Recording mostly live, the band released its debut, Almost Killed Me, on French Kiss Records in March 2004 and Separation Sunday a year later. In April 2006 the band signed to Vagrant Records and entered the studio on the 1st of May to begin work on their third record, Boys and Girls in America. Released in October, it was one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2006 and reached a much larger audience than its predecessors.
The band released their fourth album, Stay Positive, recorded again with Boys and Girls in America producer John Agnello. Nicolay left the group and on May 4, 2010 the band released their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever, recorded with producer Dean Baltulonis.
On July 15, 2008, Stay Positive was released. It debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200. It debuted on the UK Album Chart at #15 on July 20, the third-highest new entry. It ranked #1 on the UK Indie Chart. The album was named the best of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly. The song "Constructive Summer" was number 56 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.
Their seventh album, Thrashing Thru the Passion, was released in 2019. Among its songs, "Entitlement Crew" and "Confusion in the Marketplace," were considered standouts.
Chillout Tent
The Hold Steady Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the kids came from miles around to get messed up on the music.
And she drove down from Boden with a carload of girlfriends,
To meet some boys and maybe eat some mushrooms
And they did and she got sick
And now she's pinned and way too shaky.
She don't wanna tell the doctor everything she's taken
The paramedics hovered over her like a somber mourning family
Her:
"I got really hot and then I came to in the chillout tent,
They gave me oranges and cigarettes."
He was rough around the edges:
He'd been to school, but never finished,
He'd been to jail, but never prison.
It was his first day off in forever, man
The festival seemed like a pretty good plan,
Cruise some chicks and get a sun-tan.
And his friend gave him four, but said only take one,
But then he got bored and ended up taking all four.
Ah, so now my man ain't that bored anyways,
The paramedics found him: he was shaking on the side of the stage.
Him:
"Everything was spinning and I came to in the chillout tent,
They gave me oranges and cigarettes."
Her:
"I got really hot and then I came to in the chillout tent"
Both:
"They gave us oranges and cigarettes."
She looked just like a baby bird, all new and wet and trying to light a Parliament
He quoted her some poetry, he's Tennyson in denim and sheepskin.
He looked a lot like Izzy Stradlin.
They started kissing when the nurses took off their IVs,
It was kinda sexy, but it was kinda creepy.
Their mouths were fizzy with the cherry cola,
They had the privacy of bedsheets
And all the other kids were mostly in comas.
Her:
"He was kinda cute, we kinda kicked it in the chillout tent,
And I never saw that boy again."
Him:
"She was pretty cool, we kinda kicked in the chillout tent,
And I never saw that girl again."
Her:
"He was kinda cute, we kinda kicked it in the chillout tent,
And I never saw that boy again."
Him:
"She seemed pretty cool, we kinda kicked it in the chillout tent,
And I never saw that girl again."
The Hold Steady's song Chillout Tent is a powerful narrative that tells the stories of two young people who come to a music festival in western Massachusetts with the intentions of having a good time but end up taking too many drugs and getting sick. The first character is a girl who comes from Boden with a carload of girlfriends to meet some boys and do some mushrooms. Unfortunately, she gets sick and is pinned and way too shaky to tell the doctor everything she has taken. The paramedics give her activating charcoal and flood her with saline. She later wakes up in the chillout tent with oranges and cigarettes as her only company.
The second character is a man who has just had his first day off in forever and comes to the festival with a friend to cruise chicks and get a sun-tan. His friend gives him four but tells him to take only one. Bored, he ends up taking all four pills and ends up shaking on the side of the stage. The paramedics rescue him and take him to the chillout tent, where he meets the girl from earlier. They start kissing after the nurses take off their IVs, but the encounter is bittersweet as they never see each other again.
Overall, Chillout Tent explores the universal themes of escapism, drugs, and the difficulties of growing up. It is a powerful narrative that tells a familiar story of youth, experimentation, and the all-too-real consequences that can result from risky behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a stage and a pier up in western Massachusetts,
There was a music festival in western Massachusetts.
And the kids came from miles around to get messed up on the music.
Many young people came to the festival to get intoxicated and enjoy the music.
And she drove down from Boden with a carload of girlfriends,
A woman and her friends traveled to the festival in a car.
To meet some boys and maybe eat some mushrooms
Her intention was to meet boys and consume psychedelic mushrooms.
And they did and she got sick
She consumed mushrooms and had an adverse physical reaction.
And now she's pinned and way too shaky.
She is currently restrained and experiencing tremors.
She don't wanna tell the doctor everything she's taken
She is reluctant to disclose all the substances she has consumed to the medical staff.
The paramedics hovered over her like a somber mourning family
The medical staff attentively monitored her condition.
They gave her activating charcoal, they flooded her with saline
The medical staff treated her with activated charcoal and fluids.
Her: "I got really hot and then I came to in the chillout tent,
She became overheated and passed out.
They gave me oranges and cigarettes."
She was treated with citrus fruit and cigarettes.
He was rough around the edges:
He had a harsh exterior personality.
He'd been to school, but never finished,
He attended school, but did not complete his studies.
He'd been to jail, but never prison.
He had been incarcerated, but not sentenced to prison.
It was his first day off in forever, man
He had not had a day off in a long time.
The festival seemed like a pretty good plan,
Attending the music festival appeared to be a good idea.
Cruise some chicks and get a sun-tan.
His plan was to flirt with young women and tan in the sun.
And his friend gave him four, but said only take one,
His friend gave him four drugs, but instructed him to take only one.
But then he got bored and ended up taking all four.
He consumed all four drugs because he was bored.
Ah, so now my man ain't that bored anyways,
Despite his earlier boredom, he was not bored anymore.
The paramedics found him: he was shaking on the side of the stage.
The medical staff found and attended to him.
Him: "Everything was spinning and I came to in the chillout tent,
He experienced dizziness and regained consciousness in the chillout tent.
They gave me oranges and cigarettes."
He was treated with citrus fruit and cigarettes.
Her: "I got really hot and then I came to in the chillout tent"
She became overheated and regained consciousness in the chillout tent.
Both: "They gave us oranges and cigarettes."
Both of them were treated with citrus fruit and cigarettes.
She looked just like a baby bird, all new and wet and trying to light a Parliament
She appeared vulnerable and inexperienced, attempting to smoke a cigarette.
He quoted her some poetry, he's Tennyson in denim and sheepskin.
He recited poetry to her, comparing himself to Alfred Tennyson.
He looked a lot like Izzy Stradlin.
He resembled the musician Izzy Stradlin.
They started kissing when the nurses took off their IVs,
They began to kiss when their IVs were removed.
It was kinda sexy, but it was kinda creepy.
Their behavior was somewhat alluring, but also unsettling.
Their mouths were fizzy with the cherry cola,
They tasted cherry cola in their mouths.
They had the privacy of bedsheets
Their privacy was protected by the bedsheets.
And all the other kids were mostly in comas.
The other festival-goers were largely unconscious or incapacitated.
Her: "He was kinda cute, we kinda kicked it in the chillout tent,
She found him attractive and they spent time together in the chillout tent.
And I never saw that boy again."
She did not encounter him again.
Him: "She was pretty cool, we kinda kicked in the chillout tent,
He enjoyed spending time with her in the chillout tent.
And I never saw that girl again."
He did not encounter her again.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CRAIG FINN, TAD JASON KUBLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind