There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) The Tractor… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) The Tractors was an American country rock band formed in Tulsa in 1988 and headed by guitarist Steve Ripley (1950-2019).
2) The Tractors was a short-lived British indie band from Liverpool active in the second half of the 1980s.

1) The Tractors was an American country rock band formed in Tulsa in 1988 and headed by guitarist Steve Ripley (1950-2019).

Subsequently a loosely associated group of musicians headed by Ripley, under the band's original lineup the band was signed to Arista Records in 1994, releasing their self-titled debut album that year. The album featured the single "Baby Likes to Rock It" and became the fastest-selling debut album from a country group to go platinum. A Christmas album called Have Yourself a Tractors Christmas soon followed. The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won the Country Weekly 1995 Golden Pick Award for Favorite New Group. Their true follow-up, Farmers in a Changing World, was released in 1998.
Since then, most of the band's original members moved on to separate projects, although they often collaborated with Ripley on The Tractors' subsequent recordings.
Ripley released the next album, Fast Girl, with several other musicians, in 2001 on Audium Entertainment . After Fast Girl, The Tractors left Audium and formed their own label, Boy Rocking Records. In 2009 "Trade Union" was released on E1.

2) The Tractors was a short-lived British indie/alternative band from the suburbs of Liverpool. They were active in the second half of the 1980s.

Can't Get Nowhere
The Tractors Lyrics

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Wade in the water about half way up
Baby said whoa that's far enough

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere
Can't find my way from here to there
Can't get started can't get nowhere

You're a fast ball baby inside curve

I'd take a swing I ain't got the nerve

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

Takes me all night must be somethin' wrong
Just to do what I used to do all night long

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

Six-foot-four five-foot-one
Have to stand her on a chair just to get things done

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

There was a time I used to get on down
Now I can't seem to get off the ground

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

Takes me all night must be somethin' wrong
Just to do what I used to do all night long

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

Oh me oh my oh you what's a poor boy gonna do
Oh me oh my I can't get started and I don't know why

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere
Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere

Can't find my way from here to there
Can't get started can't get nowhere

Overall Meaning

The Tractors' song "Can't Get Nowhere" describes a feeling of being stuck and lost. The first stanza refers to wading in water and stopping halfway because it's "far enough," implying a sense of fear and hesitation. The chorus repeats the phrase "Can't get nowhere" three times, emphasizing the frustration and hopelessness of the situation. The second stanza compares the singer's inability to take action to being unable to hit a curveball in baseball. The third and fourth stanzas express confusion over the singer's physical abilities and lack of energy, which contrasts with their youthful past when they "used to get on down." The song ends with a plea for help, as the singer doesn't know why they can't seem to get started.

Overall, "Can't Get Nowhere" can be interpreted as a commentary on feeling stuck in life and unable to move forward. The water imagery at the beginning suggests a fear of diving in and taking risks, while the rest of the lyrics express a feeling of being trapped and unable to make progress. The repetition of "Can't get nowhere" throughout the chorus emphasizes the hopeless feeling of being stuck in this state.

Line by Line Meaning

Wade in the water about half way up
I am trying to move forward, but I am only making slow progress.

Baby said whoa that's far enough
Someone close to me tells me to stop because I am not making any significant progress.

Can't get nowhere can't get nowhere
I am unable to make progress.

Can't find my way from here to there
I am lost and do not know how to move forward.

Can't get started can't get nowhere
I am unable to even begin making progress.

You're a fast ball baby inside curve
The opportunities that come my way are often unpredictable and difficult to handle.

I'd take a swing I ain't got the nerve
I am too afraid to try to take advantage of the opportunities that come my way.

Takes me all night must be somethin' wrong
It takes me a long time to accomplish things that used to be easy for me, indicating that there is something wrong.

Just to do what I used to do all night long
Tasks that I was once able to complete quickly now take a long time to accomplish.

Six-foot-four five-foot-one
The difference between me and the person I am trying to reach is too great, making it difficult to connect with them.

Have to stand her on a chair just to get things done
I need to go above and beyond just to make a connection with someone or complete a task.

There was a time I used to get on down
There was a time when I could move forward with ease and confidence.

Now I can't seem to get off the ground
Now I am stuck and cannot seem to make any progress.

Oh me oh my oh you what's a poor boy gonna do
I feel helpless in my current situation and do not know what to do next.

Oh me oh my I can't get started and I don't know why
I am unable to begin making progress and do not understand the reason for my inability to move forward.

Can't find my way from here to there
I am lost and do not know how to move forward.

Can't get started can't get nowhere
I am unable to even begin making progress.

Lyrics © DistroKid, FAST GIRL MUSIC
Written by: D.J. FONTANA, STEVE RIPLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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