Rooted in the Orange County community of Huntington Beach, California, founding band members Jared Watson and guitarist / vocalist Dustin Bushnell met in 1996 while in high school, embarking on a friendship based on music, as well as their shared passion for surfing, skating and the endless party of the laid-back SoCal lifestyle.
Early on, they spent many late nights jamming in Bushnell’s soundproof garage with a four-track recorder, writing unique acoustic hip-hop songs that featured reggae inflections. Inspired by the rock and reggae sounds of Bob Marley, Sublime, 311 and The Beastie Boys, the band’s music evolved into their distinct Dirty Heads style.
To complete the Dirty Heads’ sound, the duo added percussionist Jon Olazabal and drummer Matt Ochoa, both talented, experienced musicians. With a set of solid material, the Dirty Heads were further motivated to take their craft to the next level, and they began building a loyal fan base throughout the west coast, while performing acoustically at local bars and small music venues. As they started playing in neighboring Los Angeles, the band found it necessary to charter party buses so their fans could make the 30-mile trek to their shows.
Connecting with sought-after producers Steve Fox and Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray / Ashlee Simpson) the band worked long hours to polish their material and further develop their style. The Dirty Heads also recruited mixing engineer Mario Caldato Jr., best known for his work with the Beastie Boys, to add the finishing touches and create just the right blend.
The band’s highly-anticipated first full-length album is entitled, Any Port in the Storm (Released on EMG through Fontana, a division of Universal Music Group Distribution - September 2008). This debut features 14 tracks that are reminiscent of the upbeat, sun-soaked Southern California party energy. The first single is the optimistic, “Stand Tall.”
Any Port in the Storm also features one of the final recordings of the late music industry icon Billy Preston. Frequently referred to as “The Fifth Beatle,” Preston played on three tracks, including “Stand Tall,” “Chelsea,” and “Driftin.’ ” Other special guests on the album are drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Sting, The Vandals), and veteran session percussionist Alex Acuna, whose A-list musician resume includes Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg, and Jackson Browne, to name only a few.
Recently, the band’s music has been attracting attention throughout the world of entertainment. Their songs have been featured in the movie and soundtrack for Surf’s Up (Sony 2007); and the television drama, Shark staring James Woods (CBS 2007. Actor Matthew McConaughey selected the band’s music to be in his upcoming film, Surfer Dude. In addition, the Dirty Heads can be heard in Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam video game (Activision 2007), and several other music compilations and surf/skate videos. On the marketing side, the Dirty Heads have also been included in campaigns for Etnies Jeans and Vestal Watches.
Dirty Heads vocalist Jared Watson sums up their fun, uncomplicated style, “We want to be positive and entertain,” he says. “We just want to make you feel good.”
And who can’t dig that?
www.dirtyheads.com
www.myspace.com/dirtyheads
Burials
The Dirty Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the outside of the fence
Oh, how I'd love to mark the grave
Insert our names on a stone
Forever
Forever
I'm calling every day, do you hear me
Where you going, I wanna know
Plunge the spade deep in the soil
So you'll be near me
Oh, I'd love to mark the grave
Insert the name it once told
Forever
Forever
As I grind up these remnants
Breathe it in blow it out to the emptiness
I act on love but sometimes my love is the deadliest
I feel the mood change when the high hits and these lights dim
These people are strange
I'm a stranger storm riding
She loves the shade
Below these leaves her body lays
Beneath this tree I placed a grave
Replaced her moon with roots and rain
And now she's mine
Forever more
She sleeps beneath my garden
And when flowers grow from bloody soil
It makes them ultraviolet, my love
Forever
Forever
The Dirty Heads's song Burials talks about finding a home close to someone you love but on the outside of the fence. The fence here represents a barrier or obstacle between the two people that prevent them from being together. The lyrics' mention of marking the grave implies that the person wants to be buried next to their love interest, as they insert both names in a stone. The chorus repeats "Forever" twice, emphasizing the person's desire to be together with their love even after death.
However, it seems that the love interest is not present, and the person is calling every day to find out where they are going. This longing and desperation to be near them are further reflected in the second verse when the person says they want to plunge a spade deep into the soil, so their loved one remains with them forever. It suggests the person might even resort to violence to keep their love interest with them, as they mention that sometimes their love is the deadliest.
The song's overall haunting and melancholic tone reveals a sense of loneliness, isolation, and obsession, and the lyrics reflect the person's emotions and thoughts surrounding their love interest. The Dirty Heads's song Burials provokes a sense of eeriness, especially when one realizes the darkness behind its lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I'd found a home close to yours
I thought I had found my place in your life
On the outside of the fence
But I was never really allowed in
Oh, how I'd love to mark the grave
I want to commemorate our love in a physical way
Insert our names on a stone
To make sure we are never forgotten
Forever
Our love will last forever
It feels so far so far away
But now it feels like you are so far away from me
I'm calling every day, do you hear me
I try to reach out to you every day
Where you going, I wanna know
But you always seem to be out of reach
Plunge the spade deep in the soil
I want to dig deep to find you
So you'll be near me
So you can be close to me once again
As I grind up these remnants
As I try to move on from our past
Breathe it in blow it out to the emptiness
I inhale and exhale all of our memories that are now empty
I act on love but sometimes my love is the deadliest
My love for you can be dangerous and damaging
I feel the mood change when the high hits and these lights dim
I feel a change in my emotions when I am alone and in the dark
These people are strange
I struggle to understand those around me
I'm a stranger storm riding
I feel like a foreigner in my own surroundings
She loves the shade
You preferred to stay in the shadows
Below these leaves her body lays
Your body now rests under the trees
Beneath this tree I placed a grave
I created a place of rest for you
Replaced her moon with roots and rain
I replaced the beauty of the moon with the natural elements surrounding you
And now she's mine
You are forever a part of me
Forever more
You will remain with me for eternity
She sleeps beneath my garden
Your eternal resting place is now part of my own space
And when flowers grow from bloody soil
Even beauty can come from something dark and painful
It makes them ultraviolet, my love
This beauty is radiant and unique, just like my love for you
Forever
Our love will always be remembered
Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC
Written by: DUSTIN BUSHNELL, JARED WATSON, RAY ALLENSWORTH, ROMAN RAMIREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tmstoelicker9919
Thought I'd found a home close to yours
On the outside of the fence
Oh, how I'd love to mark the grave
Insert our names on a stone
Forever
Forever
It feels so far so far away
I'm calling every day, do you hear me
Where you going, I wanna know
Plunge the spade deep in the soil
So you'll be near me
Oh, I'd love to mark the grave
Insert the name it once told
Forever
Forever
As I grind up these remnants
Breathe it in blow it out to the emptiness
I act on love but sometimes my love is the deadliest
I feel the mood change when the high hits and these lights dim
These people are strange
I'm a stranger storm riding
She loves the shade
Below these leaves her body lays
Beneath this tree I placed a grave
Replaced her moon with roots and rain
And now she's mine
Forever more
She sleeps beneath my garden
And when flowers grow from bloody soil
It makes them ultraviolet, my love
Forever
Forever
@dannyrainey738
I love how every song seems like it's gunna be killer in concert. It seems like what they put out in studio is for popularity, but in concert it's gunna be the way it's intended to be heard and in concert it will be epic, I can feel it.
@winkpeter
Just saw them in concert a few days agog and u are right. Every song was kick ass and so much more.
@KBCarruthers
Can't commend this album enough. This is epic on the level of the Doors, and more recently, U2. Bring the heat.....I know I am going to catch hell, but the statement is dead on accurate. Good job DH.
@R.A.K.W.
Seriously underrated song.
@DangitCD
This song is so chill on a nice summer day
@TheGilaBros
WOW! these Dirty Heads are some of the best I have ever heard!
@tmstoelicker9919
Thought I'd found a home close to yours
On the outside of the fence
Oh, how I'd love to mark the grave
Insert our names on a stone
Forever
Forever
It feels so far so far away
I'm calling every day, do you hear me
Where you going, I wanna know
Plunge the spade deep in the soil
So you'll be near me
Oh, I'd love to mark the grave
Insert the name it once told
Forever
Forever
As I grind up these remnants
Breathe it in blow it out to the emptiness
I act on love but sometimes my love is the deadliest
I feel the mood change when the high hits and these lights dim
These people are strange
I'm a stranger storm riding
She loves the shade
Below these leaves her body lays
Beneath this tree I placed a grave
Replaced her moon with roots and rain
And now she's mine
Forever more
She sleeps beneath my garden
And when flowers grow from bloody soil
It makes them ultraviolet, my love
Forever
Forever
@oceanfullofpeople6905
Y'all have given me something I lost a long time ago. Really amazing music that I listen to on the daily.
@tiddybagel1776
Cannot believe this doesn't have millions of views. Duddy B's best verse ever hands down.
@iancrabtree3615
This song is awesome! If you listen to the lyrics, they are about loving someone and burying them in your back yard. I'm a murder kind of nerd and this song suits it. Good job dh