All The Boys
The Romany Rye Lyrics
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She was my first love, that I ever had
When I hit Nashville, All the boys in the van
Just plain' the guitar, in a rock n roll band
Singin' It's a lonely road, and the ground, is cold
And the Devil's hands, they got a hold of me
It's a lonely road and the ground is coldAnd Tennessee, you drown my soul
When daylight breaks, I'll be behind the wheel
Spanish boots of leather, is how I feel
Too many smokes, I wanna be rollin' stoned
Want too many jokes, I just wanna go home
It's a lonely road, and the ground is cold
And the Devil's hands, they got a hold of me
It's a lonely road and the ground is cold
And Tennessee, you drown my soul
If love is blind, then why does it hide?
Guess the doors of perception, swing wide
Swing low, sweet chariot
Take my weight and bury it
It's a lonely road, and the ground is cold
And the Devil's hands, they got a hold of me
It's a lonely road and the ground is cold
And Tennessee, you drown my soul
The Romany Rye's "All The Boys" is a song that depicts the loneliness and desperation that comes with being a musician on the road. The first line, "LA skyline is breaking my back," sets the tone for the entire song. The singer is exhausted and overwhelmed by the city and the demands of the music industry. He reflects on his first love and how he misses her. When he arrives in Nashville, he finds solace in playing with his bandmates, but the loneliness still haunts him. The devil's hands represent the external pressures that are pulling him away from his true self and his relationships.
The second verse shows the singer's desire for escape. He imagines himself driving with Spanish boots of leather, a reference to the Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather." He wants to be high and joking around, but the reality is that he is tired and homesick. The third verse takes on a more philosophical tone. The singer contemplates the nature of love and why it seems so hard to find. He references William Blake's "The Doors of Perception," suggesting that perhaps we only see what we want to see, or what society allows us to see. The final lines, "Swing low, sweet chariot, take my weight and bury it" imply a desire for freedom from the pressures of the world.
Overall, "All The Boys" is a somber, reflective piece that touches on themes of disillusionment, loneliness, and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
La skyline, is breaking my back
The city skyline is causing me great stress and burden
She was my first love, that I ever had
Referring to Nashville, a place where the singer fell in love with music for the very first time
When I hit Nashville, All the boys in the van
As soon as the singer arrived in Nashville, all the band members were ready to play some music
Just plain' the guitar, in a rock n roll band
The band members were playing their guitars and performing in a rock band
Singin' It's a lonely road, and the ground, is cold
Acknowledging that being on the road is often a lonely experience, filled with cold pavement and hard times
And the Devil's hands, they got a hold of me
Feeling as though the singer has been possessed by something dark and sinister
And Tennessee, you drown my soul
Expressing a sense of sadness and despair at how the state of Tennessee has seemingly sucked the life out of the singer
When daylight breaks, I'll be behind the wheel
The singer will be driving the band to their next destination when the sun comes up
Spanish boots of leather, is how I feel
The singer feels like they are wearing heavy boots made of leather, perhaps a metaphor for the weight of their emotions
Too many smokes, I wanna be rollin' stoned
The singer has had too many cigarettes and wants to feel the high that comes with rolling a joint
Want too many jokes, I just wanna go home
The singer is tired of the road and all the jokes that come with it, and just wants to go back home
If love is blind, then why does it hide?
Posing a question about love and its seemingly elusive nature
Guess the doors of perception, swing wide
Perhaps suggesting that opening one's mind and becoming more aware of the world can help one find love
Swing low, sweet chariot
Referencing an old spiritual song that talks about being carried away to heaven on a chariot
Take my weight and bury it
Asking for relief from the burden of carrying one's emotional baggage
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.