Recorded in a barn on the banks of Loch Tay in the Highlands of Scotland, R… Read Full Bio ↴Recorded in a barn on the banks of Loch Tay in the Highlands of Scotland, Rick Webster (aka Unkle Bob) returns with The Highest Mountains - the luminous sequel to May 2016’s darker The Deepest Sea. This mini-album is his best work to date and the documentation of a journey that took him to Ghana, Berlin and the Highlands of Scotland.

Following a music project in Africa organised by Glasgow’s Green Door Studios, Rick decamped his entire studio to a community-run barn in the Scottish Highlands. Sometimes alone, sometimes with visiting friends (inc Chris Hardwick- drums, Scott Cousins- bass, Eilidh Mcmillan- cello & backing vocals), Rick began sketching out and recording new song ideas inside a small hall in the barn. Two months later he emerged with seven fully-formed songs that after some further production tweaks in Glasgow, would become The Highest Mountains.

The album draws influence from Nick Cave, Sun Kil Moon, Sigor Ros and has an analogue, raw feel to the production thanks to Green Door studio’s Samuel J Smith who mastered The Highest Mountains. Tracks such as And I Know embody the uplifting, autobiographical melody featured throughout this mini-album which has bursts of fuzz, folk and pop.

Vagabond
Unkle Bob Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gonna live like a junkie
Climb on your back
Gonna say you're the way
And not come back
Do this and do that
I'm not scared

I'm not gonna throw any punches

Fake tonight
Gonna look in the mirror
Don't do that
Don't do that

You can say just what you're made of
Sugar and spite
All the things that you crave
They're not quite right
I guess I digress
I'm not scared

I'm not gonna throw any punches
Fake tonight
Gonna look in the mirror
Don't do that
Don't do that
For this world

You make it feel better
I don't need it anymore
You make it feel better
I don't need it anymore

Don't do that
Don't do that

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Unkle Bob's song "Vagabond" are rife with metaphors and double meanings. The first few lines, "Gonna live like a junkie, climb on your back, gonna say you're the way and not come back," suggest a person who is willing to throw their life away by following destructive habits or people, but also someone who is willing to take risks and explore new paths. The line "Do this and do that, I'm not scared" reveals a sense of bravado and confidence, but also hints at a potential lack of direction.

The chorus, "I'm not gonna throw any punches, fake tonight, gonna look in the mirror, don't do that, don't do that," seems to be a commentary on the way people present themselves to the world, perhaps through social media or other forms of performance. The singer is not going to fight or argue, but rather put on a facade or "fake" their emotions. Looking in the mirror could be a way of trying to understand oneself or reconcile the differences between one's public and private selves.

The final lines, "You make it feel better, I don't need it anymore, don't do that, don't do that," suggest a turning point in the singer's journey. They no longer need the thing or person that once made them feel better, but they also caution against repeating past mistakes. Overall, the song seems to be about the struggles of finding oneself and the risks and rewards of following one's own path.

Line by Line Meaning

Gonna live like a junkie
I'm going to live recklessly and irresponsibly, like a drug addict.

Climb on your back
I'll take advantage of you and use you to further my own interests.

Gonna say you're the way And not come back
I'll tell you that I can show you the path to follow, but I won't stick around to help you actually follow it.

Do this and do that I'm not scared
I'll give you orders and expect you to follow them, even if they're difficult or dangerous, because I'm not afraid of the consequences.

I'm not gonna throw any punches Fake tonight Gonna look in the mirror Don't do that Don't do that
I won't resort to violence, but I also won't be honest with myself about who I really am or what I really want.

You can say just what you're made of Sugar and spite All the things that you crave They're not quite right I guess I digress I'm not scared
You might be sweet and charming on the surface, but your intentions are cruel and your desires are misguided. Despite your flaws, I'm not afraid of you.

For this world You make it feel better I don't need it anymore You make it feel better I don't need it anymore
You might be able to make the world seem like a better place, but I've come to the realization that I don't need your false sense of comfort.

Don't do that Don't do that
I'm warning myself not to give into temptation or fall back into old habits of deception.

Contributed by Colin H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS