The group features Frazey Ford (guitar, vocals), Samantha Parton (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Trish Klein (electric guitar, banjo, harmony vocals). Jolie Holland is a former member and also a frequent guest.
The story of the groups begins in early-to-mid ’90s in the Kootenay Mountains outside of British Columbia, where caravans of tree planters toiled each year to replenish the rich Canadian forests that suffer abuse by the lumber industry. Ford and Parton lived the vagabond lifestyle and made a rudimentary living as tree planters during the summer months and doing other odd jobs or traveling during the winters. When they met at a tree planters’ camp, they discovered a mutual love of music, but ultimately went their separate ways.
A few years later, Klein and Ford hooked up when both were attending music school in Nelson, British Columbia. For a time, the three of them headed in different directions: Ford went to Montreal and then Guatemala, Klein to Vancouver, and Parton traveled south through America with her dog Sherpa by her side, eventually settling in New Orleans. Chance brought the trio back together in Vancouver in the winter of 1999. By this time, each had been experimenting with many different styles of music – Ford was in a trip hop band in Montreal, Klein and Ford later formed the soul/folk band Saltwater June in Vancouver, and Parton had been touring the back roads of America with spoken word punk poet Chris Chandler as well as her country-duo side project, The Illegitimate Daughters of Johnny Cash.
Their luminous debut, ‘Blue Horse was named one of 2002′s Top 50 albums by Britain’s Q Magazine. The albums "Chinatown" followed in 2003 and "Hello Love" in 2006.
In 2008 the band took a break from touring and recording. Ford released her debut solo album, "Obadiah", in 2010. The band is scheduled to play the 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Light Enough to Travel
The Be Good Tanyas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strange 'cause we always agreed
At the start of every evening
That's the last place I want to be
Coffee drinkers dressed in black with no sugar
They don't give me no respect
They say look her comes another one
And I don't know what they mean yet
And I say
Keep it light enough to travel
Don't let it all unravel
Keep it light enough to travel
Promise me we won't go into the nightclub
I feel so fucked up when I'm in there
Can't tell the bouncers from the customers
And I don't know which ones I prefer
Promise me we won't go into the nightclub
I really think that it's obscene
What kind of people go to meet people
Someplace they can't be heard or seen
Keep it light enough to travel
Don't let it all unravel
Keep it light enough to travel
I broke the windows of the logging company
Just to get a little release
I had to throw down my accordion
To get away from the police
And I say
Keep it light enough to travel
The Be Good Tanyas's song "Light Enough to Travel" tells a story of a person who is struggling with addiction and the pressures of social expectations. The first verse mentions the singer being drunk on Robson St, though they and their companions had agreed earlier in the evening that it's the last place they want to be. This shows the pull of addiction and how it can take over someone's resolve.
The second verse highlights the singer's anxiety about going to a nightclub, recognizing the environment as unhealthy and feeling a lack of control over themselves in that setting. They express a muddled sense of identity, unable to differentiate between bouncers and customers, which in turn causes confusion and discomfort. This portrays the pressure to conform to societal norms of socializing and partying and how it can have a negative effect on an individual.
The final verse mentions destructive behavior as a means of coping with stress, displaying how people with addiction often turn to wearing destruction to mask the pain they feel. The singer confesses to breaking windows at a logging company and running away from the police, leaving behind their accordion, a tool they use to cope with the pressures of life. The chorus is repeated throughout, serving as a reminder to keep the situation manageable and not let it all come crashing down.
Overall, "Light Enough to Travel" is a poignant message about addiction and struggling with societal expectations. It highlights the pressure to conform, and the accompanying loss of identity that can come with it, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded and light enough to travel through life.
Line by Line Meaning
Wound up drunk again on Robson St.
I ended up getting drunk in the usual spot, despite agreeing every time to not go there.
Strange 'cause we always agreed
It's strange and surprising that we keep ending up in the same place even though we both agree to not go there.
At the start of every evening
Before the night starts, we both agree to avoid going to a certain place.
That's the last place I want to be
I don't want to be at that specific place we agreed to avoid every time.
Coffee drinkers dressed in black with no sugar
There are people in black clothing drinking plain black coffee, and they don't show me any respect.
They don't give me no respect
The people there don't treat me with any respect.
They say look here comes another one
They make comments about seeing me there again.
And I don't know what they mean yet
I don't understand their comments and intentions yet.
Promise me we won't go into the nightclub
Please promise me we won't go into the nightclub tonight.
I feel so fucked up when I'm in there
I feel really uncomfortable and messed up when I go in there.
Can't tell the bouncers from the customers
I can't distinguish the staff from the patrons in the nightclub.
And I don't know which ones I prefer
I don't even know which group of people I would rather be around.
I really think that it's obscene
I find the nightclub scene to be really offensive.
What kind of people go to meet people
What sort of people gather in a place where they can't communicate effectively?
Someplace they can't be heard or seen
It's a place where people can hide and avoid being noticed.
I broke the windows of the logging company
I vandalized the windows of a logging company.
Just to get a little release
I did it to get a sense of release or relief.
I had to throw down my accordion
I had to quickly drop and leave behind my accordion instrument.
To get away from the police
I had to flee from the police.
Keep it light enough to travel
Keep things simple enough so that it's easy to move on and leave.
Don't let it all unravel
Don't let the situation fall apart completely.
Keep it light enough to travel
Keep things simple and manageable so that it's easy to move on from the situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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