The band signed with Capitol Records and scored a Top 20 hit with their first single, "Leona," in 1984. That success was quickly followed by their first #1 hit, "Step That Step". The band had their ups and downs on the charts throughout the 1980s. But radio success was not really Sawyer Brown's strong suit. It never was. Rather, they have been successful due to their live performances. Fans flock to the band's concerts year after year, whether the band performs in a stadium, state fair, or casino. The live shows, more than anything, sustained the band until 1989's remake of the George Jones hit "The Race Is On" put them back near the top of the charts.
In 1991, after the release of their album Buick, guitarist Bobby Randall left the group to remain close to his family and host a short-lived TV talent show, You Can Be A Star. Duncan Cameron, formerly of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, was chosen as his replacement just as Sawyer Brown was about to become country music's "it" band. The band then switched labels, moving to Curb Records and releasing the albums The Dirt Road, Cafe On The Corner, and Outskirts Of Town, which saw hit after hit for the band in the early to mid-'90s.
Sawyer Brown was all over country music radio and television for much of the decade. After 1999's Top 10 hit "Drive Me Wild," however, the country music industry seemed to forget about Sawyer Brown in favor of newer acts like Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban.
The band was having ups and downs in the charts again – mostly downs. In 2003, they parted with Curb, their record label of eleven years, and signed with Lyric Street Records. They released one single, "I'll Be Around", and then left Lyric Street as well. In 2004, they re-signed with Curb, but Duncan Cameron decided to leave the group to pursue a life-long dream of flying for Southwest Airlines.
Guitarist Shayne Hill was added to the lineup as they prepared for the release of their 20th album, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand. While Sawyer Brown is still looking to reclaim the top of the charts, their live shows continue to keep the band going strong.
SMALL TALK
Sawyer Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bunch of magazines are looking back at me
They got a Bigfoot Elvis and a UFO
Well it's on TV so it must be so
We want to believe we take the bait
We take it hook and line
[Chorus]
Can't wait to tell somebody it's getting better every time
It don't seem to matter who we talk about or we taking to
It's just small talk all small talk
Daddy told me when I was young
You got two ears boy and just one tongue
He said the reason why were made that way
We got more to learn then we have to say
I still believe every word he said
But I get caught up sometimes
[Chorus]
In small talk don't you know what I heard about so and so
Can't wait to tell somebody it's getting better every time
It don't seem to matter who we talk about or we taking to
It's just small talk all small talk
We got a TV show
Talking about a radio talk show
Talking about the way nobody's talking anymore
And by the time it gets around
It leaps the truth with a single bound
And what we need to hear goes out the door
[Chorus]
In Sawyer Brown's song "Small Talk", we see the singer standing in line at the grocery store, and looking at magazines that feature Bigfoot, Elvis, and UFOs on their covers. He muses about how we as humans are wired to want to believe in such things, and how we easily take the bait when it comes to sensationalist news. The chorus talks about how small talk seems to be everywhere, regardless of who we're talking about or who we're talking to, and how we can't wait to share what we've heard, even if it's not entirely factual or even relevant.
The song also features an interesting backstory about the singer's father, who taught him that we have two ears and just one tongue because we have more to learn than to say. Although the singer still believes in these words, he admits that he sometimes gets caught up in small talk, where he becomes as guilty as everyone else in talking about others just for the sake of gossiping.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in line at the grocery
I'm waiting to pay for my groceries
A bunch of magazines are looking back at me
The magazines are displayed right next to the checkout counter
They got a Bigfoot Elvis and a UFO
The magazines have articles about Bigfoot, Elvis, and UFOs
Well it's on TV so it must be so
We believe everything we see on TV
We want to believe we take the bait
We are easily convinced by sensational stories
We take it hook and line
We believe everything without questioning it
It's small talk don't you know what I heard about so and so
Gossip and rumors are just meaningless chatter
Can't wait to tell somebody it's getting better every time
We enjoy spreading rumors and exaggerating stories
It don't seem to matter who we talk about or we taking to
We gossip about anyone and everyone
It's just small talk all small talk
Gossip is just empty talk with no real substance
Daddy told me when I was young
My father taught me a valuable lesson
You got two ears boy and just one tongue
Listen more and talk less
He said the reason why were made that way
Human beings are meant to listen more and talk less
We got more to learn then we have to say
We should focus on learning more than talking
I still believe every word he said
I still think my father was right
But I get caught up sometimes
I still find myself gossiping and spreading rumors
We got a TV show
There's a TV show about talk shows
Talking about a radio talk show
The TV show is discussing a radio talk show
Talking about the way nobody's talking anymore
The TV show is criticizing how people don't communicate effectively anymore
And by the time it gets around
By the time we hear the rumors, they've already been exaggerated and distorted
It leaps the truth with a single bound
The rumors are totally false and far-fetched
And what we need to hear goes out the door
The most important information is lost in all the meaningless chatter
It's small talk don't you know what I heard about so and so
Gossip and rumors are just meaningless chatter
Can't wait to tell somebody it's getting better every time
We enjoy spreading rumors and exaggerating stories
It don't seem to matter who we talk about or we taking to
We gossip about anyone and everyone
It's just small talk all small talk
Gossip is just empty talk with no real substance
Lyrics © Beginner Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICOLLE GALYON, JIMMY ROBBINS, SHANE L MCANALLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind