Ten Mile Tide has shared the stage with other national touring acts such as The Wailers, Dispatch, moe., the Gourds, MOFRO, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Strangefolk, The Clumsy Lovers, Railroad Earth, The Slip, Jerry Joseph, The Samples, Assembly of Dust, Luce, Graham Colton, and Hootie and the Blowfish and has played music festivals such as High Sierra, Wakarusa, Utah Arts, Mt. Helena, Three Rivers, Whole Earth, Desert Rocks and the Green Apple Music Festival. The band has also received national and international media attention including CNN, the Denver Post, the Contra Costa Times, Canadian Broadcasting Channel, San Francisco Magazine, Stanford Magazine, and independent and college newspapers and radio across the country. With Ten Mile Tide's consent, users of the file-sharing program Kazaa have downloaded more than 10 million Ten Mile Tide songs worldwide. The band's growing Street Team now consists of more than 350 members in 45 U.S. States and 10 countries.
Ten Mile Tide is currently touring on the 2006 release of their self-titled album. For this album, Ten Mile Tide returned to their trusted producer, Jack Gauthier (Dispatch, John Hammond, Duke Robillard) and teamed up with bluegrass heroes and friends Don and Marty Lewis (the sons of Ralph Lewis of Bill Monroe fame) in a serene Rhode Island based studio called Lake West Recording. The 11 original tracks, forged on the road and played live long before they hit the studio, celebrate the band's last two and a half years of constant touring (including over 350 shows). The new album follows the 2003 release "Midnight Is Early" and the 2001 release "Flow".
San Francisco
Ten Mile Tide Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Packs up her things, when her road gets just a little too straight
Strips her room and she says goodbye
To the ones that stick around and sit and laugh and cry and talk about the life that knows her
Never a fool but she feels like one
And she holds...my hand.
She's runnning to San Francisco
Leaving the walls behind.
Arms wrapped around her shoulders,
Tumbling through tired.
She's running to the city
Getting out of this old place
Looking though the rusted window,
Fall into space.
The only people she'll know are the ones she'll meet tomorrow
The closest friends are sitting stranded at the little run-in diner
Where she used to work.
But they wonder if their tears are really about her or if they're thinking about themselves
And they catch her thoughts on right up high
And the minutes...roll by.
(Chorus)
Running to...a tall glass cut building
Running to...a bed nice and warm
Running to...a black picket fence now
Running to...A life ripped and torn
Running to...A cramped old apartment
Running to a life not like it seems...
A couple months have passed and she was sitting on the front step
A local man came by and told her bout some problems that he's got
He's lost his job and his rent ran dry
She said, hey man just get up and change some things about the way that you are
And he sits on right down next to her
And she holds...his hand
The lyrics of Ten Mile Tide's song "San Francisco" tells the story of a young woman who feels the need to escape her current life and start anew. The opening lines, "Leaving again...and she don't know why. Packs up her things, when her road gets just a little too straight," suggests that this isn't the first time she's felt the urge to leave, and that it's a feeling she can't quite explain. She strips her room, saying goodbye to those who know her best but seem to be stuck in the monotony of life. She feels like a fool, but holds onto the hand of what seems to be a supportive partner.
The chorus then describes her journey to San Francisco, leaving behind the walls that held her down and the tiredness that had burrowed into her soul. The city, with all its newness and possibility, is where she's heading to get away from her old life. The verses further depict the loneliness and isolation that comes with the decision to start anew. The lyrics state that the only people she will know are the ones she meets tomorrow, and her closest friends are still stranded in the diner where she used to work. The only thing keeping her going are her own thoughts, which "catch her thoughts right up high."
As the song heads towards its end, there's a sense that she's already started to make a difference in the lives of those around her. A man who's been struggling in his own life comes to her for advice, and she is able to give him the support that she's been craving. The final line of the song, "And she holds...his hand," suggests that she's found some kind of contentment, and that maybe her journey to San Francisco was exactly what she needed to become whole again.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaving again...and she don't know why.
She is leaving once again and she does not understand why.
Packs up her things, when her road gets just a little too straight
She packs up all her belongings when her life becomes mundane and lacks adventure.
Strips her room and she says goodbye
She empties out her room and leaves it behind as she moves on.
To the ones that stick around and sit and laugh and cry and talk about the life that knows her
She says goodbye to the people who stayed in her life, talked with her, laughed and cried with her, and understood her experiences.
Never a fool but she feels like one
She has never been foolish, but her current circumstance has her feeling that way.
And she holds...my hand.
She clings to her partner for comfort and support.
She's runnning to San Francisco
She is escaping to San Francisco.
Leaving the walls behind.
She is leaving behind the constraining environment she was living in.
Arms wrapped around her shoulders,
She is embracing herself as she runs away and tries to start anew.
Tumbling through tired.
Running aimlessly, exhausted and fatigued.
She's running to the city
She is running towards the city of San Francisco.
Getting out of this old place
She is leaving behind her old life, looking for a fresh start.
Looking though the rusted window,
She looks through a worn-out window, contemplating her life decisions.
Fall into space.
She is disoriented and feels like she is losing herself.
The only people she'll know are the ones she'll meet tomorrow
She has no relationships or acquaintances in San Francisco yet.
The closest friends are sitting stranded at the little run-in diner
Her closest friends are stuck where they are while she moves forward with her life.
Where she used to work.
She used to be employed at the diner, and that place has some sentimental value to her.
But they wonder if their tears are really about her or if they're thinking about themselves
Her friends are unsure if they are crying over her departure or their own personal problems.
And they catch her thoughts on right up high
Her friends might understand what is going on inside her head.
And the minutes...roll by.
Time is passing by, and things will change drastically.
Running to...a tall glass cut building
She moves to a city with tall skyscrapers.
Running to...a bed nice and warm
She moves towards somewhere she can rest and feel warm.
Running to...a black picket fence now
She is trying to create something stable for herself but knows it will only come with time.
Running to...A life ripped and torn
She runs away to a compromised life, someone who has faced many challenges.
Running to...A cramped old apartment
She is moving into a small apartment with fewer luxuries.
Running to a life not like it seems...
The life she is running towards is not the way it appears in her imagination.
A couple months have passed and she was sitting on the front step
Some time has passed, and she is sitting on the front step of her home.
A local man came by and told her bout some problems that he's got
A local resident shares his problems with her.
He's lost his job and his rent ran dry
The man is unemployed and struggling to make his rent payments.
She said, hey man just get up and change some things about the way that you are
She told the man to change his mindset and create a better life for himself.
And he sits on right down next to her
The man sits beside her, indicating that he values her advice.
And she holds...his hand
She comforts the man, holding his hand in a supportive manner.
Contributed by Lily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.