(1) Australian indie rock band the Griswolds became an overnight sensation in their homeland with their catchy tunes, laid-back style, and party-hearty philosophy. Named after Chevy Chase's hapless family in the Vacation movies, the Griswolds were formed in 2012 by singer Christopher Whitehall, guitarist Daniel Duque-Perez, bassist Tim John, drummer Chris Riley, and keyboardist Lachlan West. The band came together after Whitehall and Duque-Perez began working up song ideas together, and one sounded good enough that it deserved a band to play and record it. The band had already begun work on their debut EP when they came up with the name the Griswolds; and when they finished recording the song "Mississippi," they wasted no time posting it online, and the song was promptly embraced by music bloggers. Radio soon followed, and Australian radio powerhouse Triple J put "Mississippi" into regular rotation; it would become their most played song of 2012. After the debut EP, Heart of a Lion, climbed the Australian charts, the Griswolds proved they had the live show to back up their skills in the studio, playing memorable sets at the Big Day Out, Parklife, and Homebake Festivals, and making their first forays into Europe. In May 2013, the group made its American debut with a show in Brooklyn, New York, and they were signed by Wind-Up Records, who issued the EP in the United States as "Mississippi" made its way onto the college radio charts. In early 2014, the Griswolds went into the studio with producer Tony Hoffer to start work on their first full-length album. Their full length debut Be Impressive arrived in August 2014.
http://www.wearethegriswolds.com
(2) Toledo, OH-based brothers Art and Roman Griswold began playing blues together in 1959. In 1997, they released All the Way Down, their third studio album and the only one widely available to date, for the London-based JSP Records. On the recording, Art Griswold plays guitar and sings, while Roman contributes vocals and Hammond B-3 organ.
Both Art and Roman grew up surrounded by the sounds of bent guitar strings and wailing harmonicas. Art got his first guitar at age 17 after a motorcycle wreck laid him up for a few months. He moved to Little Rock, AR and began sitting in with people like Big Moose Walker and others. After moving to Toledo, he became the guitarist for Little Walter Mitchell and honed his craft at a variety of Toledo blues clubs.
Both brothers began their musical education with gospel music, listening to the radio and ordering the latest recordings by Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and others. By 1959, Art was joined in Toledo by his older brother Roman, who had completed a hitch in the armed forces, and quickly made his mark as a harmonica player. Roman hooked up with Art’s band and the Griswolds landed a job at the club Hines Farm, where they had the opportunity to polish their chops backing up touring musicians like Jimmy Ricks, vocalist Little Esther Phillips, Freddie King, and Jimmy McCracklin. Finally, by 1965, Art Griswold opened his own tavern and made his own band the house band, playing six days a week. At this point, Roman began to pick up keyboards, since the lengthy jam sessions were taking their toll on him.
The Griswolds first entered the recording studio in the mid-’60s for the Fortune label in Detroit, where they recorded singles including “Pretty Mama” and “What the Judge Man Did to Me.” Their singles found some airplay on R&B-oriented radio stations, and they began to tour regionally in Detroit, Houston, Memphis, and New Orleans. The Griswolds continued to record (mostly singles) for small labels throughout the ’70s disco boom, but by the ’80s, they recorded and released their first full-length album, Two Aces and a Jack, with Toledo blues singer Big Jack Reynolds; the resulting airplay for the release brought them the chance to jam with Lee Atwater at a fund-raiser for President Reagan.
In 1990, the band, by this point paragons of the Toledo blues scene, recorded a live album, Full Time Blues, for the Highball label. Also in the early ’90s, they released a studio album, The Reel Deal, for the same label. Saxophonist Rick “Big Daddy Cool” Schefdore joined the band in 1991, and he brought a wealth of experience to the group. He wrote two of the songs on All the Way Down and produced the band’s first widely distributed album. Cockeyed World followed in early 2001.
(2) Source: The Grisswolds - (Allmusic) Artist Biography by Richard Skelly
Down and Out
The Griswolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hit the poison
I'm not proud about
Some of my choices now
Eva, I could never wear your crown
I feel that I would only let you down
Please, I pray, you get better
Down and Out
I hit the poison
I'm not proud about
Some of my choices now
Eva, I could only watch you drown
The fevers were enough to bring you down
I pretend you got better
Just for some peace of mind
You will never have to know
How much I've changed since you've been gone
You'll never have to know that I was
Down and out, you hit the poison and I'm
Down and Out
I hit the poison
I'm not proud about
Some of my choices now
The Griswolds' song "Down and Out" is a powerful and emotional track about addiction and the struggles that come along with it. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of someone who has given in to drugs or alcohol and is struggling to repair the damage that has been done. The opening line, "I hit the poison," immediately sets the tone for the song and suggests that the singer has made a mistake that they deeply regret.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "down and out," emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness and despair that the singer is experiencing. They know that they have made bad choices and are grappling with the consequences of those choices. The reference to Eva suggests that there is a loved one who has been affected by the singer's addiction, and the plea for that person to get better underscores the sense of guilt and responsibility that the singer is feeling.
Overall, "Down and Out" is a poignant exploration of the destructive power of addiction and the corrosive effect it can have on relationships and self-worth. The lyrics offer a nuanced portrayal of the inner turmoil that someone in the grip of addiction might experience, and the song's melancholic melody and instrumentation reinforce the sense of sadness and regret that permeates the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Down and Out
Feeling defeated and depressed
I hit the poison
I made a bad decision and now I'm feeling the consequences
I'm not proud about
I regret my actions and wish I had made a better choice
Some of my choices now
I made some mistakes that I'm now dealing with
Eva, I could never wear your crown
I could never be as strong as you, Eva
I feel that I would only let you down
I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm not sure I can live up to your expectations
Please, I pray, you get better
I hope for your recovery and well-being
But there's no hope in my mind
I don't have faith that things will get better
Eva, I could only watch you drown
I felt helpless as I watched you suffer
The fevers were enough to bring you down
Your illness was too much for you to handle
I pretend you got better
I try to imagine that you're doing well to make myself feel better
Just for some peace of mind
To ease my anxieties and worries
You will never have to know
I won't burden you with my struggles
How much I've changed since you've been gone
My life has been different since you left
You'll never have to know that I was
I won't tell you that I was struggling
Down and out, you hit the poison and I'm
We both have hit rock bottom and are struggling
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL WHITEHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
polaiswrong
why isn't this more popular? this is just too amazing to exist
T Danvers
Viciei demais nessa música depois que escutei no travel and share, não tem como parar de escutar!
Nadia S
I saw them in concert with walk the moon and met them they are an amazing band
Anna Marie
You guys are so freaking talented and awesome
Jenna May
Omg does anyone else think this should be so much more popular I never hear this on a radio I am so sad 😭
Lava Lilly
I absolutely love this song! Been listening constantly for the last week😊❤
kelseymiller95
One of my favorite songs this summer!! Cannot wait to see them at The Echo in Los Angeles on August 1!!! So glad Los Angeles is finally getting a taste of The Griswolds!
Amelia E
this is awesome, so much variety in their songs!! nothing sounds similar
Gigi Rauchut
This song and album is freaking brilliant! And I like that you took a page out of Roger Waters book with the kids involved! Insane Talent
DameHaha2011
Great song! Very 80s, loving it!