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!
Walk On Water Reprise
Stuart McNair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travis McGhee was my best friend
known him for most of my life
one night i came in from Jackson
found him in the arms of my wife
I don't know it all
but Jesus, he walked on the water
a long time ago
Francis keeps kids in the morning
she's raised half the folks in this town
her oldest son got life without parole
judge said he shot a man down
i don't know it all
sure don't
but Jesus said love one another
a long time ago
Sandy, she cooks for the soldiers
played piano for most of her life
sometimes the big pots burn her hands
sometimes she slips with a knife
I don't know it all
sure don't
but Jesus, he walked on the water
a long time ago
folks around here read the Bible
folks around here, they believe
folks around here, they scratch for survival
folks around here never leave
I don't know it all
sure don't
but Jesus, he walked on the water
Jesus said love one another
Jesus, he walked on the water
a long time ago
The lyrics of "Walk on Water Reprise" by Stuart McNair tell multiple stories of different individuals in a small town, highlighting their struggles and the ways they find strength and inspiration in their faith. The first verse introduces Travis McGhee, who is the singer's best friend. The singer discovers that Travis has betrayed him by being in a relationship with his wife. This betrayal is devastating, and the singer acknowledges that he doesn't have all the answers or understand everything, but he is reminded of the biblical story of Jesus walking on water, which represents a miracle and the power of faith even in difficult times.
The second verse focuses on Francis, an important figure in the town who takes care of children. She is known for her nurturing nature, having raised many people in the community. However, her oldest son has been sentenced to life in prison for killing someone. Despite this tragedy, the singer once again acknowledges that he doesn't have all the answers, but he remembers the message of Jesus to love one another.
The third verse brings attention to Sandy, a woman who cooks for soldiers and has played the piano for most of her life. She endures accidents in the kitchen, burning her hands or accidentally cutting herself. Once again, the singer doesn't have all the answers, but he reminds himself that Jesus, like Sandy, defied expectations and walked on water.
Throughout the song, there is a recurring theme of not fully understanding life's challenges but finding solace and inspiration in the stories of Jesus and his teachings. The singer acknowledges the belief in their community and their resilience in the face of adversity, emphasizing that they never give up and continue to hold on to their faith.
Line by Line Meaning
Travis McGhee was my best friend
I had a close friendship with Travis McGhee
known him for most of my life
I have known him for the majority of my existence
one night i came in from Jackson
On a particular evening, I returned home from Jackson
found him in the arms of my wife
Discovered him intimate with my spouse
I don't know it all
I am not fully knowledgeable
sure don't
Definitely not
but Jesus, he walked on the water
However, Jesus had the ability to traverse water on foot
a long time ago
Many years in the past
Francis keeps kids in the morning
Francis takes care of children in the morning
she's raised half the folks in this town
She has nurtured a significant portion of the residents in this locality
her oldest son got life without parole
Her eldest child received a life sentence with no chance of release
judge said he shot a man down
The judge determined that he fatally injured a person
but Jesus said love one another
Nevertheless, Jesus instructed to display love towards each other
Sandy, she cooks for the soldiers
Sandy prepares meals for the soldiers
played piano for most of her life
She has been playing the piano for the majority of her existence
sometimes the big pots burn her hands
Occasionally, the large cooking pots cause her hands to get burned
sometimes she slips with a knife
At times, she accidentally loses control of a knife
folks around here read the Bible
The people in this area read the Bible
folks around here, they believe
The individuals in this locality have faith
folks around here, they scratch for survival
The people in this vicinity struggle to survive
folks around here never leave
The individuals in this community never depart
Jesus said love one another
Jesus advised to show love towards one another
Jesus, he walked on the water
Jesus, himself, walked on water
a long time ago
A significant time in the distant past
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Stuart Michael McNair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind