“Simple and sad with a shot of scotch.” That’s how musician Sara Lov describes her simultaneously dark and angelic sound that has been also described as “honeyed” (NME), “haunting” (The Sun), and “smokey” (MOJO). The former frontwoman of Devics and current solo singer paints an apt picture of melodies that are both minimalist and poignant with heady vocals that warm you from the inside.
For a singer freshly on her own, Lov (no, the “e” isn’t missing, and yes, that’s her real name) exudes immense confidence. The artist was formerly a part of indie favorite dream pop band Devics, a critical favorite in the UK where they were famously signed to Bella Union by Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde. It is perhaps because of the success of Devics that Lov finds the idea of going out on her own exciting, if a little unnerving. “I learn every day and doing scary things makes me grow,” Lov says. “Dustin [[artist]Dustin O'Halloran, the other half of Devics] and I make wonderful music together, but like every creative person there’s always that insistent urge to write both music and lyrics for yourself, test yourself, challenge yourself.”
Lov views much of her life in a similar way – taking something frightening that could have overwhelmed others, and making it a positive influence on her life and music. At the age of five, the Hawaiian-born Lov was kidnapped by her father and taken to Israel, then Minnesota, and then ended up in L.A. at age 12 where she was raised by her uncle. “My father really encouraged me creatively,” Lov says. “The one thing I am certain of is that for most of my young life, music was the consistency and stability I had. It was my escape and my sanity.”
Perhaps that’s why Lov feels a certain nostalgia for a time in her life that most would imagine to be traumatic or marked by stolen innocence, going as far as to name her debut solo album, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming (Nettwerk), after the idealism of youth. “As you get older it’s harder to find beauty and innocence in anything,” she says. “It’s easy to get jaded and loose your sense of idealism. So, to find that thing that brings you back to your ‘young eyes’ or that thing that makes you feel excited to be alive again even though you are seeing it through seasoned eyes... even if just for a moment, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Produced by Zac Rae (Fiona Apple, Annie Lennox, My Brightest Diamond), mixed by Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck), and featuring cameos from Alex Brown Church (Sea Wolf) and Solon Bixler (Great Northern), Seasoned Eyes shows steely confidence, even with Lov’s oft-shaky vocals. A cover of Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage,” shows Lov’s versatility in her ability to turn an already stunning song even more gorgeous, filling out the instrumentals with cello, Ukulele, pump organ, and celesta.
On her original tracks, Lov is similarly inventive. “Animals,” which Lov describes as a breakup song, is a dramatic musical dialogue between Lov and Alex Brown Church led by jaunty, child-like guitar picking.
It’s Lov’s lyrics, though, which are the highlight of her music, and the part she is most reluctant to talk about, preferring instead for listeners to interpret on their own. On “Fountain,” over mournful strings and theatrical keys, Lov sings “Fountain, fountain, we are the same / all that anyone ever has for you are the things you reflect back to them,” and with restrained anger, “Don’t you wish you could throw your pennies back at them.”
On “Animals,” Lov reflects on what she learned from a broken relationship: “I never, never learned to swim until you came around and pushed me in”,” she sings. With “A Thousand Bees,” she works on letting go and moving on, as she sings “How sweet is the revenge when you don’t want it anymore / How meaningless the defense when you’re not fighting anymore,” over a rapidly tapped snare and swelling keys. On “Tell Me How,” she expresses, “I’m really good at getting hurt babe / Not so great at feeling good.”
For an artist who was curious about recording and performing on her own, Lov has proven she had little to be concerned about. “I had always wanted to make a solo record but I guess I never believed I could do it on my own,” she says. “I’m really glad I did it, a whole world opened up to me.” Listeners to Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming are certain to be just as pleased.
Papa Was a Rodeo
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like your questioning eyebrows
You've made it pretty clear what you like
It's only fair to tell you now
That I leave early in the morning
And I won't be back till next year
I see that kiss-me pucker forming
But maybe you should plug it with a beer, 'cause
Papa was a rodeo
Mama was a rock'n'roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer
Before I learned to stand
Home was anywhere with diesel gas
Love was a trucker's hand
Never stuck around long enough
For a one-night stand
Before you kiss me you should know
Papa was a rodeo
The light reflecting off the mirror ball
Looks like a thousand swirling eyes
They make me think I shouldn't be here at all
You know, every minute someone dies
What are we doing in this dive bar?
How can you live in a place like this?
Why don't you just get into my car
And I'll take you away
I'll take that kiss now, but
Papa was a rodeo
Mama was a rock'n'roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer
Before I learned to stand
Home was anywhere with diesel gas
Love was a trucker's hand
Never stuck around long enough
For a one-night stand
Before you kiss me you should know
Papa was a rodeo
And now it's 55 years later
We've had the romance of the century
After all these years wrestling gators
I still feel like crying
When I think of what you said to me:
"Papa was a rodeo
Mama was a rock'n'roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer
Before I learned to stand
Home was anywhere with diesel gas
Love was a trucker's hand
Never stuck around long enough
For a one-night stand
Before you kiss me you should know
Papa was a rodeo,"
What a coincidence
Your papa was a rodeo, too
The Sara Lov song Papa Was a Rodeo has a poetic and nostalgic feel to it. The song is about a woman who is upfront about her intentions with a man named Mike. In the first verse, Lov is telling Mike that she likes his unique perspective but reminds him that she is leaving the next morning and will not be back for a year. Although she sees Mike wanting to kiss her, she suggests that he plugs it up with a beer.
The chorus of the song reveals more about the singer's childhood and her family. Lov explains that her father was a rodeo and her mother was in a rock 'n' roll band. She also had a talent for playing guitar and farming. The singer suggests that home was anywhere, as long as there was diesel gas or a trucker's hand to show love. However, because her family was always on the move and never rooted in one place, she did not stick around long enough for a one-night stand.
In the final verse, Lov switches back to the present. She notices the reflected light of a thousand swirling eyes in a dive bar, which makes her question why she is there. She then asks Mike why he is living in a place like that and suggests that he should come with her in her car. The song concludes with the revelation that both Lov and Mike's fathers were rodeo performers, which is a coincidence.
Overall, the song's theme is about living your life to the fullest and enjoying what you have while you have it. It also highlights the importance of family and the impact they have on us.
Line by Line Meaning
I like your twisted point of view, Mike
I appreciate your unique perspective and outlook on things, Mike
I like your questioning eyebrows
I appreciate how your facial expressions convey curiosity and inquisitiveness
You've made it pretty clear what you like
You have been vocal about your interests and desires
It's only fair to tell you now
It's only right to inform you at this moment
That I leave early in the morning
I depart at daybreak
And I won't be back till next year
I will be away until the following year
I see that kiss-me pucker forming
I notice your lips pursing for a kiss
But maybe you should plug it with a beer, 'cause
Perhaps you should distract yourself with a drink, because
Papa was a rodeo
My father was a rodeo performer
Mama was a rock'n'roll band
My mother was a member of a rock band
I could play guitar and rope a steer
I learned how to play guitar and lasso livestock before I even knew how to walk
Before I learned to stand
At an extremely young age
Home was anywhere with diesel gas
We traveled often and lived in places where we could access diesel fuel
Love was a trucker's hand
Our family found affection in the warm, rough hands of a truck driver
Never stuck around long enough
We were always on the move and never stayed in one place too long
For a one-night stand
One night stays were our norm
Before you kiss me you should know
I feel obligated to inform you before we share a kiss
The light reflecting off the mirror ball
The glimmer shining from the disco ball
Looks like a thousand swirling eyes
It appears as if a thousand gazes swirl around the room
They make me think I shouldn't be here at all
It causes me to question if being here is a mistake
You know, every minute someone dies
It's a grim reminder that with every passing minute, someone in this world passes away
What are we doing in this dive bar?
I'm questioning why we're in this dingy bar
How can you live in a place like this?
I'm curious how someone can make a home out of such a run-down establishment
Why don't you just get into my car
Perhaps it's best if we leave together right now
And I'll take you away
We'll depart together to a better place
And now it's 55 years later
Now, 55 years have passed since our story began
We've had the romance of the century
We have experienced the most incredible, long-lasting love affair of all time
After all these years wrestling gators
Even after all these years of facing difficult challenges
I still feel like crying
I am still moved to tears
When I think of what you said to me:
When I reflect on the words you spoke to me
"Your papa was a rodeo, too"
"Your father was also a rodeo performer," which is a surprising, coincidental discovery
Contributed by Andrew D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.