After releasing three previous albums, including their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by Couch the Comfort in 2004, and Milk and Honey in 2006, Stampead embarked on an epic 16-month U.S. tour. “We were playing at the best clubs in Los Angeles,” Eric says, “but after our third album we said, “We’ve been playing here for two years. Let’s see what it’s like to play for different people every night.’”
Stampead’s relentless hard work paid off and after returning to L.A. last year, the band was able to self-finance their fourth album, Oh Boy. The album was recorded at legendary studio Sunset Sound, with producer Jamie Candiloro, best known for his work on Ryan Adams’ studio albums Follow the Lights and Easy Tiger.
“Jamie has a really great sense of honesty about a recording,” Eric says. “In the past we’d go into the studio, jam it out and say, ‘Okay, session’s over.’ But now our music has all these different layers. I’m singing backup vocals and we’re adding banjo, cello, organ, and pedal steel. Our fear was that it would start to sound fake or overproduced, but he didn’t allow that. He had a really good ear for making it sound authentic.”
“One difference between Oh Boy and our other albums is that I play the acoustic guitar all the way through—something I usually don’t do,” Judd says. “It had a lot to do with us writing on tour.” Adds Eric, “Being on the road was such a nomadic existence… When you live in a van it's not that easy to set up your amps on the side of the road and play. The only time we plugged in was to perform. I put my electric guitar down for a lot of these new songs; it didn't feel right to start ripping electric solos. I started looking towards harmonicas and mandolins and thought about other ways to experiment ways to experiment with acoustic sounds and layers.”
The band’s lyricist, Judd is always coming up with ideas for songs. “I usually write about whatever’s going on in my life,” he says, “but with this album, I did my best to make sure not to have 12 songs about being on the road.” And so the album’s highlights address everything from living in Los Angeles (“Oh Boy”) to dating a widow (“My Widow”) to a relationship’s end (“Red Green, Yellow”). The song “Funeral Train” was inspired by a photography book about Robert F. Kennedy’s funeral train.
“Each song takes you to a different place,” Judd says. “We’re just excited for people to hear it.”
Alabama
Stampead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm peeing off a bridge.
I've got a smile on my face,
And I've been drinking like a fish.
These days I don't shut up.
I eat, drink, and smoke,
Until my bones fall down.
And I laugh like a clown.
If there's a reason for the wind to blow,
Then throw a penny down a well.
If all your seeds never see the sun,
You can spit on the ground, and damn it to hell.
Then you piss off a bridge with a smile on your face,
And say isn't this world such a beautiful place.
Isn't this world such a beautiful place...
At first glance, the lyrics of Stampead's "Alabama" might seem nonsensical and rebellious, but there is more to the song than meets the eye. The opening line sets the scene for a reckless, carefree adventure as the singer finds themselves in Alabama for the first time. They are drunk, and openly admit to urinating off a bridge, but somehow it seems like all of these actions are necessary to experience life in a raw, unfiltered way. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been living life to the fullest - eating, drinking, and smoking without regard for consequences, until their body can no longer keep up.
However, as the song progresses, there is a glimpse of introspection, regret, and even a hint of nihilism. The lyrics, "I talk 'til I regret it, and I laugh like a clown" imply a sense of self-awareness and the consequences of the singer's reckless behavior. The line, "If there's a reason for the wind to blow, then throw a penny down a well" seems to express a desire for answers or a purpose for existence, but the lyrics immediately shift to a sense of futility and despair. Nonetheless, the singer ends the song with a hopeful note, suggesting that even in the midst of chaos and pain, the world is still beautiful.
Overall, Stampead's "Alabama" is a song that speaks to the human experience of recklessness, self-reflection, and the search for meaning. It is a reminder that sometimes, we have to break the rules or go against societal norms to truly live and feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
It's my first time in Alabama,
I'm in a new place, excited and ready to explore
And I'm peeing off a bridge.
I'm enjoying the freedom of being in a new place and doing something spontaneous
I've got a smile on my face,
I'm feeling happy and carefree in the moment
And I've been drinking like a fish.
I've been indulging in alcohol and having a good time
These days I don't shut up.
I tend to speak my mind and express myself openly
I eat, drink, and smoke,
I enjoy indulging in vices
Until my bones fall down.
I continue to indulge in vices to the point of exhaustion
I talk ?til I regret it,
I tend to speak my mind without thinking it through and sometimes regret what I say
And I laugh like a clown.
I have a loud and boisterous laugh that is attention-grabbing
If there's a reason for the wind to blow,
If there's a purpose or explanation for things that happen
Then throw a penny down a well.
Make a wish or ask for guidance from a higher power
If all your seeds never see the sun,
If all your efforts are in vain
You can spit on the ground, and damn it to hell.
You can express your frustration and disappointment
Then you piss off a bridge with a smile on your face,
Despite disappointments, I'm still enjoying life in the moment and finding small pleasures
And say isn't this world such a beautiful place.
Appreciating the beauty and wonder of the world, even in difficult times
Isn't this world such a beautiful place...
Repeating the sentiment to emphasize the appreciation and gratitude for life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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