With the May, 2006 release of their new Live at Workplay Theatre CD, the Ch… Read Full Bio ↴With the May, 2006 release of their new Live at Workplay Theatre CD, the Charleston, SC-based Blue Dogs enter into a new phase of their neverending quest to reach out and touch people with their unique blend of country, roots, bluegrass and Americana music. Produced by Doug Derryberry, Live at Workplay Theatre was recorded in January, 2005, at the Birmingham, Alabama concert venue. The Blue Dogs lineup on the new CD includes Hank Futch (upright electric bass, acoustic guitar and vocals), Bobby Houck (acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals), Greg Walker (drums and percussion) and David Stewart (electric guitar and vocals). Recorded before a very lively audience, the new CD features in-concert versions of songs from such previous albums as Halos and Good Buys, Letters from Round O, Music for Dog People and the bands self-titled debut, as well several previously unreleased songs. Many of the Blue Dogs most-requested songs are present, including Cosmic Cowboy, Bill Bill, Half of My Mistakes (co-written by Bobby Houck and Radney Foster) and Make Your Mama Proud, plus the bands unique take on the gospel song, Children, Go Where I Send Thee, Arthur Smiths Conversation with a Mule and Lyle Lovetts L.A. County. This show at the Workplay Theatre fell on the night after the President's second inauguration, for which we had been invited by the RIAA to play a huge "after-inauguration party" at a club in Washington, explains the Blue Dogs Bobby Houck on the new CDs genesis. So, we hired a crew to get our equipment from DC to Birmingham and the band flew. With such a huge gig on the line (and a live recording going down the next day), and given that we werent able to get much sleep, I feel that it's an amazing document of the fact that when we were touring hard (much of the last 10 years), we were like someone in training...you could get in the zone and pull off an emotional show, even without much rest and regardless of how the band felt individually. You can tell by the crowd on the live CD that they were very, very enthusiastic, and I'm sure that helped pull us through, he continues. Some of our longtime fans think this is the best actual document of what this band sounds like from night to night. We've put out good studio records, and have three other live records which have been well received, but I have to concur that this CD represents well what the band has been able to conjure up over the past 8 years or so, with just the four of us - just drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitar and three voices; no backup musicians and no drum machines; just a great room, a great crew, a wonderful audience, and four sleep-deprived Dogs. The Blue Dogs last CD, Halos and Good Buys, was produced by Don Gehman and released in early 2004, garnering excellent critical reviews and extensive airplay, particularly on the Texas music charts. The road-seasoned band effectively straddles the line between loose rock swagger and radio-friendly hooks, said Billboard magazine in its review. An earlier CD, Letters from Round O, was produced by Cracker front-man-turned-producer David Lowery and generated radio response from Modern Rock, Triple A and Americana radio, as well as glowing reviews in The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. The band was founded in the late 80s by South Carolina natives Bobby Houck and Hank Futch, who have played together in one incarnation or another for almost 20 years, but it wasnt until the release of their debut self-titled album in 1996 that the band committed to making music full-time. Through the years, the Blue Dogs have achieved consistent rave reviews from the press, numerous national tours, support at several radio formats and a host of album and DVD releases. Despite the Blue Dogs musical diversity, which has made them difficult to classify, the band has developed a solid, national fan base. Having started as a bluegrass/country/folk-rock trio, and then with the advent of a full band, the Blue Dogs found themselves with echoes of bluegrass, jam band rock, commercial roots pop/rock, and Americana. somewhere to the right of Americana and left of mainstream Nashville. For more information on the Blue Dogs, please visit the band online at www.bluedogs.com . To purchase merchadise or CDs please visit: www.bluedogs.com .

The Way Back
The Blue Dogs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the back of my pick-up, out under the stars

Me and Miss Tina just talking about cars

She says I'm tired of riding with you up to lover's leap

She says I'm tired I'm riding in this old truck

And as long as you're in it you're out of luck

How can you stand to be seen in this dirty old heap

Well I heard what she said and I went downtown

I grabbed the first salesman that I found

I said I need an extended cab a Ford or GMC

He said son if a woman's involved with the choice you make

Here's some advice you might wanna take

You need to take a look around at these brand new SUVs

A sports utility vehicle, hell they're made for women and ain't got the

strength to pull

A billy goat out of a hard drivin' rain

He said, son you've been drivin' that truck to long

Your thinkin' is fuzzy and your mind is gone

Just come around here and let me show you just one thing

Don't you know the seats lay back

When you get in the way back

Of this brand new Jeep Cherokee

You can call her up and say that

We can get in the way back

And she'll find her way back to me

Well lover's leap is never gonna be the same

Cause we can sit cross legged and play a poker game

And Tina's made curtains for the windows so no one can see

Well insurance is high and that payment great

It's putting a strain on our budget

Taking food off our plate, so we decided to live in our brand new SUV

Don't you know the seats lay back

When you get in the way back

Of this brand new Jeep Cherokee

I remember the day that

We got in the way back

And she found her way back to me

Well it's been thirty-nine months since we signed this lease

Through a lot of tire kickers and a lot of police

Sneaking up on me and shining their light on me

Me and Miss Tina we got a family plan

We're gonna trade in our new home for a minivan

But we will never forget how we started our family

Don't you know the seats lay back

When you get in the way back

Of this brand new Jeep Cherokee

Well I called her up and said that

We oughta get in the way back

And you'll find your way back to me

Don't you know the seats lay back

When you get in the way back

Of this brand new Jeep Cherokee

It sure beats a haystack

As a matter of fact

Why don't you climb into the way back with me

Overall Meaning

The Blue Dogs's song, THE WAY BACK, describes a couple who leave their small town and start a new life together in a brand new SUV. In the opening lines of the song, the singer and his girlfriend Miss Tina are sitting in the back of his pickup truck under the stars. But Miss Tina expresses her dissatisfaction with the truck and their old life, asking how the singer can bear being seen in such a "dirty old heap." Moved by her words, the singer trades in his truck for a brand new Jeep Cherokee, which they decide to make their home. The seats recline all the way back, providing a comfortable place for them to play poker and start their new life together.

Line by Line Meaning

In the back of my pick-up, out under the stars
The singer is in the back of his truck, stargazing.

Me and Miss Tina just talking about cars
The singer is conversing with Miss Tina about automobiles.

She says I'm tired of riding with you up to lover's leap
Miss Tina is no longer interested in accompanying the singer to Lover's Leap.

She says I'm tired I'm riding in this old truck
Miss Tina is tired of riding in the old truck with the artist.

And as long as you're in it you're out of luck
The artist has no luck as long as Miss Tina refuses to ride in the truck.

How can you stand to be seen in this dirty old heap
Miss Tina is questioning the singer's taste in driving such a dirty old truck.

Well I heard what she said and I went downtown
The singer took Miss Tina's words to heart and went downtown to make a change.

I grabbed the first salesman that I found
The artist immediately sought out a car salesman for advice.

I said I need an extended cab a Ford or GMC
The artist requested a larger truck from the salesman.

He said son if a woman's involved with the choice you make
The salesman advises the artist to consider his female companion's preferences.

Here's some advice you might wanna take
The salesman offers the singer some advice.

You need to take a look around at these brand new SUVs
The salesman is suggesting that the artist look into new SUVs.

A sports utility vehicle, hell they're made for women and ain't got the strength to pull a billy goat out of a hard drivin' rain
The salesman is belittling SUVs and suggesting they are not very powerful.

He said, son you've been drivin' that truck to long
The salesman suggests that the singer has been driving his old truck for too long.

Your thinkin' is fuzzy and your mind is gone
The salesman is asserting that the singer's judgement is impaired.

Just come around here and let me show you just one thing
The salesman invites the artist to take a look at something.

Don't you know the seats lay back
The salesman is demonstrating a feature of a vehicle.

When you get in the way back
The singer can enjoy this feature by sitting in the back of a car.

Of this brand new Jeep Cherokee
The salesman is promoting the Jeep Cherokee.

You can call her up and say that
The artist is able to call Miss Tina and tell her about the new car.

We can get in the way back
The artist and Miss Tina can sit in the back of the car.

And she'll find her way back to me
Miss Tina will be convinced to return to the artist, thanks to the new car.

Well lover's leap is never gonna be the same
The singer and Miss Tina will now experience Lover's Leap differently due to the new car.

Cause we can sit cross legged and play a poker game
The artist and Miss Tina can enjoy playing poker while sitting comfortably in the car.

And Tina's made curtains for the windows so no one can see
Miss Tina has added curtains to the car windows for privacy.

Well insurance is high and that payment great
The car payment and insurance are expensive.

It's putting a strain on our budget
The car payment and insurance are causing a financial burden.

Taking food off our plate, so we decided to live in our brand new SUV
The artist and Miss Tina are living in their car to save money on rent and food.

It sure beats a haystack
Living in a car is better than living in a haystack.

As a matter of fact
The singer is continuing his thought from the previous line.

Why don't you climb into the way back with me
The singer is inviting someone to climb into the back of the car with him.

Well it's been thirty-nine months since we signed this lease
The artist and Miss Tina have had the car for over three years.

Through a lot of tire kickers and a lot of police
The artist and Miss Tina have dealt with curious onlookers and law enforcement while living in their car.

Sneaking up on me and shining their light on me
The police have surprised the artist and shone a flashlight on him.

Me and Miss Tina we got a family plan
The singer and Miss Tina have a plan for starting a family.

We're gonna trade in our new home for a minivan
The artist and Miss Tina plan on trading in their car for a minivan.

But we will never forget how we started our family
The singer and Miss Tina will always remember when they lived in their car and started their family.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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