Shawn's voice varies widely standing out along with his rythym acoustical, electric guitar strokes. Shawn travels with his sound man and tour manager, Big Kip Conner.
Mullins's earlier work was influenced by acoustic and power-pop groups such as the Violent Femmes, The Producers and the Indigo Girls. However, his most significant and enduring influences are rock singer-songwriters like James Taylor and country musicians such as Kris Kristofferson.
He is known for playing many cover songs during his live performances, including "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle as well as introducing some lighthearted, quirky elements into his song and stage elements.
Shawn Mullins released a new recording February, 2006, entitled "9th Ward Pickin Parlor."
In 2008, he released "Honeydew," which includes a new recording of the song "All in My Head" which was featured in an episode of "Scrubs." He supported Dar Williams on her Fall 2008 tour.
The Gulf of Mexico
Shawn Mullins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At 5:30 in the morn
She does the dishes
And irons his uniforms
And she thinks she might have loved
Him once but that was long ago
And the rain pours down
Over the gulf of mexico
The boardwalk's deserted
And the beach is all closed down
And the middle school punkrockers
Ride their skateboards
Through the town
And she looks back and she daydreams
About things and people she's never
Seen just to keep from being blue and
She gets home about a quarter to four
And drives her brother
To the liquor store on ocean avenue
And I'm parked on the state line on this
Cold November day and pretty soon I'll
Be a drivin fool somewhere down this
Lost highway
Then I hear a voice from
My soul's core sayin "freedom's just a
Metaphor, you got nowhere to go"
And the rain pours down like a
Holy waterfall over the gulf of mexico
Over the gulf of mexico
The lyrics of Shawn Mullins's song The Gulf of Mexico is a melancholic yet reflective portrayal of an unnamed woman's domestic life in a small coastal town. The opening lines depict her daily routine of cooking ham and hocakes and doing household chores for her partner, who is presumably a military man. She appears to lead a life devoid of excitement or passion, as she reminisces her past love for him which was "long ago". The chorus delves into the imagery of the rain pouring down like a "holy waterfall" over the Gulf of Mexico. This acts as a metaphorical representation of the mythological cleansing power of the said waterfall.
Furthermore, Mullins expands on the woman's mundane life events such as the boardwalk being deserted and the beach being closed down. This is juxtaposed with the punk rockers who are still using skateboards as a means of transportation through the small town. The woman also daydreams of places and people she has never met, possibly indicating her desire for a life beyond her current existence. Mullins introduces another character - the singer - who is parked on the state line, feeling a sense of aimlessness and uncertainty. He then hears a voice from his "soul's core" that tells him that "freedom's just a metaphor," implying that even though he may move on, he will never be truly free.
Overall, the lyrics of the song portray a sense of longing, regret, and a desire for something more. The descriptive imagery and detailed events showcase an introspective approach to the writing, with the cohesiveness of the song emphasizing the shared sense of dissatisfaction between the singer and the woman.
Line by Line Meaning
She cooks him ham and hocakes
She prepares breakfast for him, consisting of ham and hoecakes.
At 5:30 in the morn
She does this early in the morning, at 5:30 am.
She does the dishes
After cooking, she washes the dishes.
And irons his uniforms
In addition to cooking and cleaning, she also irons his uniforms.
And she thinks she might have loved Him once but that was long ago
At some point in the past, she may have had feelings of love for him, but those feelings have since faded away.
And the rain pours down Like a holy waterfall Over the gulf of mexico
Meanwhile, it is raining heavily over the Gulf of Mexico, with rainfall resembling that of a sacred natural wonder.
The boardwalk's deserted And the beach is all closed down
The boardwalk and beach are abandoned and closed for the day.
And the middle school punkrockers Ride their skateboards Through the town
The only people around are some punkrockers from the nearby middle school, who are skateboarding through the town.
And she looks back and she daydreams About things and people she's never Seen just to keep from being blue
In order to distract herself from feeling sad, she daydreams about people and things she has never even met or seen before.
And She gets home about a quarter to four And drives her brother to the liquor store on ocean avenue
Later on, she heads home around 3:45 pm and then drives her younger brother to the liquor store located on Ocean Avenue.
And I'm parked on the state line on this Cold November day and pretty soon I'll Be a drivin fool somewhere down this Lost highway
The singer of the song is parked on a state border on a chilly day in November, intending to drive aimlessly down some lost highway.
Then I hear a voice from My soul's core sayin "freedom's just a Metaphor, you got nowhere to go"
When suddenly, the artist hears a voice from within that tells him that the concept of freedom itself is just something abstract, and that he is actually directionless.
And the rain pours down like a Holy waterfall over the gulf of mexico Over the gulf of mexico
The song ends with reiterating the heavy rainfall over the Gulf of Mexico as it pours like a spiritual cascade.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SHAWN MULLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind