Wold was born in Oakland, California. When he was four years old, his parents split up. His father played boogie-woogie piano and Wold tried to learn when he was five or six, but could not. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from K. C. Douglas, who worked at his grandfather's garage, later realizing that he had been taught the blues. Douglas wrote the song "Mercury Blues" and had played with Tommy Johnson in the early 1940s. Wold left home at 13 to avoid abuse at the hands of his stepfather, and lived rough and on the road in Tennessee, Mississippi and elsewhere, until 1973. He would travel long distances by hopping freight trains, looking for work as a farm labourer or in other seasonal jobs, often living as a hobo. At various times, Wold worked as a carnie, a cowboy and a migrant worker. Paraphrasing H. L. Mencken, Wold described this time of his life by saying "Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don't look for work, and bums are people who don't move and don't work. I've been all three."
When asked about his nickname, Wold has said: "because it's just true: I always get seasick". When he was ill on a ferry from Norway to Copenhagen, later in his life, a friend began playfully using the name and, despite Wold not rising to it for a while, it stuck. When asked about his name on British Sunday morning television show, Something for the Weekend, he replied, "I just get sick on boats". On Top Gear, when asked about his name, Wold replied "Well, I guess I just don't like boats!"
Wold made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny BBC TV show on New Year's Eve 2006. He performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the "Three String Trance Wonder" and the "Mississippi Drum Machine". After that show his popularity exploded in Britain, as he explained in an interview:
"I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's meow!"
He was well received in the UK, winning the 2007 MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist.
Wold toured early in 2008, playing in various venues and festivals in the UK. He was joined on stage by drummer Dan Magnusson. KT Tunstall also dueted with Wold at the London Astoria in January 2008.[20] Wold also played many other festivals throughout the world in 2008, including Fuji Rock in Japan, East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Australia, also in April 2008,[21] and Roskilde in Denmark.
Wold's major-label debut, I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left was recorded with Dan Magnusson on drums, was released by Warner Music on September 29, 2008, and features Ruby Turner and Nick Cave's Grinderman.
He has toured the UK extensively since 2007 being supported by Duke Garwood, Gemma Ray, The Sugars, Billie the Vision and the Dancers in January 2008, Amy LaVere in October 2008, Melody Nelson at the Brighton Dome on 7 October, and Joe Gideon & The Shark in January 2009. His tours in October 2008 and January 2009 were all sold out and included performances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Edinburgh Queen's Hall, the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Apollo in Manchester, the City Hall in Newcastle and the London Hammersmith Apollo.
In 2009, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist, That same year, BBC Four broadcast a documentary of Wold visiting the southern USA entitled Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home. On January 21, Wold hosted "Folk America: Hollerers, Stompers and Old Time Ramblers" at the Barbican in London, a show that was also televised and shown with the documentary on BBC Four as part of a series tracing American roots music.
In an interview with an Australian magazine, Wold attributes much of his unlikely success to his cheap and weather-beaten guitar, "The Trance Wonder" and reveals the guitar's mojo might come from supernatural sources. "I got it from Sherman, who is a friend of mine down in Mississippi, who had bought it down at a Goodwill store. When we were down there last time he says to me, 'I didn't tell you when you bought it off me, but that guitar used to be haunted'. I say, 'What are you talking about, Sherman?'. He says, 'There’s 50 solid citizens here in Como who'll tell you this guitar is haunted. It's the darnedest thing – we’d leave it over in the potato barn and we'd come back in and it would be moved. You'd put it down somewhere and the next morning you’d come back and it would have moved. When you took that guitar the ghost in the barn left'. He told me this not very long ago and I said to him, 'Sherman! Why didn't you tell me this before?' and he said, 'Well the ghost was gone – I didn't want it around here no more!'"
On January 3, 2010, Wold appeared on the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. He was the last star to drive in the blue Chevrolet Lacetti.
In February 2010, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist for the second consecutive year.
In 2010, Wold made numerous festival appearances throughout the summer, including the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, the main stage at V Festival, the main stage at the Hop Farm Festival and many more.
In February 2011, Wold signed to Play It Again Sam to release his new album with the exception of the US, where it will be released on Third Man Records. Subsequently his new album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks was released on his new labels and it was announced that former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones had played on the new album, and performed alongside Wold to promote it.
On 16 August 2014 he was the headline act at Beautiful Days in Exeter, UK, and on the 24th August he headlined at 'Victorious Festival' in Southsea, Portsmouth, UK.
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Seasick Steve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yellow and green
They still is pullin'
Y'know what I mean
One is a Diesel
The other is a gas
And they ain't built for comfort
They gon' kick your ass
Gonna take me
Home, home, home (x2)
Now had me this ol' dog
But now he's gone
Sure do miss him
Wish he was around
Like to get another one
Maybe someday I will
But now I got this job
I'm gonna pay my bills
Gonna take me
Home, home, home (x2)
I got a 51 Chevy
All full of rust
It one of them
For get-there-or-bust
Sometimes I think about
Gettin' somethin' new
But I'm gonna leave that one for you
Gonna take me
Home, home, home (x4)
In "Home," Seasick Steve describes the things that keep him grounded and provide him with a sense of belonging, despite their rough and rugged nature. The song begins by introducing the two old tractors he owns, one of which is diesel and the other gas-powered. These tractors are still capable of pulling their weight but are far from comfortable or gentle machines. Steve uses them as a metaphor for his own life, acknowledging that he may not be flashy or refined, but he can get the job done.
The song then moves on to Steve's mention of his old dog, who has passed on. He misses the dog and wishes he were still around. Steve contemplates getting another one someday but for now, his job is his priority, and he needs to pay his bills. He then mentions his 51 Chevy, which is full of rust but still capable of getting him where he needs to go. He considers getting something new, but he's content to leave that opportunity for someone else. The lyrics imply that for Steve, the things that matter most are not the newest, shiniest objects, but the ones that have seen some wear and have proven themselves reliable over time.
The overall meaning behind "Home" is that home isn't a fancy, luxurious place, but rather where you find comfort and familiarity. Steve shows that even though his possessions may be old and worn down, he finds a sense of belonging through them. He celebrates these items, as they are a part of his identity and remind him of his life's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I got two old tractors
I am a hardworking man who owns two old tractors that are still capable of working.
Yellow and green
The tractors are colored yellow and green.
They still is pullin'
The tractors are still working fine after all these years.
Y'know what I mean
You understand what I am saying, right?
One is a Diesel
One of the tractors runs on diesel fuel.
The other is a gas
The other tractor runs on gasoline.
And they ain't built for comfort
The tractors are not designed for comfort but for hard work.
They gon' kick your ass
If you try to ride these tractors like you would a luxury car, they will give you a rough ride.
Gonna take me
Home, home, home
(x2)
I am going home after a long day of work, and I am glad to have these tractors to help me get there.
Now had me this ol' dog
I used to have an old dog.
But now he's gone
Unfortunately, the dog has passed away.
Sure do miss him
I miss my dog a lot.
Wish he was around
I wish he was still here with me.
Like to get another one
I would like to get another dog someday.
Maybe someday I will
Perhaps in the future, I will get another dog.
But now I got this job
Right now, I am focused on my job.
I'm gonna pay my bills
I need to pay my bills, so I am working hard to earn money.
I got a 51 Chevy
I also own a 1951 Chevrolet car.
All full of rust
The car's body is rusted and worn out.
It one of them
For get-there-or-bust
It's the kind of car that you drive to get somewhere, no matter what condition it's in.
Sometimes I think about
Gettin' somethin' new
Occasionally, I consider buying a new car to replace the old one.
But I'm gonna leave that one for you
I have decided to keep the old car, and maybe one day I will pass it on to someone else.
Gonna take me
Home, home, home
(x4)
No matter what I am driving, I am going home after a long day of work, and I am happy to be going there.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bluesharp59
Wow this guys awesome why didn't I hear this guy before. Somebody hit me in the head with a brick where the hell is my mind at. I play music and I haven't heard of him before. Anyway thumbs up great great great video.
دوست شما
Me too
Jorge Costa
Muito louco ✌️✌️
robert accornero
Steve is amongst the Greatest.
Martin Willis
This is soooooooooo good thanks man MW
407bug
Awesome!!
E Starling
Home sweet home!
Philip Hoover
viceral talent
andre thube
The Best
Richard Wolter
******