Stuart comes from South Alabama. He was raised mostly in Mobile, and grew up with family and friends along the gulf coast, and in New Orleans. He began playing piano at an early age, then began to take up new instruments.
In high school, he played trumpet in the marching band, which allowed him to march in Mardi Gras parades and travel around the South. He began playing in bands outside of school as well, and did gigs with short-lived bands as a drummer, bass player, and keyboardist.
Stuart's knack for both literature and music led to some scholarships and a period of academic pursuit at the University of Alabama. There, Stuart again marched in the marching band, this time travelling the country.
After three years at UA, Stuart was approached by an 8-piece punk/ska band called PAIN that needed a trumpet player for a national tour. Stuart then left school and toured the USA extensively in a Ford van. Stuart recorded several studio and live albums with PAIN, and he contributed accordion, piano, organ, backing vocals, ukelele, and even a little writing to PAIN's studio albums. PAIN even got some exposure through Cartoon Network and MTV2.
After the breakup of PAIN, in 2001, Stuart went back to UA to finish what would become an English degree. At school, he founded a poetry reading series and wrote many sarcastic letters to the school newspaper's editorial page. At the same time, he bagan recording his first collection of original songs. In 2002, Stuart released his first CD of original material, titled "I Can't See Over the Accordion". It contained 24 songs, and no two were alike. Some were folky, some punky...one was techno, and one was sung in Spanish. A couple of the funny songs from the CD got national airplay on some quirky specialty shows like "Dr. Demento".
Next, Stuart began Red Label Revolver, a young and fun band that would be the vehicle for his songs fo a couple of years. It was a four-piece, and recorded two CDs. The second one was recorded in Nashville by a less-than-competent producer. The chaotic and expensive recording experience, and the lack of decent product, meant the demise of RLR. It also meant that Stuart was without a band, without the products he had hoped for, and quite out of money.
This led to a period of rebuilding in which Stuart found himself in the small town of Montevallo, AL. Here, Stuart began an earnest spiritual quest that involved increased immersion in nature and meditation. He began recording a new set of songs that would become the CD "Building a Fire". "Building a Fire" was released in 2004, and received a fair amount of national airplay thanks to a radio promotions agency and some compilations that made the rounds.
That CD allowed Stuart to start meeting more people and playing at more venues around the Birmingham area and the Gulf Coast. Over time, Stuart would meet the players that would make up the Contraband, and this began would begin to make a name for itself. Stuart began recording again in 2006, in preparation for a new studio CD. Stuart released two samplers of this material in 2007. The first sampler, titled "Make Levee's, Not War", included some of Stuart's politial statemets relevant to Hurricane Katrina. Some of this music has been used by environmental groups and documentarians in the New Orleans area.
Stuart released an 18 song acoustic collection in October 2008. Recorded at Birmingham's premier Capture Music Studios, the project showcases Stuart's songs distilled and presented in their true essence.
More projects are on the way, including live and in-studio full band projects, some live bootlegs, and a spoken word project. Stay tuned!
Memphis
Stuart McNair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
touch down in the pouring rain
400 miles across the South
still had the taste of bourbon in my mouth
a leather jacket, guitar case
said I'll make a record and we'll leave this place
stood on the runway, it was time to go
an empty bottle, an empty seat
Mississippi River running under my feet
flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane without you
and now I'm standing on the I-40 bridge
a long, long way from blue valley ridge
tonight I'm soaking up the memphis rain alone
flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane
touch down in the pouring rain
I got a pocket full of wet cigarettes
and a heart that hasn't given up yet
the town's asleep, I'm all alone
would it kill you Kate to pick up the phone?
we been together since we met at school
but now your hometown hero's just a cold, wet fool
Chorus
tonight I'm feeling like I'm better off dead
Mississippi River running over my head
flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane alone
touch down in the pouring rain alone
well, I flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane
The lyrics of Stuart McNair's "Memphis" tell the story of a musician's journey to the city of Memphis to make a record. The song opens with the musician flying to Memphis in a two-seat plane, reminiscing about the taste of bourbon in his mouth when he left. Upon arrival, he discovers that his girlfriend, Kate, has changed her mind about joining him and leaving their small town. The musician is left alone in Memphis, with nothing but an expensive leather jacket and his guitar case.
As the song continues, the musician stands on the I-40 bridge alone and isolated. He feels as though he is a long way from the life he knew before, back in Blue Valley Ridge. The Memphis rain pours down around him, and he is left with nothing but his thoughts and memories. The musician reminisces about his relationship with Kate, who he has been with since they met in school. He is heartbroken that Kate has not joined him in Memphis, and he is left feeling vulnerable and alone.
The chorus of the song reinforces the musician's sense of loneliness and isolation. He feels as though the Mississippi River is running over his head, and he suggests that he would be better off dead. In the end, the musician acknowledges that he flew to Memphis alone in a two-seat plane, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Line by Line Meaning
I flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane
I took a small airplane to Memphis all by myself.
touch down in the pouring rain
The weather was bad when I landed in Memphis.
400 miles across the South
I had to travel a long distance to get to Memphis.
still had the taste of bourbon in my mouth
I had been drinking before I left and could still taste the alcohol.
a leather jacket, guitar case
I brought my guitar with me and was wearing a leather jacket.
said I'll make a record and we'll leave this place
I was hoping to make a music record and leave the town with someone.
stood on the runway, it was time to go
I was ready to leave and waiting on someone before I could go.
but it was four in the morning before you told me no
The person I was waiting on said no and it was very late at night when they told me.
an empty bottle, an empty seat
I was alone with an empty seat next to me and an empty bottle of alcohol.
Mississippi River running under my feet
I was near the Mississippi River.
flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane without you
I went to Memphis by myself without the person I was hoping to leave town with.
and now I'm standing on the I-40 bridge
I am currently standing on the I-40 bridge in Memphis.
a long, long way from blue valley ridge
I am far away from where I started in Blue Valley Ridge.
tonight I'm soaking up the memphis rain alone
I am currently experiencing the rain in Memphis by myself.
I got a pocket full of wet cigarettes
My cigarettes got wet in the rain and are now in my pocket.
and a heart that hasn't given up yet
I am feeling sad but still hopeful.
the town's asleep, I'm all alone
I am alone in a quiet and sleeping town.
would it kill you Kate to pick up the phone?
I am hoping that Kate, who I have been with since school, will answer the phone.
we been together since we met at school
Kate and I have been together since we were in school.
but now your hometown hero's just a cold, wet fool
I feel like a fool for coming to Memphis by myself and getting wet in the rain.
tonight I'm feeling like I'm better off dead
I am very sad and feel like I would be better off not alive.
Mississippi River running over my head
I feel overwhelmed and like the river is going over my head.
flew to Memphis in a two-seat plane alone
I came to Memphis by myself in a small airplane.
touch down in the pouring rain alone
When I got to Memphis, it was raining and I was by myself.
Contributed by Julia V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
elsie wilson
Love it!!