The Sights combine the unobtrusive honesty of The Band with countless slivers of influence from their own personal record collections: Ike and Tina, Solomon Burke, The Everly Brothers, Bob Seger, Tim Hardin and all manner of raucous, infectious songwriting. Starting in the summer of 1998, famed typhoon of energy Eddie Baranek (guitar/vocals) fronted evolving line-ups through 2000’s Are You Green?, 2002’s Got What We Want and 2005’s self-titled The Sights – all recorded at Jim Diamond’s (White Stripes, Electric Six, Dirtbombs) Ghetto Recorders in Detroit.
2010’s Most of What Follows Is True was a critical success, placing in the top fifteen percent of The Village Voice’s 2010 Pazz and Jop listing and garnering press accolades from around the globe. With that record, The Sights achieved an unprecedented level of song and studio craftsmanship. In an era of soulless keyboards, drum machines and Autotune, Eddie & Co. responded with thrillingly catchy songs. No gimmicks, no studio trickery – just inspired rock ‘n’ roll from the heart.
The release their seventh effort, Left Over Right. topped 2012’s many achievements. On it, Baranek is joined by Jarrod Champion (keyboards/vocals), Dean Tartaglia (saxophone/vocals), Kyle Schanta (bass) and Skip Denomme (drums) where they deliver not only their most soulful album to date, but do it with all of the intensity that has fueled their previous recordings and live shows for well over a decade. The Sights also released a new single (“Eso No Está Bien Pequeña/Like Two Little Kids”), supplied the music for two Chevrolet ads and played in front of over 140,000 fans in support of Tenacious D’s North American and European tours.
The Sights’ precocious ability to blend frenetic garage rock with ’60s pop and create something equally classic and catchy has garnered consistently rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic. NME wrote “[The Sights are] a revelation – a treasure trove of sparky and wildly immediate songwriting” and Rolling Stone commented “at last – a new Detroit-garage band that comes in colors.”
Discography
· 2012 – Left Over Right (LP – HRM)
· 2012 – Eso No Está Bien Pequeña. (7” – Get Hip)
· 2011 – Twelve in the Bar (LP -- Fountain Records)
· 2010 – Most of What Follows is True (LP – Alive!)
· 2010 – The Sights Live At Euclid Records (10” – Euclid)
· 2009 – Silver & Gold (12” – self-released maxi-single)
· 2005 – The Sights (LP – Scratchie/New Line)
· 2005 – Circus (7” - Sweet Nothing)
· 2003 – Be Like Normal (7” - Sweet Nothing)
· 2002 – Got What We Want (LP – Fall of Rome)
· 2001 – If That’s What You Want (double 7” – Fall of Rome)
· 2000 – Are You Green? (LP – Fall of Rome)
Placements
· Chevrolet Volt
· Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers
· Expansion Team - Sci-Fi Channel
· Under The Radar - PBS
· Reaper - CW
· The Shield - FX
· America's Funniest Home Videos - ABC
· Fast, Inc - MTV
· Wedding Crashers - New Line Cinema
· Adam and Eve - National Lampoon
· Just Friends - New Line Cinema
· The Myth Of The American Sleepover – Roman Spring Pictures
· The Last Chancers - BBC
Prayer
The Sights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can read between the lines
I turn bitter into sweet, I can do it in my sleep
With a little job I got on the side
But still
Sometimes I feel
I don't have a soul
Will get me along
Yeah will get me along
Whoa-oh-oh
I play any part to get me what I want
Don't let down or dial it up
I'm good at using charm, It's an underrated art
Don't need the courage of a drunken cus
Sometimes I feel
I don't have a soul
I hope this prayer
Will get me along
Yeah will get me along
Whoa-oh-oh
If my aim was off
My intent true
Would you still think the same of me as
As I think of
You-ooh-hoo-hoo
You-ooh-hoo-hoo
Sometimes I feel
I don't have a soul
So I wrote this prayer
To get me along
Yeah will get me along
Whoa-oh-oh
Yeah will get me along
Whoa-oh-oh
In "Prayer," The Sights open with a nod to the highs and lows of the human experience. The singer is grateful for the ground beneath their feet, though they've also found themselves almost on their teeth. The lyricist then alludes to a special talent, these lines carrying a sense of triumph – they can make the bitter sweet and do it in their sleep. However, this sense of self-assurance is short-lived. The singer's admission that they sometimes feel they don't have a soul hints at a sense of disconnection or aimlessness. Here is where the “prayer” of the title comes into play. The song is a kind of musical request for guidance in times of frustration or crisis. Despite their uncertainty, the singer has ingeniously written this plea to carry them through, with a special hope that it will evoke change for the better. They repeat the phrase “will get me along” three times, as if to reinforce their hope of finding support.
The second verse continues in a similar vein, where the lyricist lists the lengths they're willing to go to get what they want. They don't shy away from using charm (a pragmatic tool, definitely) and chide the suggestion that courage is needed for this stratagem. These lines feel like they hold a touch of humor and irony, poking fun at themselves, maybe. However, the chorus brings them back to their vulnerability. They're praying for soul, praying for guidance, praying for hope amidst all this chaos. The verse with the lyric “If my aim was off / My intent true / Would you still think the same of me…” brings the sense of introspection and soul searching to the forefront. The singer is questioning their sense of self, asking if they would still be loved in case they falter. The Sights seems to be saying with this that they want this prayer to keep them attached to their ideals, to help them feel whole again, and to come out of their personal crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
I got ground beneath my feet and almost on my teeth
I am walking on solid ground, but sometimes it feels like I'm at the edge of a cliff.
I can read between the lines
I can pick up on subtle messages and understand the deeper meaning behind them.
I turn bitter into sweet, I can do it in my sleep
I have the ability to take something negative and make it positive without much effort or thought.
With a little job I got on the side
I have a small gig that helps me make ends meet.
Sometimes I feel I don't have a soul
Occasionally, I feel like something is missing inside me.
I hope this prayer will get me along
I am praying that this will help me find my way forward.
I play any part to get me what I want
I am willing to be whoever I need to be in order to achieve my goals.
Don't let down or dial it up
I need to stay focused and be consistent in my approach.
I'm good at using charm, It's an underrated art
I have a talent for using my charisma to win people over, but not everyone appreciates it as a skill.
Don't need the courage of a drunken cus
I don't have to be reckless or drunk to take risks and make things happen.
If my aim was off, my intent true
Even if I make mistakes, my intentions are good and honest.
Would you still think the same of me as, as I think of you-ooh-hoo-hoo
If my actions don't always align with my words, would you still see me as a good person?
So I wrote this prayer to get me along
I wrote this song as a way to find comfort and hope for the future.
Yeah will get me along
This prayer will help me find my way forward.
Whoa-oh-oh
Mournful humming sound.
Writer(s): Baranek Edward Joseph
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.