Brothers Oliver and Chris Wood grew up in Boulder, CO, and both left the area after graduating from high school, Oliver moving to Atlanta while Chris ended up in New York. Oliver, a guitarist, discovered he had a knack for writing songs and formed the blues-based King Johnson, which continues to do frequent gigs on the Southern circuit. Chris, a bassist, began playing jazz and rock in New York, eventually teaming up with John Medeski and Billy Martin to form the successful jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood. The brothers began jamming together at family functions, and the duo's roots-inflected blend of blues, folk, and rock quickly took shape. They privately released the Live at Tonic EP, which was drawn from their first-ever public concert at New York's Tonic venue on March 5, 2005. Signed to Blue Note Records, the Wood Brothers released their debut album, Ways Not to Lose, in 2006. The album, which features drummer Kenny Wollesen on five tracks, was produced by John Medeski and recorded at Allarie Studios in Shokan, NY.
Walk Away
The Wood Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have seen the light of day and it doesn't look good to me.
Walk away, walk away, walk away
I am a stranger in the one place that I should stay
Too tired to run, I think it's time to leave this place I used to call home
Walk away, walk away, walk away
I have no such words to say what I want to say
I wanna talk to you but, all I can do is walk away
Bye-bye sunshine, the world has left me behind.
So long sweet song, I have lost my mind …again
The sun is out and the sky is clear
But all I can do is sit in here and stare
I miss you baby but leave me be
There's nothing you can do to set me free
I flew over some cuckoo's nest and I think it's best that I just walk away
Bye-bye sunshine, the world has left me behind.
So long sweet song, I have lost my mind …again
I may be weak but my love is strong
My heart is a stone and my head is all wrong
I don't know my way back home but
If you let me roam I'll find my way back to you
Time used to make me wait, now time just makes me late
Bye-bye sunshine, the world has left me behind.
So long sweet song, I have lost my mind …again
The Wood Brothers’s song “Walk Away” speaks of the challenges of living somewhere that no longer feels like home. The chorus repeats the phrase “walk away” as the singer struggles with leaving a place that they should feel comfortable in. They recognize that they’ve lost their mind and feel like an outsider in their own home.
The first verse describes the singer’s realization that they’ve seen the “light of day” and it doesn’t look good to them. They feel like they don't belong and don't have the words to express their feelings. The second verse talks about how the sun is shining, but the singer can’t seem to enjoy it. They miss their loved one but feel like there's nothing they can do to set themselves free.
The bridge talks about the dichotomy between the singer’s emotional state and their strong love. They feel lost and confused but their love remains strong nonetheless. They acknowledge that they don't know their way back home but they believe they'll eventually find their way back.
Overall, “Walk Away” is a poignant song about the struggle of feeling like an outsider in the place you should feel most at home. The Wood Brothers convey the message through melancholic lyrics set to a mellow melody that captures the emotions of the singer beautifully.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk away, walk away, walk away
I am giving up and leaving this situation.
I have seen the light of day and it doesn't look good to me.
I have gained clarity on this situation and it's not to my liking.
I am a stranger in the one place that I should stay
I feel disconnected and out of place in the one place that should feel like home.
Too tired to run, I think it's time to leave this place I used to call home
I am too exhausted to face the difficulties of staying here and need to move on from my previous perception of this place as home.
I have no such words to say what I want to say
I am unable to express myself despite wanting to communicate.
I wanna talk to you but, all I can do is walk away
I feel the urge to express myself but for some reason, I am unable to and therefore, choose to leave.
My mind has slipped away again and I can't pretend that I know what to do
I am struggling to keep my thoughts together and faced with indecisiveness.
Bye-bye sunshine, the world has left me behind.
I feel left behind by the world and immersed in darkness.
So long sweet song, I have lost my mind …again
The melodies in my head are slowly fading as I move further away from what I once knew.
The sun is out and the sky is clear
The environment appears inviting and suitable to enjoy.
But all I can do is sit in here and stare
Despite the environs being suitable, my mood prevents me from enjoying them.
I miss you baby but leave me be
I am burdened by your absence but prefer to be alone.
There's nothing you can do to set me free
Your actions, though appreciated, are not significant enough to change my current emotional state.
I flew over some cuckoo's nest and I think it's best that I just walk away
I have faced insanity and concluded that leaving is the only way forward.
I may be weak but my love is strong
Despite my emotional turmoil, my feelings remain unwavering.
My heart is a stone and my head is all wrong
I am emotionally stifled in contrast to the confusion in my head.
I don't know my way back home but
I am lost and out of place emotionally and am unsure of how to return to what once felt like home.
If you let me roam I'll find my way back to you
Given the space to find my emotional bearings, I may find my way back to a better emotional state and relationship with you.
Time used to make me wait, now time just makes me late
In the past, time felt like it was passing slowly and waiting was frustrating, now, however, time has moved on and feels like it's running out.
Contributed by Austin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.