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.
The Poet
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out where the wind blows
The desert sky, she flies by for miles
And as I keep walkin'
People keep a-talkin'
About things they've never seen or done
Sweet hearts kiss in the dark
I myself just move on through town
Moon keeps on shinin'
And the rich keep on dinin'
And, oh, how I love the highway sun
And out to the back
The poet writes his songs in blood
Where the coyotes are callin'
The stars keep on fallin'
Your mother, she won't be around
A feather blows down the road
And the wind is cold, your wings are broke
And your heart is livin' on the run
Lonely and wasted
Her eyes replaced it
And I don't think I'll make another mile
Town to town I run
My horse ain't too drunk
The wind is singin' to the sun
And out to the back
The poet writes his song in blood
But the jukebox is barkin'
I'm just gettin' started
I've yet to see the light of day
Senoritas lose it
To the Mariachi music
'Cause New York is too far away
And the band keeps on playin'
With beer bottles breakin'
And the barmaid, I heard she pulled her gun
Poet takes a pistol
Points it at this sister
Says, "Honey, your day is done"
And out to the back
The poet writes his songs in blood
Out to the back
The poet writes his songs in blood
The lyrics of Ryan Bingham's "The Poet" narrate the life of a wanderer and his encounters with different people and scenes while he travels. Bingham's writing portrays the sense of a lonesome explorer who keeps moving across towns and cities in the search of himself. The poet in the title is referring to himself, and he writes his songs in blood, suggesting the intensity of his life experiences as well as the emotional and physical toll of his lifestyle.
The opening lines of the song set up the mood, as the singer ventures out into the vast desert, taking in the scenery and the freedom of the open road. Despite enjoying the freedom and movement, his journey exposes him to encounters that evoke mixed emotions. The loneliness in the life of the homeless in the park, the romantic interlude between two strangers under the moonlight, and the constant contrast he observes between the rich and the poor while "the poet writes his song in blood." Bingham examines the transient nature of the human experience as he moves from town to town, riding his horse, and listening to the wind sing to the sun.
Line by Line Meaning
And as I get long gone
As I travel further away
Out where the wind blows
In areas with lots of wind
The desert sky, she flies by for miles
The vast desert sky stretches for miles
And as I keep walkin'
As I continue on with my journey on foot
People keep a-talkin'
Strangers I encounter keep talking to me
About things they've never seen or done
They talk about experiences they haven't actually had
Homeless sleep in the park
Homeless people sleep in the public park
Sweet hearts kiss in the dark
Couples share romantic moments in the darkness
I myself just move on through town
I simply continue my journey without staying in one place
Moon keeps on shinin'
The moon continues to shine bright in the sky
And the rich keep on dinin'
Wealthy people continue to dine in expensive restaurants
And, oh, how I love the highway sun
I enjoy the sunlight while traveling on the highway
And out to the back
Heading to a remote area
The poet writes his songs in blood
The songwriter pours his heart and soul into his music
Where the coyotes are callin'
In the area where coyotes howl loudly
The stars keep on fallin'
The stars continue to twinkle in the night sky
Your mother, she won't be around
Your mother doesn't accompany you on this journey
A feather blows down the road
A feather is carried by the wind along the road
And the wind is cold, your wings are broke
You feel vulnerable and helpless as life is not going well for you
And your heart is livin' on the run
You experience a constant state of restlessness
Lonely and wasted
Feeling dejected and miserable
Her eyes replaced it
Her eyes reflect the sadness and loneliness
And I don't think I'll make another mile
I'm feeling tired and not sure if I can make it any further
Town to town I run
I travel from town to town quickly
My horse ain't too drunk
I'm in control of my horse and not intoxicated
The wind is singin' to the sun
The wind makes a whistling sound while interacting with the sun
But the jukebox is barkin'
The jukebox is playing loudly
I'm just gettin' started
I've barely even begun my journey
I've yet to see the light of day
I haven't seen any signs of success or good luck yet
Senoritas lose it
Girls go wild
To the Mariachi music
Due to the lively Mexican music being played
'Cause New York is too far away
Because New York City is too distant from their current location
And the band keeps on playin'
The live band continues to perform regardless of what's going on
With beer bottles breakin'
Breaking sounds of beer bottles cracking and smashing
And the barmaid, I heard she pulled her gun
The barmaid is known to fiercely react when things get out of hand
Poet takes a pistol
The songwriter grabs a gun
Points it at his sister
Points the gun towards someone close to him
Says, "Honey, your day is done"
The songwriter declares that this person's time is up
And out to the back
Heading towards a remote area
The poet writes his songs in blood
The songwriter is deeply moved to write his music through his own life experiences and emotions
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE RYAN BINGHAM, 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