2010 was an amazing year for The McClymonts. In January, they released their sophomore album, Wrapped Up Good, in Australia, achieved Gold sales in ten weeks, and entered the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Top 100 Chart at #2 behind Susan Boyle, and #1 on the ARIA Country Chart. The first four singles from the album, “Kick It Up,” “Wrapped Up Good,” “Hearts on Fire,” and “A Women Is A Flame,” all went to #1 on the Country Music Charts in Australia.
In the wake of the release of Wrapped Up Good, their debut album, Chaos and Bright Lights, also went Gold. Additionally in 2010, The McClymonts became the first group to ever host the nationally televised Country Music Awards of Australia.
During 2010, the Wrapped Up Good tour sold out all over Australia. As a live act, the group delivers a world-class show that not only has Australian audiences completely captivated, but also catches the attention of many American country music industry leaders and a number of star performers. The McClymonts have been gathering thousands of new fans every week while touring the U.S. and the buzz on this group is getting red hot.
The McClymonts spent four months of 2010 touring the U.S., with the highlight of being invited as special guests of country music sensation, Jason Aldean, on his fall tour. In addition, they had the opportunity to work with Lady Antebellum and even share the stage with Ozzy Osbourne at the world’s biggest bike festival in Sturgis, South Dakota. The shows in the U.S. last year saw The McClymonts performing in front of audiences from 5,000 - 25,000 people, garnering them many new fans while also introducing their first album, Chaos and Bright Lights, to the U.S.
As 2010 ended, The McClymonts were awarded the ARIA for Best Country Album of the Year. A few weeks after this honor, they took home the trophy for Group of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia for the fourth time in the past five years.
The Wrapped Up Good album was the highest selling country music album by an Australian artist on the ARIA Charts for 2010.
2011 began with a five-month tour around Australia where the sisters sold out show after show. In June, The McClymonts relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to prepare for the August 23 U.S. release of their Wrapped Up Good album on BSM Music and distributed by Fontana Distribution. Their first single, the title song “Wrapped Up Good,” was released on June 16 and is receiving widespread airplay and video exposure. The Wrapped Up Good album was produced by Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift) and Adam Anders (Fox TV’s Glee, Nick Lachey, Backstreet Boys, Shania Twain, Sinead O’Connor, Hannah Montana, and Nick Jonas.)
These girls are definitely driven, which may have something to do with a determination to prove skeptics wrong. Brooke McClymont said, “We were told by a big name record executive in the U.S. that we wouldn’t make it because we are girls and girls don’t sell records anymore.” Sam McClymont added, “That just sparked a fire in us and made us even hungrier. We thought, we don’t listen to our own parents so why should we listen to someone we don’t even know. Then, we started our own label, booked a six-month tour, and bottom line is, we will not listen to negative words. Our message to all women is, live your life, create your dreams, and never let someone’s negativity hold you back. Do what you have to do with passion and believe wholeheartedly in yourself!” Mollie McClymont also commented, “We are full of an intense desire to succeed and we have the work ethic and energy to do the job.”
The McClymonts supported the release of Wrapped Up Good with a six-month summer and fall tour in the U.S. The girls played venues all over North America, appeared on numerous television shows and have been critically-acclaimed in the country music media throughout the U.S. During their North American tour, they shared the stage with Josh Kelley, Colt Ford, Darius Rucker, Steel Magnolia, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Kellie Pickler. They also headlined many of their own shows.
2012 promises to be a big year for The McClymonts with extensive touring and an album release in both Australia and the U.S. The girls will kick off the New Year with a huge concert in Tamworth, Australia, on January 25. After touring the States for six months in 2011, they are looking forward to going back to Australia to perform for a home crowd and being a part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Brooke said “This is the first time we have done our own show at TREC and we are all so excited to be starting 2012 off with everyone at home and with such a big show at TREC. It will also be the first show of our new Hits & Previews tour that will be visiting towns around Australia in March and April.”
In the U.S., The McClymonts will continue promoting Wrapped Up Good through the summer of 2012. In February, they will release a new song, “I Could Be A Cowboy.” As Mollie shared, “It is another single produced by Nathan Chapman from the Wrapped Up Good album. We will be performing it during the CRS Radio Convention in Nashville.” Later in the year will also see the release of their third album, Two Worlds Collide, stateside.
Settle Down
The McClymonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your little boy is outta control
He's got a burning fuse
He's got a broken circuit
Started out way back when
You took him to his first rodeo
Those little eyes lit up
That little heart was sealed in stone
Mother just let him go
You can't stop the rain from falling
He's gonna ride that colt
And one of them's gonna end up broken
Lordy what a price to pay
All that work for all that trouble
Before you accept your fate
Love the man or walk away
Oh yeah-yeah
Whatcha gonna be when you grow up?
Where you gonna be when the sun goes down?
Will you ever quit when you've had enough?
Oh, oh, oh, oh
How in the world will you find your way
When the lovin' is good
But the lovin' won't pay?
Where you gonna go when the lights die out
And the dust has settled down?
Settle down
Papa couldn't understand
Why he had to leave the station
Taught him how to work the land
"Boy your dreams ain't worth the chasin"
And up until the day he died
The bridle could not ease his sorrow
Cursed his passion and cursed his pride
These are the final words he cried.
Oh
Whatcha gonna be when you grow up?
Where you gonna be when the sun goes down?
Will you ever quit when you've had enough?
Oh, oh, oh, oh
How in the world will you find your way
When the lovin' is good
But the lovin' won't pay?
Where you gonna go when the lights die out
And the dust has settled down?
Settle down
Oh, oh
I said whatcha gonna be when you grow up?
Where you gonna be when the sun goes down?
Will you ever quit when you've had enough?
Oh, oh, oh, oh
How in the world will you find your way
When the lovin' is good
But the lovin' won't pay?
Where you gonna go when the lights die out
And the dust has settled down?
Settle down
Whatcha gonna be when you grow up?
Where you gonna be when the sun goes down?
Will you ever quit when you've had enough?
Oh, oh, oh, oh
How in the world will you find your way
When the lovin' is good
But the lovin' won't pay?
Where you gonna go when the lights die out
And the dust has settled down?
Settle down
Settle down
Settle down
Settle
Down
The McClymonts's song Settle Down is a poignant reflection on how parental guidance and dreams for their children can clash with the children's own passions and desires. Norma and Papa both had aspirations for their child, but their influence on his pursuits had contrasting outcomes. Norma took him to his first rodeo, a moment that left an indelible impression on him and fueled his passion for riding colts, a craft that could cause irreparable damage or worse. Despite Norma's efforts to rein him in, he was determined to pursue his dream, no matter the cost. On the other hand, Papa saw no value in his child's dreams and contended that they were not worth chasing and that working the land should take precedence. This caused a rift between father and son, leaving Papa with a sense of deep regret that he took to his grave.
The song's chorus deals with the uncertainty and challenges of life when one is pursuing a passion that may not necessarily pay the bills. It's a question about the trade-offs one has to make between love and aspirations, and the angst that comes from not knowing how things will turn out. The song's title "Settle Down" seems to suggest that finding a way to reconcile one's dreams and reality is necessary to find peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Norma it aint no use
Addressing the mother and conveying that there is no point in trying to control her son's behavior
Your little boy is outta control
Acknowledging the fact that the son's behavior is beyond control
He's got a burning fuse
Describing the son's impulsive behavior like a burning fuse, ready to erupt at any moment
He's got a broken circuit
Suggesting that there is something fundamentally wrong with the son's decision-making process, like a circuit that is not correctly wired
Started out way back when
Referring to a time when the mother took her son to his first rodeo
You took him to his first rodeo
Stating that it all began when the mother exposed her son to the world of rodeo
Those little eyes lit up
Describing how the son was fascinated by the rodeo event
That little heart was sealed in stone
Imagining that the son's passion for rodeo was so strong that his heart became like stone, unable to be changed
Mother just let him go
Addressing the mother and asserting that she should allow her son to pursue his passion for rodeo
You can't stop the rain from falling
Using a metaphor to explain that the mother cannot stop her son from chasing his dreams
He's gonna ride that colt
Referring to the son riding a young horse in a rodeo event
And one of them's gonna end up broken
Suggesting that either the son or the horse or both will suffer physically, emotionally or financially due to this dangerous sport
Lordy what a price to pay
Exclaiming what a high price is paid for pursuing a dangerous passion like rodeo
All that work for all that trouble
Implying that the sacrifices made by the mother to raise her son might lead to the trouble he could get into
Before you accept your fate
Warning the mother to think carefully before she accepts the consequences of her son's decisions
Love the man or walk away
Offering her two choices: love and accept her son for who he is or walk away and distance herself from the trouble he could bring
Whatcha gonna be when you grow up?
Asking a rhetorical question about the son's future and what he wants for himself
Where you gonna be when the sun goes down?
Asking about the son's long-term plan after he retires from rodeo life
Will you ever quit when you've had enough?
Pondering if the son would ever walk away from danger when he realizes the cost of his passion
How in the world will you find your way
Questioning how the son will navigate this risky lifestyle and its uncertain future
When the lovin' is good
Referring to the adrenaline rush and excitement that the son experiences while competing
But the lovin' won't pay?
Questioning the longevity and financial stability of rodeo life
Where you gonna go when the lights die out
Asking where the son will turn when he can no longer compete
And the dust has settled down?
Referring to a time when the son has outgrown his passion and everything is calm again
Papa couldn't understand
Switching the focus to the father who couldn't grasp the importance of following one's dreams
Why he had to leave the station
Asking why the son had to leave his family and lifestyle to pursue his calling
Taught him how to work the land
Describing how the father wanted the son to tend to the family's farm instead of taking risks
"Boy your dreams ain't worth the chasin"
Quoting the father's depressing outlook that the son's dreams were unattainable and not worth chasing
And up until the day he died
Stating that the father never changed his mind about his son's dreams
The bridle could not ease his sorrow
Suggesting that the father was unable to control his sadness over his son's life path, like a horse he couldn't tame
Cursed his passion and cursed his pride
Narrating that the father was not only sad but also resentful of his son's passion and pride, which he blamed for tearing his family apart
These are the final words he cried
Indicating that the father's last words were about his son's passion and pride, revealing how important and painful these concepts were to him
Settle down
Repeatedly urging the son to calm down and slow down amidst all the tumultuous changes in his life
Contributed by Chloe L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roylyn Poland
So stoked to be seeing them tonight at the Brothers club in Bundy tonight!!!!!