Shooter Jennings lived his first few years in a crib on his parents' tour bus. By age five, he was playing drums. Between tours, he took piano lessons. He started playing guitar at fourteen and sometimes played in his father's band. He and his father recorded a few things together when they happened to have some microphones set up and the tape recorder plugged in. At age sixteen, Jennings discovered rock 'n' roll.
As an adult, Jennings left Nashville, Tennessee to seek his fortunes in Los Angeles. He assembled and performed with Stargunn, a southern rock band whose sound he described as Lynyrd Skynyrd mutating into Guns N' Roses. Stargunn performed at local clubs for six years, built a rabid following and earned praise from the local music press. But the Hollywood party scene eventually began to bother him. He says, "I was posing as a rocker—a country guy trying to be something he wasn't."
On March 30, 2003, Jennings dissolved Stargunn and moved to New York City to spend time with his girlfriend and sort out what he wanted to do next. An unexpected gig at the House of Blues a few weeks later revived his creativity. He returned to Los Angeles to form another band, the 357s. After six weeks in the studio, he completed his first solo album, Put the O Back in Country. Universal South released the album in early 2005.
Jennings portrayed his father in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. He is the host of Shooter Jennings' Electric Rodeo, a two-hour weekly music show on Sirius Satellite Radio's Outlaw Country channel. He currently dates Drea de Matteo. Shooter Jennings' second solo album "Electric Rodeo" was released on April 04, 2006.
Sweet Savannah
Shooter Jennings Lyrics
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And I'm checking out of my hotel room today
It's been two years since I've seen your face
The girl beside me reminds me how you taste
Since I've seen you, I've been beaten down and bruised
And every day I'm feeling more and more misused
I never thought that I would be without your love
Years gone by, you're still the one I'm thinking of
[Chorus]
Sweet Savannah, you shine so bright
May the evening bring your favorite night
Sweet Savannah, you been gone so long
But I've got to move on
It's getting cold, I put my jacket on your back
And we smoke a cigarette, the last one in the pack
I still remember exactly what you said
That you had demons that you couldn't put to bed
Now I'm leaving, yeah, I'm moing out west
And it's time for us to lay our history to rest
I still remember a tear drop in your eye
But you know I couldn't stand to see you cry
[Chorus]
So I close on this Hollywood night
Where this counter-culture cultivates an emptiness inside
Would it be different if you were still here in my life
Would I be sober, and would you be my wife?
Sweet Savannah, you shine so bright
May the evening be your favorite night
Sweet Savannah, you been gone so long
But I've got to be movin' on
The song "Sweet Savannah" by Shooter Jennings reflects on a past relationship and the feelings that linger even after two years since the lovers last saw each other. The singer checks out of his hotel room, perhaps symbolizing a transition, and reflects on the memories of the relationship. He misses the girl deeply and mentions how every day he feels more "misused" without her love. The chorus speaks about how the girl, "Sweet Savannah," shines bright and how the singer hopes she has her favorite night. It notes how she has been gone for so long but the singer knows he needs to move on despite his lingering feelings.
The second verse talks about smoking cigarettes and how the girl had demons that she couldn't put to bed. The singer mentions that he's moving out west, but he still recalls the tears in her eyes. He closes the song on a contemplative note, wondering if things would have been different if they were still together. The song is a poignant reflection on a past relationship and the yearning that still remains.
Line by Line Meaning
So, it comes to the end of the day
The day is ending
And I'm checking out of my hotel room today
I'm leaving the hotel room today
It's been two years since I've seen your face
I haven't seen you in two years
The girl beside me reminds me how you taste
I'm reminded of how you taste by the girl beside me
Since I've seen you, I've been beaten down and bruised
I've been beaten down since I last saw you
And every day I'm feeling more and more misused
I'm feeling increasingly used
I never thought that I would be without your love
I didn't expect to be without your love
Years gone by, you're still the one I'm thinking of
I'm still thinking of you after all these years
Sweet Savannah, you shine so bright
Savannah is bright and sweet
May the evening bring your favorite night
I hope you have a good night
Sweet Savannah, you been gone so long
You've been gone for a long time
But I've got to move on
But I have to keep going
It's getting cold, I put my jacket on your back
I put my jacket on your back because it's getting cold
And we smoke a cigarette, the last one in the pack
We smoked the last cigarette in the pack
I still remember exactly what you said
I remember exactly what you said
That you had demons that you couldn't put to bed
You had unresolved issues
Now I'm leaving, yeah, I'm moving out west
I'm leaving and moving out west
And it's time for us to lay our history to rest
We need to leave our history behind
I still remember a tear drop in your eye
I remember you crying
But you know I couldn't stand to see you cry
I couldn't bear to see you cry
So I close on this Hollywood night
I end this Hollywood night
Where this counter-culture cultivates an emptiness inside
This counter-culture leaves me feeling empty inside
Would it be different if you were still here in my life
Things would be different if you were still in my life
Would I be sober, and would you be my wife?
I would be sober and you could be my wife
Sweet Savannah, you shine so bright
Savannah is bright and sweet
May the evening be your favorite night
I hope you have a good night
Sweet Savannah, you been gone so long
You've been gone for a long time
But I've got to be movin' on
But I have to keep going
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: WAYLON ALBRIGHT JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind