runnin' on
I came running straight out of the badlands.
Out of New Mexico
Specifically, I came out of New Mexico.
Eighteen wheelers and freight trains and pump jacks
I have ridden on 18-wheelers, freight trains, and pump jacks.
So high I've rode upon
I have ridden so high.
Mr Armadillo, don't stand in my way
I don't want anything to slow me down, not even an armadillo.
I ain't gonna stick around here
I am not going to stay in one place for too long.
I don't know why I can't fly this here ride
I am not sure why I am unable to move on with my journey.
On out the cosmic cowboy atmosphere
I want to reach the cosmic cowboy atmosphere and continue my journey.
Get down, tell me one more song
Play one more song as I continue on my journey.
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