The band, whose name is derived from the bumpy Oklahoma toll-roads and their hard lived folk singing heroes, are proof that isolation can be the mother of originality. Cutting their teeth in roadside dance halls and honky-tonks has made a serious impact on the band’s musical style, which walks the line between Woody Guthrie and Waylon Jennings. “Bossier City,” the band’s debut album, is testament to the small towns in which they were raised. It combines Folk, Country, Cajun, and Bluegrass with stories of longing, humor, tragedy, and general life in rural America.
Breaking down traditional barriers between the audience and the stage is something in which they excel. Fast, gritty, and often drenched in beer, the Troubadours perform to both their fans and new audience members with an genuine sincerity about them. They continually gather ground both literally and figuratively as they travel up, down, and across the Midwest.
Their follow-up album, “Diamonds & Gasoline”, was release 2010 with veteran producer and songwriter Mike McClure and legend Joe Hardy (ZZ-Top, Steve Earle). They relentlessly play shows in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Texas.
Evan Felker - Lead Vocals, Acoustic
R.C. Edwards - Bass, Backing Vocals
Kyle Nix - Fiddle, Backing Vocals
Ryan Engleman - Lead Guitar
Giovanni Carnuccio - Drums, Backing Vocals
Morgan Street
Turnpike Troubadours Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
well the movers and shakers down on Morgan Street
Passin out booze tattoos and scars
Dance to anything to with a good backbeat
Drink up the night, close down the bars
Drink up the night, close down the bars.
Verse 1:
a bad drinkin habit has a real good time
laughin like a kid comin round the corner
liquor on his breath trouble on your mind.
Chorus:
oh the movers and shakers down on Morgan Street
Passin out booze tattoos and scars
Dance to anything to with a good backbeat
Drink up the night, close down the bars
Drink up the night, close down the bars.
Verse 2:
Now Angie shes a mess, tryin to be an actress
playin out a scene from behind the bar
Said shes had enough of it, gotta to get away from this
headed to Chicago in a borrowed car.
Chorus:
well the movers and shakers down on Morgan Street
Passin out booze tattoos and scars
Dance to anything to with a good backbeat
Drink up the night, close down the bars
Drink up the night, close down the bars.
Verse 3:
Jordan played accordian, dropped out of college
cookie was a drummer in a punk rock band
Me, Im just a wall flower, soakin up knowledge
my heart on my sleeve, and a beer in my hand
my heart on my sleeve, and a beer in my hand
Chorus:
well the movers and shakers down on Morgan Street
Passin out booze tattoos and scars
Dance to anything to with a good backbeat
Drink up the night, close down the bars
Drink up the night, close down the bars.
The song "Morgan Street" by Turnpike Troubadours is a poignant ode to the vibrant nightlife of a small town, focusing on the various characters who frequent the bars on Morgan Street. The lyrics of the chorus capture the wild and carefree spirit of these people, who are always up for a good time, as they drink, dance and stay out all night. The movers and shakers like Long-haired Josh, Angie and Jordan are portrayed as rough and almost heroic characters, who pass out booze, tattoos and scars on Morgan Street, where there's always a party going on.
In the first verse, Long-haired Josh is described as a fun-loving rebel who lives life on his own terms. Although he has a bad drinking habit, he still manages to have a good time and make others laugh. The second verse introduces Angie, who is trying to be an actress but is stuck working behind the bar. She's fed up with her life and longs to escape to Chicago. The final verse features Jordan, who dropped out of college to pursue his passion for music and Cookie, a drummer in a punk rock band. The singer of the song is a wallflower, who is content to watch these characters from a distance while nursing a beer and wearing his heart on his sleeve.
Overall, "Morgan Street" is a celebration of the wild and free-spirited people who frequent small-town bars. The song paints a vivid picture of life on Morgan Street and the characters who inhabit it. It captures the feeling of being young and carefree, always up for a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
well the movers and shakers down on Morgan Street
The influential people on Morgan Street are always in action.
Passin out booze tattoos and scars
They distribute alcohol, tattoos, and injuries to their bar patrons.
Dance to anything to with a good backbeat
They groove to all kinds of music with a strong beat.
Drink up the night, close down the bars
They consume alcohol late into the night and stay at the bar until closing time.
Long haired Josh got an old New Yorker
Josh, who sports long hair, owns an old New Yorker car.
a bad drinkin habit has a real good time
He enjoys drinking alcohol despite his addiction.
laughin like a kid comin round the corner
He laughs heartily like a child.
liquor on his breath trouble on your mind.
His breath smells like alcohol, and his behavior makes you uneasy.
Now Angie shes a mess, tryin to be an actress
Angie, who works behind the bar, is trying to make it as an actress but is struggling.
playin out a scene from behind the bar
She performs her acting scenes while serving customers drinks.
Said shes had enough of it, gotta to get away from this
She's fed up with her current life and needs to escape it.
headed to Chicago in a borrowed car.
She took a borrowed car to go to Chicago.
Jordan played accordion, dropped out of college
Jordan, who played the accordion, dropped out of college.
cookie was a drummer in a punk rock band
Cookie was a drummer in a punk rock band.
Me, Im just a wall flower, soakin up knowledge
The singer is a wallflower who quietly observes and learns from others.
my heart on my sleeve, and a beer in my hand
He wears his heart on his sleeve and holds a beer in his hand.
Contributed by Sarah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stuart
on Down on Washington
The song is literally about the drunk narrator falling in love with a stripper/prostitute... No more depth than that. "Awkward occupation", "steal you... if the choice were up to me", "what's a poor boy to do?" The effort is appreciated though!