The band has performed at many national festivals including Coachella, Stagecoach, Summerfest, Bumbershoot, and Pickathon. In 2011, they performed at several large folk festivals such as Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival and 2011 ROMP roots and branches. They are scheduled to play the Sasquatch Festival, Bonnaroo, All Good Music Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Lollapalooza in 2012.
2014 saw the release of Trampled by Turtles's seventh studio album, Wild Animals, on July 15th. The band tapped Alan Sparhawk, from the band Low, to produce Wild Animals. Sparhawk's influence is evident in the band's seemingly more alternative, high lonesome sound. The night of Wild Animals' release, TBT made their second appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. On August 16th, Trampled by Turtles headlined a sold out show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO.
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Bloodshot Eyes
Trampled by Turtles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a big gaping hole
Now I tried every bottle
Every pill that I know
But time baby time
Works better than wine
And bloodshot eyes
I thought it might help
I wrote some songs
But they were shitty as hell
Only works when I'm broken
Four inches from dying
And at my best
If you know what I know
And I think that you do
You head to the country
For a minute or two
And lie on the earth
And for better or worse
Let it swallow you hole
The Trampled By Turtles song "Bloodshot Eyes" speaks of the pain and emptiness left behind when a loved one is gone. The singer describes trying to fill the void left by the person by turning to alcohol and drugs. He admits that these temporary fixes don't work as well as time does. The time spent healing will work better than any bottle of wine or pill he takes. The chorus repeats the phrase "bloodshot eyes", which could represent the physical manifestation of his pain, or the result of drinking to cope.
The singer then talks about heading to the mountains, hoping the change of scenery will help him. He tries to express his pain through songwriting but finds the songs "shitty as hell". He reveals that he's at his best when he's close to death, which shows a dark side to the singer's experience. The final verse offers a solution to the pain he's feeling. He suggests heading to the countryside to lie on the earth and let it swallow him whole. This is a metaphorical suggestion for connecting with nature and immersing oneself in the healing powers of the earth.
Line by Line Meaning
It's empty where you were
After their loved one left, an emptiness surrounded the singer
Just a big gaping hole
The absence felt by the singer is immense and tangible, like a huge empty hole
Now I tried every bottle
To alleviate the pain of losing their loved one, the singer resorted to consuming copious amounts of alcohol
Every pill that I know
In addition to alcohol, the singer also took various types of medication to deal with the emotional pain
But time baby time
Despite all the attempts at numbing the pain, time is the only thing that can truly heal the singer's heartache
Works better than wine
Time is more effective in erasing the hurt than any amount of alcohol
And bloodshot eyes
The singer's days of drinking have left them with red, bloodshot eyes
I went to the mountains
In search of inspiration or solace, the singer travelled to the mountains
I thought it might help
The singer hoped that the scenery and solitude of the mountains would help them feel better
I wrote some songs
During their time in the mountains, the singer wrote some songs
But they were shitty as hell
However, the songs were of poor quality and didn't express the singer's emotions as intended
Only works when I'm broken
Despite the disappointing results of writing music in the mountains, the process of creating only works when the singer is in a state of emotional turmoil
Four inches from dying
The pain and heartache can feel so overwhelming that the singer feels dangerously close to death
And at my best
Ironically, the quality of the singer's music is at its peak when their emotional state is at its lowest
If you know what I know
The singer suggests that anyone who has gone through a similar experience would understand their situation
And I think that you do
The singer believes that the listener may be able to empathize with what they are going through
You head to the country
The singer advises that one should leave their city life and go to a rural area for a period of time
For a minute or two
Even a brief period of time spent in nature can help one feel rejuvenated and refreshed
And lie on the earth
The singer encourages the listener to lie down on the ground and connect with nature physically
And for better or worse
Whether good or bad, the listener should immerse themselves in the natural world
Let it swallow you whole
Fully give in to the experience of being in nature and let it be all-encompassing
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DAVID PATRICK CARROLL, DAVID PAUL SIMONETT, ERIK ROBERT BERRY, RYAN DAVID YOUNG, TIMOTHY POWELL SAXHAUG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind