After the release of some EPs and singles, the group signed with Merge Records who released their second album, Long Goodbye, in 2003. After a world tour, they headed back to the studio in fall of 2005 to begin work on their third album, Cannibal Sea, which was released in March of 2006.
Southern States
The Essex Green Lyrics
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On the shoulder of the midnight road
On the county fire
I've been running for hours
Now my feet are broke, I haven't spoke
I gotta mind to pray
For the people in southern states
For to keep it underground
For your secrets you know I've got a yearning
From my head on down
For the autumn around the bend
For to carry over seas
For the person you know I've been searching for
In the city streets
And I could hear the landslide
When you asked to stay, I drove you away
To the outer bank
Since I've been counting the treetops
Listen all the day for your wheels to say
How could I be so wrong?
For the people in southern states
For to keep it underground
For your secrets you know I've got a yearning
From my head on down
For the autumn around the bend
For to carry over seas
For the person you know I've been searching for
In the city streets
The lyrics of The Essex Green's song Southern States are filled with vivid imagery, leaving some listeners puzzled as to what the meaning may be. Opening with "I have seen the moonlight on the shoulder of the midnight road on the county fire" suggests a feeling of isolation and loneliness. The reference to "county fire" may be indicative of the singer being in a rural area or a place that is at the dividing line between civilization and the unknown.
The singer is running for hours, and their feet are broken, but they haven't spoken, which could suggest that they have been on the run from something or someone. The desire to pray for the people in Southern States is intriguing, and the following line "for to keep it underground" could suggest that there are secrets that need to be kept hidden, away from the rest of the world.
The lyrics paint a picture of a lost soul searching for something, unsure of what it is they are looking for. The chorus repeats the desire to keep things underground, with the singer noting their yearning for secrets "from my head on down." The autumn around the bend could suggest change is coming, and the treetops indicate that the singer is in a forest. The line "for the person you know I've been searching for in the city streets" suggests that the singer is searching for something elusive, perhaps love or a sense of belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
I have seen the moonlight
I have witnessed the serene beauty of the moon rays illuminating the dark sky
On the shoulder of the midnight road
It was on a deserted, quiet pathway in the darkness of the night
On the county fire
The light fell upon a countryside area ablaze with a rural fire
I've been running for hours
I've traveled a long distance by foot without taking a break
Now my feet are broke, I haven't spoke
As a result, my feet are aching and I've not conversed with anyone along the way
I gotta mind to pray
I feel the urge to engage in a spiritual practice
For the people in southern states
I am taking a moment to remember and think of those residing in the southern states of the United States
For to keep it underground
I hope that they keep their traditions and culture alive, even if it's not in the mainstream media
For your secrets you know I've got a yearning
I am curious about the secrets and mysteries that exist in the southern states
From my head on down
My curious yearning flows through my whole being
For the autumn around the bend
I'm eagerly awaiting for the upcoming autumn season
For to carry over seas
I wish to carry the essence of autumn to faraway lands
For the person you know I've been searching for
I'm hoping to find the missing piece of my life, someone special
In the city streets
I've wandered the urban areas in search of this person
And I could hear the landslide
I clearly remember the sound of the crashing landslide
When you asked to stay, I drove you away
I pushed someone away who wanted to remain in my life
To the outer bank
I drove them away to a distant unknown place
Since I've been counting the treetops
Ever since they left, I've felt downhearted, and been focusing on the trees on the horizon
Listen all the day for your wheels to say
I've been yearning to hear from them all day, hoping they will return
How could I be so wrong?
I'm reflecting on what I may have done wrong to let this person slip away
Contributed by Claire A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.