The Gaslight Anthem’s music embraces many elements of blues, classic rock, and punk rock. The band has described their sound as “Bruce Springsteen singing for a Cure cover band, with a tinge more aggression.” The group’s fondness for Springsteen, a significant influence on their music, is celebrated by fans and critics alike. Representative of such views, one critic wrote, “The Gaslight Anthem are like something out of speculative fiction: this is what pop music would be if Springsteen hadn’t listened to his producer, let the Ramones record ‘Hungry Heart,’ and launched the C.B.G.B.’ers into megastardom.”
The band released its first LP, Sink or Swim, in 2007 through XOXO Records, and toured with many reputable bands, including Against Me!, The Draft, Dead to Me, and Fake Problems.
The Gaslight Anthem’s second release, a 4-song EP entitled Señor and the Queen, was released on January 29th, 2008 by Sabot Productions.
Their second full-length, The ‘59 Sound, was released on August 19, 2008 on Side One Dummy Records. The album debuted at #70 on the Billboard top 200. It was produced by Ted Hutt, who has produced albums for The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and MxPx.
On August 6, 2008 they became the first band to ever appear on the cover of Kerrang! magazine without the publication having previously written a single word about them.
In Fall 2008, the band toured with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, and Thrice.
On December 9, 2008, the Gaslight Anthem made their television debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, performing the song the “The ‘59 Sound.” On January 30, 2009, they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, again playing “The ‘59 Sound.”
Their third full-length, American Slang, was released on June 15, 2010, on Side One Dummy Records. The Bring It On Songfacts reports that it finds the band moving away from the fictional lyrics and '50s-inspired sound of their previous records.
In 2010 they appeared on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK along with Arcade Fire, The Libertines and Modest Mouse.
Their fourth full-length, Handwritten was released on July 23, 2012 in the UK, and on July 24 in the US. The lead single, "45", was aired for the first time worldwide as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on April 30, 2012 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on iTunes on May 8, 2012. Handwritten was called by The Rolling Stone their "biggest sounding, most straightforward album"
d1t13 i'da called you woody joe
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
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Rico said, "I'ma turn you onto a sound, cool out your head
This is the sound from Camden town."
And then I heard it like a shot from my skull to my brain
I felt my fingertips tingle and it started to rain
When the walls of my bedroom were tremblin' around me
This ramshackle voice over attack of a blues beat
And this was the sound of the very last gang in town
As heard by my wild young heart like directions on a cold dark night
Sayin' "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
And I heard it in his chain gang soul
How it wasn't just the same sad song
Sayin' "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
And I carried these songs like a comfort wherever I'd go
And they was there when my summers was high
And there when she left me alone.
Saying, "the soul is hard to find"
And I never got to tell him so I just wrote it down
I wrapped a couple chords around it and I let it come out
When the walls of my bedroom trembled around me
This ramshackle voice over attack of a blues beat
And a girl, on the excitement gang
And this was the sound of the very last gang in town
As heard by my wild young heart like directions on a cold dark night
Sayin', "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
And I heard it in his chain gang soul
How it wasn't just the same sad song
Sayin', "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
That was the sound
I hear the sound
Do you hear the sound?
I hear the sound
Of the very last gang in town
The Gaslight Anthem's "I'da Called You Woody Joe" is a nostalgic, soulful song that reflects on the transformative power of music. It starts with the singer crawling in his head, lost in a trance when his friend, Rico, introduces him to a sound of Camden town, which he claims will cool out his head. Upon hearing it, the singer feels a warm tingle in his fingers, and it starts raining while the walls of his bedroom start trembling.
The sound that Rico turns him onto is a bluesy gangster sound that speaks to him in ways he doesn't quite understand yet. The song tells of carrying these songs like comfort wherever he goes, and they are there when he is at his highest during summers, and also when he is alone after heartbreak. The song speaks of the transformative power of music, how it becomes part of us, and how it helps us get through the toughest moments in life. The singer is so moved by this sound that he never gets to thank the person responsible for introducing it to him; instead, he just writes it down, wraps a couple of chords around it, and lets it out.
Line by Line Meaning
I was crawling around in my head in the haze of a trance
Having trouble sorting through his thoughts and emotions.
Rico said, "I'ma turn you onto a sound, cool out your head
This is the sound from Camden town."
A friend introduces him to music as a way to escape and find peace.
And then I heard it like a shot from my skull to my brain
I felt my fingertips tingle and it started to rain
When the walls of my bedroom were tremblin' around me
This ramshackle voice over attack of a blues beat
Tellin' me "He's only looking for fun"
The intense emotional reaction to the music resonates with him deeply.
And this was the sound of the very last gang in town
As heard by my wild young heart like directions on a cold dark night
Sayin' "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
The music speaks to him on a personal level, encouraging him to be true to himself.
And I heard it in his chain gang soul
How it wasn't just the same sad song
Sayin' "Let it out, let it out, let it out
You're doin' all right."
The authenticity of the music resonates with him, and he finds solace in hearing someone else's struggle.
And I carried these songs like a comfort wherever I'd go
And they was there when my summers was high
And there when she left me alone.
Saying, "the soul is hard to find"
The music becomes a constant source of comfort and companionship for him, through both good and bad times.
And I never got to tell him so I just wrote it down
I wrapped a couple chords around it and I let it come out
When the walls of my bedroom trembled around me
This ramshackle voice over attack of a blues beat
And a girl, on the excitement gang
He expresses his gratitude for the music through songwriting.
That was the sound
I hear the sound
Do you hear the sound?
I hear the sound
Of the very last gang in town
The music has a significant impact on him, and he wonders if others can hear it too.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN FALLON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind