Based in San Francisco, California since 1997, the band Tea Leaf Green is T… Read Full Bio ↴Based in San Francisco, California since 1997, the band Tea Leaf Green is Trevor Garrod (Keys), Josh Clark (Guitar), Scott Rager (Drums), Cochrane Mcmillan (Drums, Percussion, from Apollo Sunshine), and Reed Mathis (Bass; from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey who joined TLG when Ben Chambers left the band "to pursue life's other passions"). Steve Adams (Bass; from ALO) also played some shows on bass mainly in the interim between Ben and Reed. The band has steadily gained momentum and picked up new fans since their eponymous debut album Tea Leaf Green in 1999. Their music is a mix of Jam, Classic Rock, Folk, Singer/Songwriter, and Jazz. However, labeling this group proves to be more difficult than one might expect. When asked how they would describe themselves, they often respond that they are a "Rock n' Roll band" and they released a live album and DVD called Rock 'N' Roll Band. Their ability to pull off a wide variety of styles makes their music dynamic yet always recognizable. The distinct voices of Trevor Garrod and Josh Clark contribute to stylistic identity and diversity, with Trevor singing lead vocals the majority of the time.

In 1999 Tea Leaf Green released their debut album Tea Leaf Green.

Next Tea Leaf Green released Midnight On The Reservoir.

In 2003 Tea Leaf Green released Living In Between.

In 2006 Tea Leaf Green released Taught To Be Proud on their own record label, the fourth and final album with founding band member Ben Chambers on bass.

In 2008 Tea Leaf Green released Raise Up The Tent on Surfdog Records, recorded 2 weeks after Reed Mathis joined the band on bass.

In 2010 Tea Leaf Green released Looking West on independent, an album of older songs newly recorded and mixed wtih Reed Mathis.

In 2011 Tea Leaf Green released Radio Tragedy! on independent, the first TLG studio album with dual drummers with Cochrane on drums and percussion.

Join up with fellow leafers on the forum and find more info at http://www.tealeafgreen.com.

Red Ribbons
Tea Leaf Green Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Be careful and aware of the tricks
The twists and turns and the curves
The danger that the darkness can give
And the way we always get what we deserve

I’m gonna cut to the heart like a razor
Red ribbons will fly high
Cut to the bone

Sunk like a stone
Drunk on the blood red sky

A train has slipped and fell off the cliff
Swallowed by a monster below
A puff of smoke is all that was left
Like the ghosts of those that we used to know

I’m gonna cut to the heart like a razor
Red ribbons will fly high
Dropped to the ground
Never should have found
Underneath the blood red sky
Underneath the blood red sky

I will get you there, this I swear
I'll get you there

The fire to our torches still clinks
To the shadows at the edge of our eyes
Our footsteps through the forest sink
To mute the nightingale’s reply

I’m gonna cut to the heart like a razor
Red ribbons will fly high
Cut to the bone
Sunk like a stone
Underneath the blood red sky

I’m gonna cut to the heart like a razor
Red ribbons will fly high
Cut to the bone
Sunk like a stone
Left on the ground, never to be found, anwhere around
Underneath the blood red sky

Notes: Song was originally titled "Blood Red Sky." The band briefly considered naming their full length album on which this song appears, Raise up the Tent, "Shadows at the Edge of our Eyes," or "Shadows at the Edge."

Overall Meaning

Tea Leaf Green’s song “Red Ribbons” contains themes of danger, caution, and the consequences of our actions. The first verse warns the listener to be aware of deception and the dangers that lurk in the darkness. The following lines suggest that our actions have consequences and we will always get what we deserve. The chorus is an invitation to the listener to join the singer in cutting through the heart of things, and promises a spectacle of red ribbons flying high in the sky. The second verse tells a tale of a train disaster, with a tragic end, leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke that reminds the singer of those who have passed away. The chorus is repeated again, inviting us to embrace our own darkness, and cut through it with razor-sharp clarity. The chorus becomes an invitation to embrace our own darkness, to see it clearly, to revel in it, to cut it down to its essence, and perhaps to transcend it.

The final verses deal with the torch of illumination, casting its light on the shadows at the edge of our vision, and the idea of sinking into the forest floor to mute the nightingale’s reply. The repeated chorus takes on a more threatening tone, as it suggests that the cutting will be deep and final, leaving nothing behind. The final line suggests that whatever has been cut down will be left on the ground, never to be found, anywhere around. Overall, the lyrics suggest a redemptive quality to facing our inner darkness, overcoming it through the power of clear sight, and moving forward as a result.

Line by Line Meaning

Be careful and aware of the tricks
Be cautious of the deception around you

The twists and turns and the curves
The unexpected paths of life

The danger that the darkness can give
The risks that come with the unknown

And the way we always get what we deserve
The notion of karma and consequences

I’m gonna cut to the heart like a razor
I will penetrate to the truth of the matter

Red ribbons will fly high
Symbolic imagery of triumph and celebration

Cut to the bone
Getting to the core of the issue

Sunk like a stone
Heavy with burden and unable to move

Drunk on the blood red sky
Intoxicated by the intensity of the situation

A train has slipped and fell off the cliff
A situation which has gone from bad to worse

Swallowed by a monster below
The darkness consuming all hope