Authenticity and sincerity have been the cornerstones of Hancock's writing and music since the start of his career. His refusal to compromise his vision and sell
out his music has earned him a fiercely loyal underground following.
Hancock's vision, as he puts it, is "to bring people together and make them feel good about music. It's a spiritual thing and without spirituality, you've got nothin'. There ain't much on the radio that strikes me as being original or from the heart, most of it's from the pocketbook and it shows."
Wayne is proud of his rural roots and culture and has thoroughly absorbed the spirit of country music's forefathers such as Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. Never a mere imitator, the cutting-edge style that emerges is every bit his own. He breathes youth and driving energy into traditional country forms and adds a dash of big band horns, boogie woogie piano, scorching rockabilly beats, heavenly Hawaiian steel licks and some wigged-out hillbilly jazz guitar.
Hancock figures he started writing songs around the age of twelve, and he did a lot of traveling around Texas, playing juke joints and belting out his originals for anyone who'd listen. At 18, he won the "Wrangler Country Showdown" but couldn't claim the prize because he'd already enrolled in the Marines. After a six-year hitch with Uncle Sam, he moved to Austin, where he reacquainted himself with music and won a role in the 1994 theatrical production of Chippy. He performed alongside Terry Allen, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely and Robert Earl Keen and Rolling Stone proclaimed, "The nasal honky-tonk of newcomer Wayne Hancock practically steals the show."
In 1995 Wayne debuted with "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs", a remarkable CD produced by steel guitar legend Lloyd Maines (Joe Ely, Wilco and Richard Buckner). The release was met with critical acclaim. Newsweek called it "the most promising debut of the season." Two-hundred-fifty dates throughout the country, including brilliant performances on Austin City Limits and NPR's Prairie Home Companion, led to well over 22,000 copies sold of his debut release on a tiny independent Texas label. In 1997, Wayne signed with ARK 21, an eclectic and well-anchored label owned by former Police manager Miles Copeland. Miles and his staff were impressed with Wayne's genuine ability for writing and performing and have dubbed him "arguably the hardest-working man in show business" for his willingness to tour solidly and his insistence on efficiency and
untainted live energy in the studio. "That's What Daddy Wants", Hancock's sophomore release, was recorded in a startling three days. A brilliant example of his Texas swing and juke joint rockabilly, the album was even a staple on the space shuttle Columbia, the bugle call of its title track used to wake the astronauts. After "That's What Daddy Wants" generated even more critical success than the first release, ARK 21 decided to reissue "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs" on their label.
The past several years have been a time of personal evolution and growth in Wayne's life. He was self-managed since the beginning of 1998 and later that year he lost his father to cancer. He has still been gigging solidly throughout the country and has been doing his own driving, tour managing and taking care of business in exactly his own way.
While various musicians drop in on Wayne's shows from time to time, his core band for touring is comprised of the phenomenal Eddie Biebel on lead guitar and the rhythm slappin' Jake Erwin on Standup Bass. Do yourself a favor - whenever this great trio is in or near your town, go to the show!
California Blues
Wayne Hancock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(yeah yeah California blues)
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
Although I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
I got the California blues and I'm sure goin' to leave you here (oh lord)
I got the California blues and I'm sure goin' to leave you here
(Davey)
(interlude)
(Tony Wakefield)
Well if you don't want my mama sure don't got a style, yodallay-ey
Well if you don't want my mama sure don't got a style
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
You know I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
(Ricky, start)
(come in Paul)
(Davey)
(some of that California boy, Wakefield)
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
You know I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
Wayne Hancock’s California Blues is a song about a man who is fed up with the way his woman treats him and decides to leave for California. He is heading there to sleep under the stars every night because there is no place to stay in California. He is experiencing what is known as the California blues which is essentially the feeling of being forced to leave and go to California with no certainty and perils facing you. He is leaving his good lady because she is just not treating him right. He is sure that he has the California blues and he has no choice but to leave her behind.
The song incorporates traditional country music rhythms and instruments including the honky-tonk piano, drums, double bass and a lap steel guitar that blends in with Wayne’s unique voice that suits perfectly the mood of the song. The lyrics are delivered in a way that is both melancholic and slightly humorous at the same time. The interludes in the song, featuring improvised instrumentals, add to its charm as they create a sense of movement and flow that mirrors the frequency of a train, which is appropriate as California was popularly known to be a destination where people went for opportunities such as mining and the Gold Rush era.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
I'm going to California where I'll have to sleep outside every night
Although I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
I'm leaving you even though you're a good person, because you mistreat me
I got the California blues and I'm sure goin' to leave you here (oh lord)
I'm sad and feel like leaving you for California, and I'm sure I'll do it
I may ride the line, they got no railroad there
I might have to travel in a less comfortable way because there's no railroad in California
Well if you don't want my mama sure don't got a style, yodallay-ey
If you don't want me, my mother also won't have any appeal or charm
You know I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
You know I'm leaving you because you're not kind to me
Well I'm goin' to California where to sleep out every night
Again, I'm going to California where I'll have to sleep outside every night
You know I'm leaving you good gal, you know you don't treat me right
Repeating that I'm leaving because you're not treating me well
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.