The Revivalists is an American rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, … Read Full Bio ↴The Revivalists is an American rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007. The 7-piece band consists of Ed Williams (pedal steel guitar, guitar), David Shaw (lead vocals), Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas (bass guitar), Andrew Campanelli (drums, percussion), and Michael Girardot (keyboards, trumpet). The group's sound has been described as "a Crescent City-rhythm spin on jam-band jubilee."

Since forming in 2007, the band's combination of danceable rock and soulful songwriting (and brilliantivity) has come to life through a meticulously-crafted and ever-evolving live performance. The band has been instrumental in the growth of New Orleans’ burgeoning indie rock scene, and they have achieved success and notoriety in the city’s competitive musical landscape.

The Revivalists have proven themselves as a live act. They have managed to advance from low-profile local gigs to extensive touring, developing a loyal fan base at home and across the Gulf Coast Region and gaining footholds nationally. Abroad, they have commanded such venues as The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Sullivan Hall (New York City), Toad’s Place (New Haven, CT), and Smith’s Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA). At home, The Revivalists are regulars at The Howlin’ Wolf, The Republic, and the legendary Tipitina’s. They have shared stages with such notable acts as Perpetual Groove, Marco Benevento, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Lee Boys and Snarky Puppy. Additionally, they have established themselves as an engaging festival act, winning over audiences at French Quarter Fest, Crawfest and Foburg Festival in New Orleans, Hamstock Barbecue and Music Festival in Ridgeland, MS, and The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington, DC. Most recently, The Revivalists played the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. There, they caught the attention of Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke, who wrote about their performance on his blog on rollingstone.com.

The Revivalists have also grown as studio musicians. Their first release was listed as an editor’s pick in both the Jam and American Traditional Rock categories on CDBaby.com, despite being a humble five-song EP. Their second release, Vital Signs, is both the band’s first full-length album and a significant step forward in terms of production and scale. The young band was privileged to record under the guidance of Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Finney, whose resumé ranges from Dr. John to R.E.M. Vital Signs is the result of this collaboration. Soon after its release, Vital Signs became the top-selling album on CDBaby in the American Traditional Rock category, and was quickly selected to be featured in their newsletter.

Members:
George Gekas (bass)
Andrew Campanelli (drums)
Zack Feinberg (guitar)
David Shaw (vocals, guitar)
Ed “Steel” Williams (pedal steel guitar)
Rob Ingraham (saxophone, miscellaneous/other)

Bulletproof
The Revivalists Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Patience is still bitter in your mouth
The sweet taste was stolen
That's the story of the south
Part of me was home and the other half was gone
And I can't feel the pain when I'm lying all along

'Cause I was breaking down and she was snorting cocaine in my bed
I was making money

Somehow I know it's gonna be all alright
Something came to me in the wind last night
And now it's coming down
Oh it's all coming out
And I can't stop it now, no

Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest
We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it out
Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest
We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it

So take it in tonight
Girl your head ain't right
We could have a date
So we could share this life
There's something that I know
In the wind as it blows
It's better to believe
Than to lie to everyone you know

I'm breaking down and she was snorting cocaine in my bed
I was making money
Somehow I know it's gonna be all alright
Something came to me in the wind last night
I got a heart
You got a heart
Well that don't tell me just who you are
I gotta know
I gotta know
I gotta know
I gotta know, we gotta go, come on

Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest
We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it out
Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest
We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it out

Patience is still bitter in your mouth
The sweet taste was stolen
That's the story of the south
Part of me was home
The other half was gone
And I can't feel the pain when I'm lying all alone

'Cause I was breaking down and she was snorting cocaine in my bed
I was making money
Somehow I know it's gonna be all alright
Something came to me in the wind last night

Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest
We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it out
Get out your bulletproof vest
They can send them shots to your chest

We're gonna make it now
We're gonna make it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Bulletproof" by The Revivalists delve into the themes of bitter patience, loss of innocence, heartbreak, and eventually hope. The opening lines of the song, "Patience is still bitter in your mouth, the sweet taste was stolen, that's the story of the south," suggest that the song is about coping with a loss that has happened and grappling with the painful emotions that come with it. This loss, represented as the "sweet taste," could be a reference to both the loss of youth or innocence and the loss of a romantic partner.

The line "Part of me was home and the other half was gone" suggests that the singer feels lost and adrift because of the loss, like a part of them is missing. The lyrics then shift to describe the singer's ex-partner snorting cocaine in their bed while the singer is struggling to make money. The juxtaposition of these two actions suggests a stark difference in priorities and may be the reason for the couple's eventual breakup.

Line by Line Meaning

Patience is still bitter in your mouth
You're still angry and upset about having to wait for something

The sweet taste was stolen
You had something good, but it got taken away

That's the story of the south
That's how things often go in this region

Part of me was home and the other half was gone
You feel a sense of belonging in some ways but not in others

And I can't feel the pain when I'm lying all along
You're hiding your true feelings and it's making it hard for you to truly deal with them

'Cause I was breaking down and she was snorting cocaine in my bed
You were going through a tough time while someone who was supposed to be taking care of you was engaged in self-destructive behavior

I was making money
You were earning a living

Somehow I know it's gonna be all alright
You have faith that things will work out in the end

Something came to me in the wind last night
You had a moment of clarity or inspiration

And now it's coming down
Things are starting to happen

Oh it's all coming out
The truth is being revealed

And I can't stop it now, no
There's no turning back

Get out your bulletproof vest
Prepare for the worst

They can send them shots to your chest
You might be hurt, but you won't let it defeat you

We're gonna make it now
Things are going to work out

We're gonna make it out
You will emerge from this situation intact

So take it in tonight
Enjoy the moment

Girl your head ain't right
You're not thinking clearly

We could have a date
We could spend time together and enjoy each other's company

So we could share this life
We could experience life together

There's something that I know
You have an intuition or insight

In the wind as it blows
You perceive things vaguely, but you sense that they're significant

It's better to believe
It's better to have faith

Than to lie to everyone you know
It's better to be honest with yourself and those around you

I got a heart
You have a heart, which means you're capable of love and empathy

You got a heart
The person you're addressing also has a heart and therefore has the potential for connection and mutual understanding

Well that don't tell me just who you are
Having a heart doesn't reveal someone's true nature or intentions

I gotta know
You need to understand

We gotta go, come on
It's time to take action

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW STEPHEN CAMPANELLI, ZACHARY FEINBERG, GEORGE M. GEKAS, MICHAEL GIRARDOT, ROBERT INGRAHAM, DAVID WILLIAM SHAW, ED WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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