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.
Yesterday
Ryan Bingham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And heard the most beautiful tune
Laid myself down upon a field of flowers
And searched through my dreams to find you
And lost all of yesterday's blues
And I walked in circles confused and scattered
And stumbled around as a fool
'Til I woke up unconscious with you
And let go of yesterday's blues
'Cause you have a way that lets me breathe
And you have a way that sets me free
And you have a heart that can see right through
The bitterness of my yesterday's blues
Down in a city of shelters and shambles
I thought I had nothing to lose
I took for granted the wise words of strangers
And gambled until I was through
And lost all of yesterday's blues
'Cause you have a way that sets me free
And you have the way that lets me breathe
And you have a heart that can see right through
The bitterness of my yesterday's blues
Well, I shook the hand of the deepest sorrow
And waved a goodbye just to lose
Laid myself down below the endless towers
And searched through my dreams to find you
And lost all of yesterday's blues
In "Yesterday's Blues," Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses sing about finding redemption and release from past regrets and pain through a transformative connection with someone else. The song opens with Bingham describing a surreal encounter with a weeping sparrow, which he hears singing the most beautiful tune. This sets the dreamlike tone of the verse, as Bingham lies down on a field of flowers and searches through his dreams for someone he has lost. He says he "lost all of yesterday's blues," suggesting that he has let go of his past sorrows thanks to this connection.
In the second verse, Bingham describes feeling lost and confused as he tries to navigate the "maze of veins" in his heart. However, he eventually wakes up with the person he's been searching for and is able to let go of his past pain once again. The song's chorus expresses the transformative power that this person has on Bingham, allowing him to breathe freely and see beyond the bitterness of his past.
The final verse finds Bingham reflecting on his past mistakes and the wisdom he ignored from strangers in a city of "shelters and shambles." He gambled with his future until he was "through," but ultimately was able to let go of his "yesterday's blues" through the connection with this person, even as he says goodbye to the "deepest sorrow" and lies down once again to search through his dreams and lose himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I shook the hand of a weeping sparrow
I met someone who was very sad and helpless
And heard the most beautiful tune
Despite being sad, there was still something beautiful in the world
Laid myself down upon a field of flowers
I took a moment to relax and reflect on my surroundings
And searched through my dreams to find you
I longed to find someone who was missing from my life
And lost all of yesterday's blues
I let go of my past sorrows and regrets
And I walked in circles confused and scattered
I was lost and unsure of myself
And stumbled around as a fool
I made mistakes and had moments of foolishness
Lost in the maze of veins in my heart
I was overwhelmed with emotions and uncertainty
'Til I woke up unconscious with you
Until I found someone who helped me feel grounded and safe
And let go of yesterday's blues
I was able to move on from my past struggles and sadness
'Cause you have a way that lets me breathe
You make me feel comfortable and at ease
And you have a way that sets me free
You help me break free from my worries and fears
And you have a heart that can see right through
You understand me and my struggles completely
The bitterness of my yesterday's blues
The pain and sadness that I've experienced in the past
Down in a city of shelters and shambles
I was in a place of chaos and despair
I thought I had nothing to lose
I felt like I was already at rock bottom
I took for granted the wise words of strangers
I didn't listen to good advice from others
And gambled until I was through
I took risks and made choices without considering the consequences
And lost all of yesterday's blues
Despite my mistakes, I was able to move past my past sadness
'Cause you have a way that sets me free
You have a truly positive impact on my life
And you have the way that lets me breathe
You help me feel comfortable and relaxed
And you have a heart that can see right through
You truly understand and care about me
The bitterness of my yesterday's blues
The sadness and regret that haunts me from my past
Well, I shook the hand of the deepest sorrow
I encountered a truly overwhelming level of sadness
And waved a goodbye just to lose
Although I tried to let go, I was still plagued by my past struggles
Laid myself down below the endless towers
I felt small and insignificant in a world that seemed too big
And searched through my dreams to find you
I longed to find someone to help me feel safe and secure
And lost all of yesterday's blues
Despite my struggles, I was finally able to move on from my past sadness
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