Friends since they were five, the band grew up playing music together, from early teen-age house parties in their hometown of San Francisco, to multiple world tours. Throughout their extensive travels over the past 8 years – including recent tours through China and South Korea – Two Gallants have continued to evolve, both musically and personally.
The bands' very first single, "Nothing to You" (from their 2004 debut The Throes), started off a string of cult classics that helped define their signature sound. The success of the sophomore album, What the Toll Tells (2006), delivered a few more singles, including “Steady Rollin’” and “Las Cruces Jail”. The wistful “Seems Like Home to Me” from The Scenery of Farewell EP (2007) and “Despite What You’ve Been Told” from 2007’s self-titled album, provide the framework of the bands development into The Bloom and the Blight.
After six years of constant recording and touring, Two Gallants took a hiatus starting in the summer of 2008.
About their 2012 album, The Bloom and the Blight, Adam Stephens explained: “We’ve both gone through some hard stuff personally, so this album has that element of the cathartic, of a release of tension. We had taken time off, and we did different things, played in different bands. And in doing those things, being apart and redefining ourselves in that way, we were able to come together with a fresh approach.” The album's first single was "Broken Eyes".
The Bloom and the Blight Album Trailer: http://youtu.be/qOY07eRnAgU
We Are Undone, Two Gallants' fifth studio album and second for ATO Records, was released in February 2015.
A second hiatus began in 2016.
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Long Summer Day
Two Gallants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, all I've ever known is poor
Owe my skin to the country store
Throw my walls, my roof, my door
But he tells me I'm free
But I fight the will to live
Hell might take but heaven gives
And Im not the one to grieve
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
I gotta work to feed my wife and baby
I work so god damn hard that it's a crime
Well, I went down to the polling place
The white men there just laughed in my face
Saying boy, this ain't no nigger's race
You best get on your way
Sir, I believe I've got the right
Said you ain't got nothing if you ain't white
And I thought I said get out of site
Well, what was I to say?
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
I gotta work to feed my wife and baby
I work so god damn hard that it's a crime
When I was 'bout the age of five
Watched my daddy burned alive
They cut him low and they hung him high
Swayin' in the breeze
The last words I heard him say
Before they stole his life that day
Was forgive them lord, they gone astray
Now take me to my knees
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy
Might make me do something out of line
Well, I don't know but I heard tell
Of a fungus below a place called hell
And who would catch me if I fell?
Who would pray for me?
But one thing I see for sure
It's hot as hell up here I know
And the devil lives right down the road
It's all the same to me
And a summer day make a white man feel lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy
Might make me do something out of line
But if you should see my wife
Tell her that I won't be home tonight
So don't leave on the light
I got a little buisness down the road
And If I'm dead by sunrise
Kiss my baby girl for me
It ain't life if it ain't free
I've got a mighty burden to unload
The song "Long Summer Day" by Two Gallants is a powerful ballad that portrays the complexities of race and poverty in America. The singer, who is black, begins by reflecting on the ways in which the heat of the summer affects different people, with white people being able to relax and do nothing while black people have to work hard to survive. He laments his own poverty, which he attributes to his skin color, and the fact that he has to build his own home while white people have it easier. Despite being told he is free, the singer is skeptical, feeling that he is not truly free.
The second verse of the song draws attention to the systemic racism that black people faced during voting times. The singer describes being laughed at by white men and told that he cannot win because he is not white. He tries to stand up for his own rights, but is met with hostility and forced out of the polling place. The last verse reveals that the singer's father was lynched when the singer was only five years old. The pain of this experience haunts him, but he takes solace in his father's last words, forgiveness.
Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the injustices that black people have faced in America, particularly in the South. The lyrics are full of pain, anger, and despair, but also convey a sense of resilience and hope that is often found in black culture. The message is clear: black people have had to work twice as hard to get ahead, and they have been met with intense resistance, but they persevere nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the summer day make a white man lazy
The hot summer weather can cause white people to feel lazy and unproductive.
Well, all I've ever known is poor
I have only ever experienced poverty in my life.
Owe my skin to the country store
I am covered in dirt and sweat from working at the country store all day.
Throw my walls, my roof, my door
I do not have a proper home to live in.
But he tells me I'm free
White people often tell me I am free, but I do not always feel that way.
But I fight the will to live
I struggle to maintain hope and motivation to keep living.
Hell might take but heaven gives
Bad things might happen in life, but good things can still come from it.
It's the only one so I'll forgive
Life is the only thing I have, so I must learn to let go of bitterness and forgive.
And Im not the one to grieve
I do not waste my time on grieving and feeling sorry for myself.
He sits on his porch killing time
White people often have the luxury of engaging in leisure activities like sitting on the porch, while I am always working to provide for my family.
I gotta work to feed my wife and baby
I have a wife and child to support, so I cannot afford to be lazy.
I work so god damn hard that it's a crime
I work very hard to survive, but still struggle to make ends meet.
The white men there just laughed in my face
When I tried to participate in politics, white men mocked and belittled me.
Saying boy, this ain't no nigger's race
The white men made it clear that Black people were not welcome or respected in their political system.
You best get on your way
They told me to leave and accept that I was not wanted or valued in their community.
Sir, I believe I've got the right
I believed I had the right to participate in the political process, regardless of my race.
Said you ain't got nothing if you ain't white
The white men made it clear that being white was the only thing that mattered and gave a person any worth.
And I thought I said get out of site
I was frustrated and angry that they could not accept me as an equal and told them to leave me alone.
Watched my daddy burned alive
I witnessed my father being lynched and burned to death by a mob.
They cut him low and they hung him high
My father was brutally tortured and killed by white supremacists.
Swayin' in the breeze
His body was left hanging from a tree for all to see.
The last words I heard him say
My father's dying words still resonate with me to this day.
Before they stole his life that day
My father's life was taken from him unjustly and violently.
Was forgive them lord, they gone astray
My father was a forgiving person who believed in God, even in the face of intense hatred and violence.
Now take me to my knees
My father's dying words inspired me to continue to fight for justice and equality, even when it seems impossible.
But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy
The hot summer weather can cause Black people to feel frustrated, angry, and potentially dangerous.
Might make me do something out of line
The heat can push me to my breaking point, and I may behave in ways that are unacceptable to society.
Of a fungus below a place called hell
I have heard rumors of a terrible fungus that grows in the deepest, darkest depths of hell.
And who would catch me if I fell?
I wonder if anyone would care if I experienced something terrible or if I fell apart under the pressure of my life.
Who would pray for me?
I wonder if anyone would care enough to pray for me if I was in need.
But one thing I see for sure
One thing I know for certain is that life is incredibly difficult, and there are very few people to rely on.
It's hot as hell up here I know
The heat is oppressive and makes me feel like I am in hell.
And the devil lives right down the road
The devil is everywhere, and it feels like he is living right in my own community.
It's all the same to me
At the end of the day, all of the bad things in life feel the same and are equally difficult to bear.
But if you should see my wife
If you happen to see my wife, please pass along this message to her.
Tell her that I won't be home tonight
Let her know that I will not be able to come home and spend the night with her.
So don't leave on the light
Please do not wait up for me or keep the light on in anticipation of my return.
I got a little buisness down the road
I have some important things to take care of elsewhere.
And If I'm dead by sunrise
If I do not come back by tomorrow morning, it may be because something has happened to me.
Kiss my baby girl for me
If I am gone, please give my daughter a kiss from me.
It ain't life if it ain't free
Life is not really worth living if a person does not have freedom and autonomy to live as they choose.
I've got a mighty burden to unload
I am carrying a heavy weight and responsibility on my shoulders, and I need to address it before I can come home.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: VOGEL STEPHENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thescatologistcopromancer3936
I saw them open for Les Claypool around 2008 and the crowd looked realllllly uncomfortable. It was a powerful performance
@nogglebeak
that must've been a beautiful show.. 2 sets of artists that spend their whole time making the audience uncomfortaable and think.. wild shit cause not many people ask their audience to think.
@CrazyInsanelikeafox
I got a little business down the rooooaaaadddd!!!!!!!
@markwilson4934
And if I’m dead by sunrise, kiss my baby girl for me.
@shinisaber
It ain't life if it ain't free.
@livemike72
Monday Feel Good Song of the Day
@Nachoidess
This song has been with me with maaany summer lazy afternoons, greetings to the future's me
@andrewuzcategui8744
"The last words I heard him say
Before they stole his life that day
Was forgive them lord, they gone astray
Now take me to my knees"
@DAFUNK213
Awesome band/song
@johnnyorigami6300
I think it's 'don't own my my walls, my roof, my door'