A performance by The Milk Carton Kids is a quiet and intricate affair. The duo have enjoyed intently listening audiences across the country and abroad in their respective solo careers, but an even greater sense of urgency and demand of attention is palpable now that they've come together as The Milk Carton Kids. Their songs are written together, but you won't know there is more than one author. Â Their history together spans only one short year, but you won't know that either. They stand close together when they play, facing each other and using microphones instead of plugging their guitars in. And if they looked more alike, they'd fool you that they were brothers.
Their songs disguise the youth of the members of the band. Befittingly, so do the old guitars they play and old clothing they wear. But to be sure, The Milk Carton Kids have something new to present: harmonies & minimalist instrumentation which are a clear reference to times passed, but with an eye intently on the future; a perspective on coming-of-age in the eye of a present-day storm; and the chronicling of an American struggle for simplicity, at least musically. To present it they use two guitars and two voices, they labor over the arrangements, they record themselves live, and they release their music on their own label, and for free.
As solo artists they have 10 releases between them. As a band their career is off to an auspicious start. Starting from a highly regarded position among their peers, they've opened for the art-piano-pop critical darling Vienna Teng, Grammy nominated friend and fan Sara Bareilles, and now will take to the entire U.S. and Canada this summer supporting one of the consummate songwriters of their generation, Joe Purdy. Despite the decision to stick to acoustic guitars in their own show, both Ryan and Pattengale are multi-instrumentalists and will also comprise Purdy's backing band, joining him on bass, pedal steel guitar, piano, and harmonies.
Their first collaborative release, RETROSPECT, is a live album due out March 15th, 2011, that represents the culmination of the past year of live performance. A collection of songs from each of their solo careers, written separately but reinterpreted and performed as the duo now called The Milk Carton Kids, RETROSPECT will be released under the name "Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan".
The first official release of The Milk Carton Kids, entitled PROLOGUE, comprised of original songs written by the duo for this project. It was released in 2011 on their own Milk Carton Records.
Getaway
The Milk Carton Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My fear how it would harden
And find a home in places that I hid
I'd tear 'em down
And run away
But never found my getaway
Outside Tuscaloosa, the time you thought you turned it all around
Remember how you used to think you could salvage anything you found
You know it now
The rattle of chains still rattles loud
In all those years of moving
I was slowly losing all my names
No matter what I'd ruin
It couldn't hold a candle to the pain
My tears are real
And all my own
Pouring down there all alone
The soft roll of the water
Reminds me of my father's parting words
Son, now don't you bother
Looking for your place out in the world
The tide will roll
Through the waves
Son, you'll find your getaway
The Milk Carton Kids's song "Getaway" is a poignant and introspective look at the challenging and often painful journey of finding one's place in the world. The first verse of the song expresses the singer's fear of the shattering bottles from his childhood and how that fear has remained with him, finding a home in the places that he would hide. The singer talks about his desire to tear down the things that frighten him and run away, but despite his efforts, he has never found a place of safety and refuge, his "getaway". The second verse of the song talks about how the passage of time has not necessarily made things any easier for the singer. The singer says that despite his attempts to salvage anything he could find in Tuscaloosa, his efforts have not been successful, and the sound of rattling chains still echoes loudly.
Line by Line Meaning
The shatter of the bottles would scare me something awful as a kid
As a child, the sound of breaking bottles was very frightening to me.
My fear how it would harden
My fear of the sound of breaking bottles lingered and became ingrained in my memory.
And find a home in places that I hid
My fear of the sound of breaking bottles would seep into my hiding places.
I'd tear 'em down
I would try to escape from my fear by destroying those bottles.
And run away
Despite my efforts, I could not face my fear and would always run away from it.
But never found my getaway
I could never fully escape from my fear of the sound of breaking bottles.
Outside Tuscaloosa, the time you thought you turned it all around
In Tuscaloosa, you believed you had sorted out your life and found your way forward.
Remember how you used to think you could salvage anything you found
You had the confidence to believe that you could fix anything you came across.
You knew it then
At that time, you were certain of your abilities to make things right.
You know it now
Even now, you still believe in your abilities to make a positive change.
The rattle of chains still rattles loud
But the sound of chains clinking continues to haunt you and reminds you of your past.
In all those years of moving
Despite moving around frequently, you were never able to find a stable sense of identity.
I was slowly losing all my names
Each move further eroded your sense of self and left you feeling lost and disconnected.
No matter what I'd ruin
Regardless of any mistakes you may have made, they could not compare to the pain you felt inside.
It couldn't hold a candle to the pain
No external factors could match the internal pain you endured.
My tears are real
You experienced real emotional pain that brought you to tears.
And all my own
The pain you felt was unique to your own experiences.
Pouring down there all alone
You felt your pain alone, with tears streaming down your face.
The soft roll of the water
The gentle sound of the water served as a reminder of your father's wisdom and guidance.
Reminds me of my father's parting words
The sound of the water brings to mind the last piece of advice your father gave you before he left.
Son, now don't you bother
Your father encouraged you to not worry too much about finding your place in the world.
Looking for your place out in the world
Your father advised you to avoid obsessing over finding your purpose in life.
The tide will roll
The metaphor of the rising and falling tide represents the cyclical nature of life.
Through the waves
Despite the ups and downs, life will continue on.
Son, you'll find your getaway
Your father reassured you that you would eventually find the peace and contentment you were seeking.
Writer(s): Joseph Edward Ryan, Kenneth A. Pattengale
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
sleepyloner
So beautiful, it touched the deepest core of my heart.
New Dawnfades
"Son, now don't bother looking for your place out there in the world..."
Yeah, guess I'm gonna empty another bottle of wine now. Perfect song.
New Dawnfades
"My tears are real, and all my own, pouring down, they're all alone."
Pathos. Beauty. Perfection.
m s
2019 and still just as beautiful
Dimitri Smith
The line about his father gets me.
New Dawnfades
Me too.
sadcore
Beautiful. Existential. Kills me.
Andrew Rutherford
i heard these guys one time on pandora and thats all it took! 2 AMAZING musicians! especially think its really cool they mention Tuscaloosa in this song because that where i grew up and still live!