Composed primarily of transplants to the Seattle area, The Head and the Heart write and play songs that speak to the newness of a fresh start, of the ghosts left behind, of moving forward, all brimming with a soulfulness and hope for a better life than the one we've all been sold.
Stylistically, think a folksy Beatles or The Avett Brothers with a little extra oomph. Catchy piano melodies stand side by side with a tight trio of harmonies, and solid minimalist drums, groovin' bass, and plenty of hand percussion and foot stomps make the live show inspiring and really goddamn fun.
After the band self-released its eponymous debut album in June 2010, the emblematic Seattle label Sub Pop re-released the album. For the Sub Pop version, the song “Sounds like Hallelujah” has been re-recorded, live favorite “Rivers and Roads” has been added, and the album has been re-mastered.
The band's second album "Let's Be Still" was released on October 15, 2013.
The band released their third studio album, "Signs of Light", in September 2016.
The band's fourth album, "Living Mirage", was released in May 2019.
Band member Josiah Johnson released his debut solo album, "Every Feeling On a Loop", in September 2020.
Josh McBride
The Head and the Heart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standing there in expectation
Pulling coat and blue eyes staring
Oh, this vision does me good.
In the city we don't know yet
Across the bridges not yet burned
Where the ice won't let us further
Take me to the attic ladder
In the barn with broken floors
With your boots of spanish leather
And my hat knit out of yarn
And my hat knit out of yarn.
You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm.
Show me your trees in the orchard
With the music on their branches
Keep them from the mouths of creatures
Who intend for them no good.
Take me out past the wind break
Speak the thing you could not utter,
When we'll howl and moon will cower
At the magic of the word.
Oh, oh.
Darling this is when I met you.
For the third time not the last
Not the last time we are learning
Who we are and what we were.
You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm.
The Head and the Heart's "Josh McBride" is a nostalgic, wistful song about the power of memories and connections with the people we love. The first verse sets the scene, with the singer coming to a cold, unfamiliar place to see someone they care about. Even though they're shivering in their coat, the sight of the person they came to see fills them with warmth and happiness. The second verse paints a picture of a countryside that's new to both of them, but full of promise and adventure. They explore together, going to an old, rundown barn where they each have something special - the boots and hat - that represent who they are.
The chorus is a refrain of sorts, an acknowledgement of the presence and importance of the person they're with. The third verse is more symbolic, mentioning orchards and the music of trees, both of which are ripe for interpretation. It could be seen as the beauty and potential of life, something they want to protect from harm. Likewise, the request to speak the unutterable thing and howl suggests a spiritual or emotional connection, a moment of deep bonding between two people. The song ends with a sense of continuity, the realization that this isn't the first time they've met, and it won't be the last time they discover more about themselves and each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Came to the cold just to see you
I endured tough weather conditions just to meet you
Standing there in expectation
You awaited my arrival with enthusiasm
Pulling coat and blue eyes staring
You wore a coat and looked at me with your stunning blue eyes
Oh, this vision does me good.
Seeing you like this gives me a sense of happiness
In the city we don't know yet
Let's explore a new city together
Across the bridges not yet burned
Let's try not to ruin any opportunity we come across
Where the ice won't let us further
We should stop going where it's not safe
Wind our way down through the woods.
Let's take a soothing break and take a walk through the forest
Take me to the attic ladder
Show me something new or nostalgic
In the barn with broken floors
Let's explore the dilapidated building
With your boots of spanish leather
Wearing your Spanish leather boots that you like so much
And my hat knit out of yarn
I will wear my knitted hat I made for myself
You are in the seat beside me
You are with me everywhere and always
You are in my dreams at night
I dream of you daily
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You reflect in the experiences that my grandmother shares
You are in grandfather's charm.
You reflect in the good nature of my grandfather
Show me your trees in the orchard
Take me to your orchard to see your trees
With the music on their branches
Hear the leaves rustle in the wind, like music
Keep them from the mouths of creatures
Keep your fruits from the animals that might eat them
Who intend for them no good.
Those animals don't mean any harm to the trees
Take me out past the wind break
Let's go beyond the sheltered area of the wind break
Speak the thing you could not utter,
Tell me the thing that you couldn't bring yourself to say before
When we'll howl and moon will cower
When we will celebrate together and the surroundings will acknowledge
At the magic of the word.
The magic brought about by our conversation, and how it enhances nature
Darling this is when I met you.
This is the moment we first met
For the third time not the last
This isn't our first meeting but it will not be the last either
Not the last time we are learning
We will continue to learn about each other
Who we are and what we were.
We will understand ourselves better and who we were together
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARITY ROSE THIENLEN, CHRIS ZASCHE, JONATHAN RUSSELL, JOSIAH JOHNSON, KENNY HENSLEY, TYLER WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adarool3333
Came to the cold just to see you
Standing there in expectation
Pulling coat and blue eyes staring
Oh, this vision does me good.
In the city we don't know yet
Across the bridges not yet burned
Where the ice won't let us further
Wind our way down through the woods.
Take me to the attic ladder
In the barn with broken floors
With your boots of spanish leather
And my hat knit out of yarn
And my hat knit out of yarn.
You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm.
Show me your trees in the orchard
With the music on their branches
Keep them from the mouths of creatures
Who intend for them no good.
Take me out past the wind break
Speak the thing you could not utter,
When we'll howl and moon will cower
At the magic of the word.
Oh, oh.
Darling this is when I met you.
For the third time not the last
Not the last time we are learning
Who we are and what we were.
You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm.
@murph7489
Came to the cold just to see you
Standing there in expectation
Woolen coat and blue eyes staring
Oh this vision does me good
In the city we don't know yet
Cross the bridges not yet burned
Where the ice won't let us further
Wind our way down through the woods
Take me to the attic ladder
In the barn with broken floors
With your boots of Spanish leather
And my hat knit out of yarn
My hat knit out of yarn
You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm
Show me young trees in the orchard
With the music on their branches
Keep them from the mouths of creatures
Who intend for them no good
Take me out past the windbreak
Speak the thing you could not utter
Wind will howl and moon will cower
At the magic of the word
Oh, oohohohoooh
Oh, ohoh,
Ohohoh, ohoh
Darling this is when I met you
For the third time, not the last
Not the last time we are learning
Who we are and what we would
You are in the seat beside me
And you are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
And you are in grandfather's charm
@SynxItax
I'm already tearing up through the entire song, but 4:39 makes me cry every time. The instrumental is so unbelievably powerful right there.
@Intertronz
Amazing song. Nice to know I share a name with something that will be remembered as beautiful.
@xCheeseHead95x
You...
@oswald2341
Its the man himself
@UpYourBum-
Shut up Josh
@nanaki1990roblox
How did you escape the jar
@rubenTR309
The new Chad hogan
@dmbondemand
New fan here.
This song makes my heart perk up and take notice. I’m not sure if it’s the arrangement, lyrics, build or layers but whatever does it, does it in spades.
“You are in the seat beside me
You are in my dreams at night
You are in grandmother's wisdom
You are in grandfather's charm.”
@agentluca8070
You guys have so many magnificent songs, but this one always has been and probably always will be my favorite. Such a masterpiece. The arrangement is absolute perfection
@andrewsselevol1249
I love this song. Every day I think "I'll listen to something else for once, then Iisten to this on repeat for about 2 hours. It's too good. Always gets me right in the feels