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 Road I
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until I'm up and I'm gone again
Forever traveling this road I'm on
How long can I sing the blues?
Ain't worth what I have to loose
Paying up these god damn dues
On the road I'm on
Ain't nothing but where I've gone
And the road I'm on,
I've been looking like a heart attack
But in the mirror I can't look back
Now I that I made new tracks
On the road I'm on
Somebody just pass me something to smoke
I need to laugh but I'm out of joke
Just take me one more talk for road I'm on
Oh baby, it's late at night, I see something in my headlights
Ain't nothing but where I've gone
And the road I'm on,
The road I'm on
There's something wrong with the telephone
There's nowhere for the chord to go
I'm headed home, the road I'm on
Ryan Bingham's "The Road I'm On" is a melancholic tribute to a life on the move. The song exudes a sense of restlessness and the struggle of the singer to find his place in the world. The lyrics take the listener through the ups and downs of a traveling musician's life, where the highs are fleeting and the lows are trying.
The opening lines "I don't even know where I've been, until I'm up and I'm gone again, forever traveling this road I'm on" set the tone for the entire song. It is a restless journey that constantly keeps the singer on his toes. The line "How long can I sing the blues? Ain't worth what I have to lose" is particularly poignant, as it conveys a sense of despair - the singer is losing more than just time on the road.
The second verse talks about the monotony and loneliness of the journey. The line "I've been looking like a heart attack, but in the mirror, I can't look back, now that I've made new tracks" suggests that while the singer is constantly moving forward, he is also moving away from some of the important aspects of his life.
Overall, the song emphasizes the psychological weight that comes with constant travel. It is a curse and a blessing at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't even know where I've been
I've been traveling so long that it's hard to keep track of all the different places I've been.
Until I'm up and I'm gone again
As soon as I feel like I've settled somewhere, I have to pack up and leave again.
Forever traveling this road I'm on
I've been on the road for so long that it feels like it will never end.
How long can I sing the blues?
I'm tired of feeling down about always being on the move.
Ain't worth what I have to loose
It's not worth the sacrifices I have to make in order to keep traveling like this.
Paying up these god damn dues
I'm constantly paying the price for living this kind of lifestyle.
Oh baby, it's late at night, I see something in my headlights
I'm tired and alone, and all I can see is the long road ahead of me.
Ain't nothing but where I've gone
All I have to show for my life is the places I've been and the experiences I've had.
I've been looking like a heart attack
I've been pushing myself too hard for too long, and it's starting to show.
But in the mirror I can't look back
I can't afford to dwell on the past or second guess the choices I've made.
Now I that I made new tracks
I'm starting to pave my own way and create a new path forward.
Somebody just pass me something to smoke
I need to escape my own thoughts and dull my senses in order to keep going.
I need to laugh but I'm out of joke
I'm so worn down that I can't even find humor in my situation anymore.
Just take me one more talk for road I'm on
I just need a little extra push to keep going down this long and winding road.
There's something wrong with the telephone
Even when I try to reach out to others, there are always obstacles in my way.
There's nowhere for the chord to go
I'm constantly struggling to connect with people and form lasting relationships.
I'm headed home, the road I'm on
Even though I don't have a permanent physical home, I know that this nomadic lifestyle is the only 'home' I've ever really known.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: 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