In a relatively short time period, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, Tommy Castro has gone from playing local venues to international fame. For at least two years, he has even been a part of the B.B. King Festival Tour, which this year played thirty-nine different domestic venues. He has also been the house band on NBC-TV’s Comedy Showcase, for three seasons. Working as the house band on NBC’s Comedy Showcase, airing after Saturday Night Live, only boosted his visibility and name value. Castro’s music has also been featured in network television programs such as “Nash Bridges” and “The Young and the Restless.” He has won regional awards and has been featured on the cover of a national blues magazine, “Blues Revue.”
Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Castro started playing guitar at the tender age of ten. Initially inspired by Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and Elvin Bishop, he started the inevitable journey into the roots of his heroes and discovered and quickly became enamored of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King. His vocal styling came from constant listening to Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Otis Redding.
Castro spent many years playing with bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Castro joined Warner Brothers artists The Dynatones in the late 1980s. The much-loved rocking soul band had a huge fan base and toured the U.S. constantly. He honed his chops with the band on the road for two years, performing live all across the country and backing major artists like Carla Thomas and Albert King.
Returning to San Francisco, he formed the Tommy Castro Band in 1991, which was named Club Band Of The Year for the Bay Area in 1993, and again in 1994. Regular band members have included Randy MacDonald (bass/vocals), Keith Crossan (saxophone/vocals), Billy Lee Lewis (drums/vocals), and Chris Sandoval (drums/percussion).
In 1997, he won Bammies for Outstanding Blues Musician and for Outstanding Blues Album for his debut release on Blind Pig Records, Exception to the Rule. The band continued to record with Blind Pig over several albums. Can’t Keep A Good Man Down received continuous airplay and regular fan requests on well over 400 radio stations nationwide.
Live at the Fillmore was released in early 2000, and with everyone from industry insiders to B.B. King singing his praises, Castro appeared to be headed for bigger and better things. Blind Pig closed the books on their association with Castro in 2002 by releasing the career retrospective The Essential Tommy Castro.
In 2001 the Tommy Castro Band moved over to 33rd Street Records for Guilty Of Love and then to Heart And Soul for 2003’s Gratitude, a cover album of Castro’s greatest heroes, followed by Triple Trouble (with Jimmy Hall and Lloyd Jones) later that same year from Telarc.
The eclectic flavour of 2005’s Soul Shaker, marking his return to Blind Pig, featured more original compositions from Castro, who wrote or co-wrote all the tracks. Although horns and guitars still dominated, the fusion was more varied. Notable tracks included the wistful “Anytime Soon” and “The Crossanova”, characterised by Crossan’s funky flute.
Tommy Castro and his brilliant band have captured a hold of legions of fans and critics alike around the world with their mesmerizing blend of rock, blues and Memphis soul. On the next release – Painkiller – they continued to explore the boundaries of American roots music.
On this CD, Castro teamed up with producer John Porter, renowned for his work with a Who’s Who list of artists such as Los Lonely Boys, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Santana, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, adn Buddy Guy. Said Castro, “When I started looking for a producer, I realized that John had produced some of my favorite records of the last ten years. After working with him in the studio, I understand now why that is. With John, everything just seems to be right; all the parts work and flow together.” With the Tommy Castro Band anchoring the sessions, Porter fashioned a most tasteful album from the many talented parts of Castro’s patented rock ‘n’ soul music. Special guests Coco Montoya, Angela Strehli, David Maxwell, and Teresa James join the fun.
In 2009, Alligator Records has set an August 11 street date for Hard Believer, the label debut from Tommy Castro.
Definition of Insanity
Tommy Castro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tried to quit you; I couldn′t
You should have listened; you wouldn't
Love is a drug; we′re just a couple of fiends
We both know what we're after
It's a recipe for disaster
We go together like fire and gasoline
Take a look in the dictionary
There′s a picture of you and me
The definition of insanity, insanity
Maybe we like the danger
Couldn′t be any stranger
I know why I keep coming back for more
Ain't no use in pretending
This story has a happy ending
We know damn well the hell we′re headed for
Take a look in the dictionary
There's a picture of you and me
The definition of insanity, oh insanity
Doing the same thing over and over
Expecting a different result
Opening up the same old wounds
And pouring on the salt
SOLO
It is love or madness?
We′re together tonight
We know where it's headed
We′re in for a hell of a fight
Take a look in the dictionary
There's a picture of you and me
The definition of insanity, insanity
It's crazy, baby. We keep on doing this time and time again
But it′s so good, so good, so good
We must be out of our minds
It′s so good sometimes. Hey!
The song Definition of Insanity by Tommy Castro is all about an addictive, dangerous relationship. The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness and inevitability, as the singer admits that he couldn't quit his partner even though he tried. Love is likened to a drug, with the two of them acting as addicts who know they're headed towards disaster, but can't help but crave the highs and lows of their relationship. The singer recognizes that they're doing the same thing over and over, opening up the same old wounds, but still expects a different result. The repetition of the phrase "take a look in the dictionary, there's a picture of you and me, the definition of insanity" cements the idea that this relationship is doomed to fail, but they persist in chasing the familiar feeling of passion and pain.
The lyrics are poignant and relatable because everyone has experienced moments of being drawn towards something or someone they know is not good for them. The addiction theme is presented as a relationship dynamic, but it could be applied to other forms of self-destructive behavior. The song draws attention to the circular pattern of addictive behavior and how difficult it is to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to quit you; I couldn′t
Despite attempting to leave this love/relationship, I was unable to.
You should have listened; you wouldn't
Even if you could have saved us from the trouble we're getting into, you didn't listen.
Love is a drug; we′re just a couple of fiends
Just like drugs, we're addicted to love.
We both know what we're after
We are fully aware of the consequences of our actions.
It's a recipe for disaster
Our decisions will lead us to negative outcomes.
We go together like fire and gasoline
Our relationship is one that may be passionate, but also dangerous.
Take a look in the dictionary
Let's examine the definition of a certain word.
There′s a picture of you and me
Our relationship is captured by the word we're investigating.
The definition of insanity, insanity
Our relationship could be described as an 'insane' cycle of repeating a painful process.
Maybe we like the danger
Our attraction to each other could partially stem from our connection to the risks it brings.
Couldn't be any stranger
Our love is full of unusual and peculiar circumstances.
I know why I keep coming back for more
Despite acknowledging the problematic nature of our relationship, I can't help but continue to participate.
Ain't no use in pretending
We shouldn't try to deceive ourselves by pretending there isn't a problem.
This story has a happy ending
There may not be a logical conclusion to our relationship, or at least not one that's satisfying, but we try to stay optimistic.
We know damn well the hell we′re headed for
Deep down, we know we are headed for a negative outcome.
Doing the same thing over and over
When we repeat the same harmful actions, we shouldn't expect a different result.
Expecting a different result
Believing that directly repeating the same process will yield a different end.
Opening up the same old wounds
By not learning from past mistakes, we will experience old wounds once again.
And pouring on the salt
We will only add to our own pain by not learning from our past.
It is love or madness?
We may be questioning whether our love is logical or irrational.
We′re together tonight
Despite everything, we are continuing to spend time together.
We know where it's headed
We are aware of the consequences of our actions and what our future holds.
We′re in for a hell of a fight
Getting through the current conflict will not be easy.
It's crazy, baby. We keep on doing this time and time again
We acknowledge that we keep making the same mistakes.
But it′s so good, so good, so good
Despite everything, our relationship has its positive aspects.
We must be out of our minds
Our actions are illogical.
It′s so good sometimes. Hey!
At the end of the day, we both believe that the love we share is worth it.
Writer(s): Jeff Alan Silbar, Tommy Castro
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.