Born To Love You
Some would call it fate. Others might chalk it up to coincidence. Either wa… Read Full Bio ↴Some would call it fate. Others might chalk it up to coincidence. Either way, the story of Texas Renegade’s genesis seems more than random—and their new album, “Bad Dreams and Other Things,” proves the union was meant to be. Consider this. Twins Tyson and Eli Carver, who were born in the Texas Hill Country town of Wimberley, moved to Durango, Colo., at age 14. That same year, Andy Bertelsen and Kasey Klepfer moved with their respective families to Wimberley. When the twins graduated high school, the lure of their hometown tugged them back—when a friend introduced them to their future bandmates, their course was set. The Carvers and Bertelsen formed Texas Renegade in 2002; Klepfer joined in 2004, and drummer Luke Ayres came on in 2007. Except for Ayres, it’s the only band any of them have been in (unless you count Bertelsen’s stint playing snare in his elementary-school band). In Texas Renegade—the moniker their first guitarist bestowed on them at a high-school party—Bertelsen handles lead vocals, songwriting and guitar. Mandolinist/guitarist/backing vocalist Tyson and bassist Eli picked up their instruments at 20 and 19, respectively, after ditching fiddle lessons at age 13. Klepfer taught himself to play harmonica seven years ago, and only Ayres (drums) has played his instrument—or any instrument—consistently since childhood. But they’re hardly a batch of late-bloomers. Bertelsen’s voice, which could earn him honorary Braun brother status in Reckless Kelly, carries the nuances of a practiced, yet intuitive singer. With mandolin and harp as frequent lead instruments and Tyson’s harmonies, Texas Renegade creates a soulful, rootsy country-rock blend that places them squarely in the Americana realm; which is only fitting for a band whose formative influences include the Wallflowers, John Hiatt, Counting Crows, Emmylou Harris, the essential Texans and the classic rock their parents played. “Bad Dreams and Other Things,” their third album, cements their status among talents like The Band of Heathens, Jack Ingram, the aforementioned Reckless Kelly and similar artists who share deep Lone Star roots and hybrid sensibilities. And like many of those artists, they honed their skills under the tutelage of Kent Finlay at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, where the Carvers and Bertelsen earned degrees at Texas State University. (Klepfer is a University of Texas grad; Ayres’ degree is from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.) Recorded mainly at Top Hat Recording in South Austin and produced by Austin drummer Stephen Belans (James McMurtry, Alejandro Escovedo), who helmed their last release, “After Everything,” it features 12 Bertelsen-penned cuts and guest spots by keyboardist Michael Ramos (BoDeans, John Mellencamp) Dobro player Cindy Cashdollar (Van Morrison, Ryan Adams) and guitarists Gabe Rhodes, Brad Rice and John Sanchez. Filled with smart lyrics and sweet harmonies, “Bad Dreams” stylistically encompasses everything from the harp- and guitar-driven mid-tempo rock of the first single, “Crazy,” to the soulful country-rock of “Coming Home,” the mournful “Comanche Moon” and the heartfelt “St. Christopher,” an acoustic ballad about death that Bertelsen sings with such an ache in his voice, he leaves no doubt about its authenticity. “Every one of my songs has some sort of story behind it,” he notes. “That is to say, every single song stems from some actual event that has occurred. However, the extent can vary considerably from song to song.” Rarely, he admits, does he write a song that’s entirely based in reality. Which is not to say his lyrics aren’t personal—or meaningful. At least some of his inspiration has to come from being so involved in the lives of his bandmates. Bertelsen and the Carvers are also roommates, and all five swear they’re having the time of their lives in the band. “We like to think we have more fun than any other band on the scene right now,” says Tyson. “People always approach us and say they really enjoy the music, but they also enjoy the fact that we are having fun onstage. We are the true definition of a band. Everyone has equal say and we are a family of guys who really care about one another and love to play music together.” Adds Eli, “We have a lot of fun together on the road and have a very laid-back vibe when we’re together. Pretty much anything goes.” “Anything” includes Camp, a fluffy canine described by Tyson as “half Lhasa-apso, a quarter Chihuahua and a quarter wolf,” who has traveled everywhere with the band for two years. “Some people think he has magical powers, but we just think he is the coolest dog in the world,” says Tyson. Adds Eli, “People try to steal him everywhere we go. There is a very good chance he is more famous than we are.” Well, maybe for now. But once people get a chance to hear “Bad Dreams and Other Things,” Camp’s popularity may have to take a back seat to the band’s. He’ll still get to ride in his primo leather captain’s chair, though—unless they graduate to a bus, in which case, he’ll probably get two seats—and his own bunk. Because, like the rest of these guys, he’s a Texas Renegade!

Born To Love You
Texas Renegade Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

My lips were never meant for this bottle of wine
Baby, I know yours they were meant for mine
My lungs were never meant for cigarettes
And I never looked good dressed up in my Sunday best

My eyes they should have never seen such sights,
Like the ones that I done seen out here tonight
Cause I'm the type that chases crazy dreams
Oh but I'm not the kind that catches much of anything
And I know that I'm on this earth, for one reason today
So don't go, girl for what it's worth, I'm begging you to stay
Cause I was born to love, you can't take that away

My stomach was never meant for butterflies
Girl my ears they should have never heard your lies
Cause I'm not the type that's cut out for romance
I'm more of the type that misses his only chance
And I know that I'm on this earth for one reason today
So don't go, girl for what it's worth, I'm begging you to stay
Cause I was born to love you, you can't take that away

My blood was never meant for alcohol
Girl, I guess I was always meant to fall
Cause I'm not the type that ever misses much
But girl I swear, I can't live without your touch

And I know that I'm on this earth for one reason today




So don't go, girl for what it's worth, I'm begging you to stay
Cause I was born to love you and you can't take that away

Overall Meaning

The song "Born To Love You" by Texas Renegade speaks to the universally relatable theme of the feeling that we were all born with a purpose, and for the singer of this song that purpose is to love the woman he is addressing. He makes it clear that he is not perfect and that he has struggled with various vices such as alcohol and smoking but none of that seems to matter to him because he knows that his sole purpose in life is to love her. He struggles to find the right way to express this to her but he is clear in letting her know that his love for her is innate and as such, cannot be taken away.


The first verse focuses on how he is not suited for some of the things he has encountered in life, such as drinking and smoking, but he knows that he is meant to love her. He also acknowledges that he may have seen some things that he should not have seen but that does not take away from his innate ability to love her. He then goes on to talk about how he was not meant to be the romantic type that is skilled in the art of love, but instead is the type that misses opportunities. The chorus repeats the fact that he was born to love her and she cannot take that away from him.


Line by Line Meaning

My lips were never meant for this bottle of wine
I was not made to drink alcohol


Baby, I know yours they were meant for mine
But you were meant to be with me


My lungs were never meant for cigarettes
Smoking was never something that agreed with me


And I never looked good dressed up in my Sunday best
I'm not good at dressing up


My eyes they should have never seen such sights,
I've seen things I shouldn't have


Like the ones that I done seen out here tonight
The things I've seen tonight have been especially difficult


Cause I'm the type that chases crazy dreams
I've always had big dreams


Oh but I'm not the kind that catches much of anything
But I haven't been very successful in fulfilling them


And I know that I'm on this earth, for one reason today
But I know that there is a reason for me being alive, and it's because of you


So don't go, girl for what it's worth, I'm begging you to stay
Please stay with me, it means everything to me


Cause I was born to love, you can't take that away
I know that I was meant to love you, nothing can change that


My stomach was never meant for butterflies
I'm not the type to get nervous or anxious


Girl my ears they should have never heard your lies
But it hurts to hear lies from you


Cause I'm not the type that's cut out for romance
I'm not very romantic by nature


I'm more of the type that misses his only chance
I tend to regret missed opportunities


My blood was never meant for alcohol
Alcohol doesn't agree with me physically


Girl, I guess I was always meant to fall
But I was meant to fall in love with you


Cause I'm not the type that ever misses much
I usually don't miss anything important


But girl I swear, I can't live without your touch
But I can't live without you


Cause I was born to love you and you can't take that away
I know that I am meant to love you, and that can't be changed




Contributed by Elliot N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found

More Versions