The band issued seven albums - "Tales of the New West" (1985), "Glad 'n' Greasy" (1986), "Van Go" (1986), "The Pursuit of Happiness" (1987), "Poor and Famous" (1989), "Viking Lullabys" (1994) and "Manifold" (1995) - before Country Dick Montana's 1995 death ended the band.
Mystery
The Beat Farmers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of ash and cinder lining in the middle of my soul
The dreams I left behind me
They're all shiny and new
Now I'm learning to live with a mystery
I thought bad luck and trouble were just my m.o.
Hangin' out at the bar everywhere I'd go
Part of my entourage
Now I'm learning to live with a mystery
Yeah the dreams I left behind
They're all shiny and new
Now the dark clouds have parted
I finally see
Looks like somebody up there
Left the light on for me, yeah
I'm learning to live with a mystery
The Beat Farmers's song Mystery is about a person who has been through tough times, possibly due to bad luck and making questionable decisions. The first two lines of the song suggest that the person could potentially find solace in drinking, but they are learning to live with the mysteries of their life instead. The line "the dreams I left behind me, they're all shiny and new" indicates that the person has left their old ambitions behind and is now focused on new ones. They are also learning to deal with the unknown variables in their life, hence the term "mystery."
The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that the person has overcome their past difficulties, as "the dark clouds have parted" and "somebody up there left the light on." They are embracing the unknown instead of running from it, and are no longer hanging out with the wrong crowd. The lyrics "the losers and the cheaters, part of my entourage" suggest that the person has left behind the negative influences in their life.
Overall, the song Mystery is about finding a way to live with the uncertainties of life and moving forward from past mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
In a blast from a shot glass, I could drill me a hole
I could drink heavily to numb the pain I feel inside
Of ash and cinder lining in the middle of my soul
Feeling like my soul is empty and filled with darkness
The dreams I left behind me
The goals I wanted to achieve in the past
They're all shiny and new
My past dreams seem exciting and tempting again
Now I'm learning to live with a mystery
I'm figuring out how to cope with the unknown and unanswered questions in my life
I thought bad luck and trouble were just my m.o.
I believed that bad luck and trouble were just a part of my personality
Hangin' out at the bar everywhere I'd go
Frequenting bars was a common activity wherever I went
The losers and the cheaters
The people I surrounded myself with were generally undesirable
Part of my entourage
They were my companions on my journey of self-destruction
Yeah the dreams I left behind
My forgotten aspirations
The dark clouds have parted
My life is becoming clearer and more positive
I finally see
I'm finally beginning to understand
Looks like somebody up there
Seems like there's a higher power watching over me
Left the light on for me, yeah
There's still hope for me to find the right path
I'm learning to live with a mystery
I'm coming to accept and embrace the unknown in my life
Contributed by Bella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@iw1149
Back in the late 80's beat farmers would do gigs in a small club in Ocean beach under the name the incredible hay seeds
Country Dick was in his prime then👍👍👍