Down the Line
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!

Down the Line
Texas Renegade Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well there's a place down the road
Where the whiskey goes down hard
And I've been thinking that I gotta go
Spend some time in a bar
Cause her memory
Well her memory's left me scarred

And it's been forty-eight hours
And I aint had no sleep
But the little white pills there just enough to keep me awake
Well I don't know how many more I can take

Chorus:
Cause it's been six days since I've been sober
It's been six days since I've been high
When she told me this was over
And left a lipstick kiss goodbye
So I'm moving on a little further down the line

I got a cd in my radio and I got it up loud
I got two hundred horses laying rubber on the ground
Right behind me
Where she's never gonna find me

Oh and I aint got no money
I aint got no smokes
I got a beat up guitar and a love song that I wrote
Back before my heart was broke

Chorus

Well it's a long long way to Nashville, Tennessee
I guess that's what she always expected of me and my songs
But that would take too long





Chorus

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Texas Renegade's song Down the Line paint a picture of a man who is struggling to cope with a recent breakup. He turns to alcohol to numb the pain and spends his time in bars, trying to forget the memories of his former lover that have left him scarred. The man is also struggling with sleep and is taking pills to keep himself awake.


The chorus speaks of his six-day-long struggle to remain sober and how he feels lost without his former lover's company. He tries to move on by driving down the road, listening to music and playing his guitar while hoping to make it big in Nashville. However, his heartbreak and financial troubles follow him everywhere he goes.


Overall, the lyrics of the song convey the emotional turmoil of a man trying to find a way to deal with a broken heart. It highlights the struggles of trying to cope with loss and shows that the road to recovery is often long and difficult.


Line by Line Meaning

Well there's a place down the road
There's a bar nearby


Where the whiskey goes down hard
The alcohol served there is strong


And I've been thinking that I gotta go
He wants to go to the bar


Spend some time in a bar
He wants to drink and socialize at the bar


Cause her memory
His ex-girlfriend's memory


Well her memory's left me scarred
His ex-girlfriend's memory has had a lasting negative impact on him


And it's been forty-eight hours
It's been two days


And I aint had no sleep
He hasn't slept


But the little white pills there just enough to keep me awake
He's taking pills to stay awake


Well I don't know how many more I can take
He's unsure of how many more pills he can take


Cause it's been six days since I've been sober
He hasn't been sober for six days


It's been six days since I've been high
He hasn't taken any drugs for six days


When she told me this was over
When his ex-girlfriend ended their relationship


And left a lipstick kiss goodbye
His ex-girlfriend left a kiss mark as a goodbye


So I'm moving on a little further down the line
He's progressing towards getting over his ex-girlfriend and moving on with his life


I got a cd in my radio and I got it up loud
He's listening to music loudly in his car


I got two hundred horses laying rubber on the ground
He has a fast car and is driving aggressively


Right behind me
His ex-girlfriend is not following him


Where she's never gonna find me
He's going somewhere where his ex-girlfriend can't find him


Oh and I aint got no money
He doesn't have any money


I aint got no smokes
He doesn't have any cigarettes


I got a beat up guitar and a love song that I wrote
He has a guitar and wrote a song about his ex-girlfriend


Back before my heart was broke
He wrote the song before his heart was broken by his ex-girlfriend


Well it's a long long way to Nashville, Tennessee
It's a long distance to travel to reach Nashville, Tennessee


I guess that's what she always expected of me and my songs
His ex-girlfriend expected him to move to Nashville


But that would take too long
He doesn't want to wait that long and is moving on with his life without her




Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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