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!

I Need Love
Texas Renegade Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The stars shine so bright on this lonely Friday night
And I see one fall from a jet black sky
I close my eyes to make a wish
For the only thing I can think of
On a night like this

There's something missing from my life
There's a hole in the wall of my soul

And I been searching for so long it seems
That by now I ought to know

Chorus:
I need love
I need love
I pray up above
And give me faith god give me faith
To fill this empty place
In my soul, in my soul
I need love

I watch the movies on tv
Where it seems that love is all abound
But I guess I live here in the real world
Where true love cannot be found

Chorus

Overall Meaning

The verses in Texas Renegade's song I Need Love seem to depict the loneliness and the void that the singer is going through. It is a Friday night and the only visible light comes from the stars which are shining intensely against the black sky. As he sees a star falling, he takes this opportunity to make a wish - he wants to fill the emptiness inside of him with love. He acknowledges that something is missing in his life, and there's an evident hole in the wall of his soul. This hole cannot fill and seems to grow more substantial as he searches, something he has been doing for an extended period.

In the chorus of the song, he directly communicates that what he needs is love. He prays to God, asking for faith that will fill the emptiness and void he is experiencing. The song's melancholic tone brings out the difficulties of finding love amid today's complicated world, where genuine love is becoming harder to come by. It seems the singer is exhausted from the countless attempts to find love to fill the void that he has given up and relies on God to provide him the love he needs.

Line by Line Meaning

The stars shine so bright on this lonely Friday night
I am sitting alone on a Friday night, looking at the stars shine brightly in the dark sky.

And I see one fall from a jet black sky
I see a shooting star go across the black sky.

I close my eyes to make a wish
I shut my eyes for a brief period to make a wish.

For the only thing I can think of
The only wish I can think of is something I desire immensely.

On a night like this
On a night where I feel lonely and longing for something.

There's something missing from my life
I feel like there is an absence in my life.

There's a hole in the wall of my soul
There is an emptiness or void within me.

And I been searching for so long it seems
I have been looking for something to fill this void for a considerable time now.

That by now I ought to know
I feel like I should have found what I'm looking for by now.

Chorus: I need love I need love I pray up above And give me faith god give me faith To fill this empty place In my soul, in my soul I need love
I need love to fill this emptiness in my soul, and I pray to God for the faith to find it.

I watch the movies on tv
I see love portrayed in movies on TV.

Where it seems that love is all abound
It appears as though love is plentiful in those movies.

But I guess I live here in the real world
I understand that the movies are not reality.

Where true love cannot be found
I believe that true love may be difficult to come by in reality.

Chorus
I still need love to fill this emptiness in my soul.

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

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