Weeks and Jason Null formed the band in their small hometown of Corinth, Mississippi in 2004. They met when Weeks, who was in a band, was playing guitar at his best friend’s house, when Null, who was in a rival local group, walked in to rehearse with his band. Within days of that meeting, Null and Weeks were writing and honing the intimate writing style that now defines Saving Abel. In early 2005, the pair’s songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills (12 Stones, Saliva, Submersed), who took the band into his 747 Studios in Memphis. Mills notes, “It was ‘18 Days’ that hooked me. The first time I heard it I was like, ‘these guys are the real deal; they’ll be doing this for a long time.’ Jason and Jared have always understood that the most important part of the music business is having great songs.”
Saving Abel gradually came together in the final electric lineup of guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor, and drummer Blake Dixon, and the band paid its dues both onstage and off. Weeks would toss Saving Abel demos onto the stage when bigger bands played in town, and between playing gigs, working day jobs, and Weeks and Null constantly driving from Mississippi to Memphis to record their self-titled EP with Mills, it was a busy and prolific couple years. Weeks remembers; “I used to work at a hospital. I’d have to be there at 4:30 in the morning drawing blood. I’d wake people up and stick a needle in their arm. I’d be walking around the hospital, singing ‘Addicted’ in my head, writing down the lyrics on patients’ clipboards and doctor script pads.”
Null and Weeks bring in differing songwriting approaches influences, giving Saving Abel a well-rounded sound. Null comes from a musical family, and recalls Saturday nights at the local community center as a child. “We didn’t miss it, ever! It was bluegrass band after bluegrass band. We’d hoot and holler, as we used to say. My brother traded my bike for a guitar for me when I was 6, and I learned ‘Johnny B. Goode’ that night! I go back to Willie and Waylon, but as a kid of the ‘80s, I also love Metallica. Also, Angus Young is one of my main influences, as well as the guitar sound and solos of Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.” For his part, a teenage Weeks played basketball and went to state twice in tennis before music consumed his life. A big fan of the blues and Southern Rock, Weeks calls himself the more “literal” songwriter of the two, explaining, “If something is really bothering me, or how I’m feeling at that moment, I’ll write about it. For me to get the most out of a song, I have to get it almost to the point I’m ready to cry if I can’t get it out, and that makes people relate to it.”
After shopping their indie EP for almost a year, a copy of ‘Addicted’ found its way to one-time Virgin A&R Consultant Scott Frazier and manager partner Rick Smith. They were so excited that they sent the song to the label’s Chairman/CEO Jason Flom. Flom was impressed upon first listen and immediately sent A&R vet Kim Stephens (Collective Soul, Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain) to see the band in Jackson, Tennessee. The band was signed the next day. Says Stephens, “I was sold on the merit of the songs and instantly recognized this was a band with huge potential.”
Saving Abel, the Virgin debut produced by Mills, features mostly brand-new tunes, plus a few favorites from the indie EP, including the poignant, perfectly crafted “18 Days,” “Running From You,” and “Drowning Face Down.” Null explains that “18 Days” was lyrically inspired by sheriff Buford Pusser of ‘Walking Tall’ fame, while laughingly admitting that the rowdy road trip in “New Tattoo” (“The blue is for the bruise you left in my heart / and the red is for the color we’re about to paint this town”) is “based on a true story.” Null furthers: “Our goals are always to concentrate on the song, not just one cool part to make a kid bop his head. Every person I talk to loves a different song of ours.” Null was also the one who gave the band its name: “I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about ‘there was no Saving Abel,’ which just jumped out at me.” Everyone agreed and the name stuck…much like Saving Abel's songs get instantly stuck in the minds and ears of everyone who hears them. With a radio-ready sound combining big riffs and memorable melodies, Saving Abel has created a polished combination of Southern and Alternative rock…. 2008 style. Get Addicted. Get Saving Abel. You can go to http://savingabel.com
Hell Of A Ride
Saving Abel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems as though it all just began.
It’s not as if I don’t know your pretending your leaving.
You poured your heart out to me. Your words are hard to believe.
I see you so see through.
Don’t make promises you can't,
Keep your mouth shut, you talk to damn much.
Once again you let me in and give yourself away.
Get gone if you want.
You can go ahead and leave, it doesn’t bother me.
Or you could, just stay, and cut me down in a different way.
If it ain't right, I can’t make it right, Yeah!
So goodbye, It’s been a hell of a ride!
So tell me where will you go?
What will you do, or do you know?
Feel free to say good bye, feel free to leave at anytime.
You want to, I just know you want go anywhere, anytime soon.
Get gone if you want.
You can go ahead and leave, it doesn’t bother me.
Or you could, just stay, and cut me down in a different way.
If it ain't right, I can’t make it right, Yeah!
So goodbye, it’s been a hell of a ride!
(It’s been a hell of a ride)
Yea! Get gone if you want,
You can go ahead and leave, it doesn’t bother me.
Or you could, just stay, and cut me down in a different way.
If it ain't right, I can’t make it right, Yeah!
So goodbye, it’s been a hell of a ride!
It’s been one Hell of a ride, goodbye, goodbye,
It’s been one Hell of a ride, yeah!
It’s been one Hell of a ride! Yeah!
The lyrics of the song "Hell of a Ride" by Saving Abel seem to be about a close relationship that is coming to an end. The singer appears to know that their partner is pretending to leave and that they are not truthful with their words, which makes it difficult for the singer to trust them. The singer is willing to let their partner go but also wants them to stay and face the situation in a different way.
The chorus is a repetition of the same lines, which can be interpreted as the singer being tired of the emotional rollercoaster of the relationship. The singer acknowledges that they cannot make things right if they are not meant to be, and the best option is to say goodbye even though it has been a wild and exciting ride.
Overall, the lyrics of the song describe a bittersweet goodbye to a relationship that has been both exhilarating and challenging.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t really want this to end.
I have formed an attachment to you and I do not desire for this connection to dissolve.
It seems as though it all just began.
Time seems to have passed very quickly since we first started interacting with each other.
It’s not as if I don’t know your pretending your leaving.
I am aware that you are feigning your departure from our relationship.
You poured your heart out to me. Your words are hard to believe.
You have confided in me, but I find it difficult to accept what you are saying as truth.
I see you so see through.
I perceive that you are not genuine in your actions or words.
Don’t make promises you can't.
Do not make commitments that you are incapable of keeping.
Keep your mouth shut, you talk to damn much.
You should refrain from speaking excessively since it is often to your detriment.
Once again you let me in and give yourself away.
You have opened up to me again and revealed your true self.
Get gone if you want.
If you wish to leave, you are free to do so.
You can go ahead and leave, it doesn’t bother me.
Your departure will not cause me distress.
Or you could, just stay, and cut me down in a different way.
Alternatively, you could continue to remain in the relationship and hurt me in a different manner.
If it ain't right, I can’t make it right, Yeah!
If things are not good between us, I cannot fix them on my own.
So goodbye, It’s been a hell of a ride!
Farewell, our relationship has been a wild and tumultuous journey.
So tell me where will you go?
I am curious about where you intend to go after leaving our relationship.
What will you do, or do you know?
Out of intrigue, I wonder what your plan is moving forward.
Feel free to say good bye, feel free to leave at anytime.
You have my permission to depart from our relationship whenever you please.
You want to, I just know you want go anywhere, anytime soon.
I have a feeling that you are not in a rush to leave our relationship anytime soon.
It’s been one Hell of a ride, yeah!
Our relationship has been intense and challenging, without a doubt.
It’s been one Hell of a ride!
It's safe to say that our journey together has been very memorable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT BARTLETT, BLAKE DIXON, SKIDD MILLS, JASON TODD NULL, ERIC TAYLOR, JARED WEEKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind