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. 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.
The Only Ones
The Milk Carton Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The whole wide world in your eyes
Now you're tired, tired, so tired
You were looking to the sky
Looking like you wanted to fly
And you were right, oh, you were right
Oh little baby, oh where did you go?
How the hell we gonna get out?
Where the hell we gonna go?
Let's make a ride off to the blistering sun
Let's wake the morning like we already won
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
Summertime
Summer never wanted to die
Then the days turned to nights
Now the winters rise
Make you want to break down and cry
So you cry, oh, how you cry
Oh little baby, oh where did you go?
How did you get down in that deep, dark hole?
How the hell we gonna get out?
Where the hell we gonna go?
Let's make a ride off to the blistering sun
Let's wake the morning like we already won
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
What if we turned the other way?
What would we do and what would we say?
Would it all, all be okay?
Oh little baby, oh where did you go?
How did you get down in that deep, dark hole?
How the hell we gonna get out?
Where the hell we gonna go?
Let's make a ride off to the blistering sun
Let's wake the morning like we already won
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
The Milk Carton Kids's song "The Only Ones" is a melancholic and poetic tune about the will to keep going in difficult times. The song speaks to a person who was once alive with the whole world in their eyes but has since become tired and caught in a deep, dark hole. The lyrics yearn to bring the person out of their despair by going on a ride to the blistering sun and waking up each morning as if they have already won. The song acknowledges that life can be tough and tear-inducing, but staying in that state will not do any good. Instead, it suggests faking it, pretending that everything is alright for a while, and that they aren't the only ones going through those difficult times.
The song's lyrics take on a more profound meaning when one considers that they were written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused many people to feel isolated and hopeless. However, the song also reminds us that such feelings are not permanent and that we still have the ability to fake it until things get better.
Line by Line Meaning
You were always alive
You had a spark or life in you, that constantly radiated through your being
The whole wide world in your eyes
You had a burning passion for the entire world, and could see beauty and potential in everything around you
Now you're tired, tired, so tired
Over time, the burden of life has weighed heavy on you, and you're exhausted
You were looking to the sky
You were searching for something greater than yourself, something that could give meaning to your life
Looking like you wanted to fly
Your desire to break free and escape your current circumstances was palpable
And you were right, oh, you were right
Your intuition was correct, and you knew that there was something more out there for you
Oh little baby, oh where did you go?
Addressing someone you care about, you wonder where they've disappeared to and why they've changed
How did you get down in that deep, dark hole?
You're confused and concerned about the struggles and hardships the person you're addressing is facing
How the hell we gonna get out?
You're acknowledging the difficulties ahead and searching for a way to overcome them
Where the hell we gonna go?
You're uncertain about the future, and wondering what path to take
Let's make a ride off to the blistering sun
You suggest taking action and moving towards something positive and rejuvenating
Let's wake the morning like we already won
You're encouraging optimism and the idea that success is already within reach
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
You're suggesting a shared experience, where you and the person you're addressing can take on challenges together and find comfort in knowing they're not alone
Summertime
A reference to a season typically associated with warmth and happiness
Summer never wanted to die
The personification of summer, suggesting that people don't want to let go of the things that bring them joy
Then the days turned to nights
A recognition that time marches on, and that people's circumstances can change quickly
Now the winters rise
A reference to a time of hardship or struggle
Make you want to break down and cry
You're acknowledging the emotional impact of difficult circumstances
So you cry, oh, how you cry
You're emphasizing the emotional toll that hardship can take on a person
What if we turned the other way?
An acknowledgement that different choices could have led to different outcomes
What would we do and what would we say?
Wondering how different choices would have impacted the present
Would it all, all be okay?
Questioning whether a different path would have led to a better outcome
Baby, let's fake it like we aren't the only ones
A repeat of the earlier suggestion, that confronting difficulties together can help people feel less isolated and more capable of handling the challenges they face
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Joey Ryan, Kenneth Pattengale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Milk Carton Kids
Hey I got kicked out of the chat but I gotta sign off, thanks for watching everyone. Kind of hilarious to have a premiere for a 2 min video but we love you and that was fun! Thanks for the love on the the new album. We’re really proud of it.
Ms Bliss
Where did the name come from please?
sparkdog 494
Ty sirs. Well done.
Solid Earth Music // videos by Patrick Beaumont
Hi Kenneth and Joey... we used to see you guys at Polly & Steve's "Zoey's Cafe" in Ventura. We were there on your (informal) debut night; sounding great! Gotta check out the rest of this album... Thanks, Patrick & Lynn Beaumont
Casey Andrews
The Milk Carton Kids I found out about you guys by randomly finding “Live from Here” about 6 months ago and I haven’t been able to stop listening to your music. You two deserve to be more famous than you are
Nina Sherlock
Anything hilarious is kind of on brand for you guys. And you made money off me finding out that Tom Hanks is in a Mister Rogers movie, so win win.
Leo Scarselletta
When I first heard this song I thought, “this is kind of different for The Milk Carton Kids...and it’s perfect.” It’s not overtly more country but it definitely is more country than their earlier stuff. The melody is perfectly crafted, especially for the verse. Very different, but oddly familiar
Jim Streb
You did walk in a very strange manner. But, as always, you both sounded amazing. Thanks for the concert, and for being so talented.
m e
At 11AM on Sunday, August 15, 2010 I wander out the door of the dairy pavilion at the WI state fair, 3 grilled cheeses in hand, and hear something magical. Joey Ryan is playing to a crowd of 15 of Wisconsin's finest morning-drinkers. After watching the whole show and buying his CD, I walked away with mixed feelings - so glad to have unexpectedly witnessed such great music a mere 30 feet from the baked potato stand (thus allowing me to keep an eye on the line and strategically swoop in during a lull)... yet so sad to see such a talented kid travel 2,000 miles from his home to play an 11AM Sunday show on a stage literally made out of a semi trailer, while the Biebers of the world go free. If that's justice, then what chance to the rest of us have? Fast forward to January 2020 - I see an amazing performance on Live From Here's channel and realize HEY THAT'S THE GUY FROM THE GRILLED CHEESE (slash baked potato) STAGE!!! I'm so glad to see that you are still at, and I hope to never see you again at the state fair! But if I do, I hope you will at least be playing near the cream puffs.
boicsac
This might be my favorite YouTube comment.