A three-part harmony-driven band, the trio has toured California multiple times playing festivals such as Make Music Pasadena, Echo Park Rising, Claremont Folk Festival, Lightning in a Bottle, and successfully captured large audiences every Monday night in December with their Holiday Residency at The Satellite.
In 2014 the band released their formal debut album, Blind and Brave, produced by Raymond Richards at Red Rockets Glare (Parson Redheads, Honey Honey, Local Natives, Dustbowl Revival). The album release kicked off during a very special show at the historic Troubadour.
Blind and Brave illustrates the story of the working class, and encourages listeners to genuinely care about the place they inhabit, keep it beautiful, connect with people, and be brave. The message found in these songs is that you have to get through the hard stuff to get to the good stuff, just as you have to go through the bad parts of town to find the best parts, whether it be a venue down an old dark alley way, or a friend’s house at the top of a hill. In everything you do, do it out of love.
With their debut album released, and a bright future ahead, we can only expect great things from The Wild Reeds. They joined Newport Folk Festival’s sister of the west, Way Over Yonder with artists such as Jackson Brown, Local Natives, Lucinda Williams.
When I Go
The Wild Reeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when I came
When I came I came in peace
I had just been released
When I came I came in peace
When I pray
When I pray
When I pray each day away
When I sing
When I sing
When I sing my heart feels
When we kiss
When we kiss
When we kiss please don't miss
it's my lips
I like my lips they swing in you mess
When I dream
The lyrics to The Wild Reeds's song When I Go offer a glimpse into a personal and intimate journey of the heart, touching on themes of peace, prayer, hope, love, and aspiration. The opening lines "when I came, when I came, when I came in peace" suggest a sense of arrival and a fresh start, perhaps after a past period of struggle, conflict, or pain. The lines "I had just been released" can be interpreted both literally, as getting out of prison or captivity, or figuratively, as being freed from one's own emotional or mental chains.
The phrase "When I pray each day away" captures a desire to escape from the difficulties of everyday life and to find solace in the divine. The use of the verb "to owl" instead of "hope" or "wish" adds a mystical and folklore-like quality to the line, as if the singer is invoking ancient wisdom and magic. The following line "the good Lord will wath my sense away" could be seen as a plea for surrendering one's troubles and doubts to a higher power, or as a challenge to overcome one's perception of reality and to see beyond the surface.
The stanza that opens with "when we kiss, when we kiss" shifts the focus from internal reflection to external affection. The short and simple expressions "please don't miss, it's my lips" convey a sense of vulnerability and longing, as if the singer is concerned that their partner might not appreciate or reciprocate their feelings. The line "I like my lips they swing in you mess" is both playful and poetic, using rhyme and alliteration to create a sense of rhythm and sensuality.
Finally, the line "when I dream" suggests that the song is not just a random collection of thoughts and impressions but a coherent and intentional narrative. The dream could be a symbol of the future, of the possibilities that lie ahead, or of the subconscious desires that drive the singer's actions. Overall, The Wild Reeds's When I Go is a powerful and evocative song that invites us to connect with our own sense of purpose, longing, and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
when I came
At the beginning of my journey
when I came
When I first arrived
when I came in peace
I didn't bring any negativity with me
I had just been released
Recently freed from something difficult
when I pray
During moments of reflection and spirituality
when I pray each day away
Losing track of time through personal contemplation
I owl the good Lord will wath my sense away
Hoping for a higher power to ease any burdens or confusion
when I sing
Expressing myself through music
when we kiss
During intimate moments with my partner
when we kiss please don't miss
Asking for connection and attentiveness
it's my lips
My physical body and presence in the moment
I like my lips they swing in you mess
Taking pleasure in my own sensuality and interaction with my partner
when I dream
During moments of subconscious exploration
Contributed by Molly H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.