She grew up listening to her Dad write and sing the blues and started performing with him in his blues bands when she was a kid. She fell in love with the sincerity of Etta, the soul of Muddy and the power of Big Mama. When she got older she started writing hooks for and performing with local rappers from Eugene. She fell in love with hip-hop, with its authenticity. Now she's married to em both. DIRTY SHINE!
ZZ Ward Links:
http://www.zzward.com
http://www.facebook.com/ZZWard
http://soundcloud.com/zzward
Charlie Ain't Home
ZZ Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black stilettos on a leather couch,
Jeans stickin' tight like glue,
Soakin' wet, drink it up like juice,
Come on, come on, come on,
Come on, come on, come on
Lay me down on sheets of cotton, whoa, whoa,
Headlights on the bedpost, we ain't stoppin', no, no,
If you forgot, I'll tell you why,
'Cause Charlie ain't home
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home,
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home
I dig my fingertips into your back,
Till the pictures break and the floorboards crack,
Oh, my tongue is a silver key,
Swimmin' deep in a sinner's sea,
Come on, come on, come on,
Come on, come on, come on,
Lay me down on sheets of cotton, whoa, whoa,
You make me feel like I could fly, whoa, whoa,
Headlights on the bedpost, we ain't stoppin', no, no,
If you forgot, I'll tell you why,
'Cause Charlie ain't home
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home,
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home
Oh, Charlie, Charlie,
Please let that boy go, darlin',
It wasn't his fault, it was mine,
Oh, Charlie, Charlie,
He didn't know no better,
I should have listened, you were right
Lay me down on sheets of cotton, whoa, whoa,
You make me feel like I could fly,
Headlights on the bedpost, we ain't stoppin',
If you forgot, I'll tell you why,
'Cause Charlie ain't home
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home,
Ooh, ooh,
Charlie ain't home
The lyrics to ZZ Ward's song "Charlie Ain't Home" describe a sensual encounter between two lovers, with the absence of Charlie adding to the intensity of the moment. The first few lines set the scene with the imagery of golden honey dripping from the house and black stilettos on a leather couch. The singer is wearing jeans that stick tight like glue and are soaking wet, suggesting they have just engaged in some sort of physical activity. The repetition of "come on" implies a sense of urgency and passion.
The chorus reveals that Charlie is not home and serves as a reminder that they can indulge in their desires without fear of being caught. The lyrics "lay me down on sheets of cotton" and "you make me feel like I could fly" convey the physical and emotional intensity of the moment. The headlights on the bedpost suggest that the encounter is taking place at night, adding to the sense of secrecy.
The bridge of the song takes a sudden turn, with the singer addressing Charlie directly and admitting fault for something that has happened. The guilt and regret in the lyrics suggest that whatever happened caused the breakup of the relationship with Charlie. The last chorus is a reminder that they can indulge in their desires while Charlie is away but their thoughts are still with Charlie.
Line by Line Meaning
Golden honey drippin' from this house,
This house is filled with riches, luxury and comfort
Black stilettos on a leather couch,
Feminine and masculine aesthetics can coexist in this house
Jeans stickin' tight like glue,
The physical attraction between the two partners is strong and intense
Soakin' wet, drink it up like juice,
Their physical intimacy is passionate and consuming
Come on, come on, come on,
They are encouraging each other to keep going and not stop
Lay me down on sheets of cotton, whoa, whoa,
They want to experience the soft, comfortable and luxurious sensation of cotton sheets
You make me feel like I could fly, whoa, whoa,
Being with the other partner makes them feel free and liberated
Headlights on the bedpost, we ain't stoppin', no, no,
They are fully committed to their physical intimacy and won't let anything interrupt it
If you forgot, I'll tell you why,
They are reminding themselves or each other why they are doing what they are doing
'Cause Charlie ain't home
They are engaging in physical intimacy because they can without fear of getting caught since Charlie is not home
I dig my fingertips into your back,
They enjoy exploring each other's bodies physically and emotionally
Till the pictures break and the floorboards crack,
Their passion and intensity is causing a disturbance in the physical space around them
Oh, my tongue is a silver key,
Their language of love and passion is metaphorical and unique to them
Swimmin' deep in a sinner's sea,
They are fully indulging in their physical desires without any sense of guilt or shame
Oh, Charlie, Charlie,
They are addressing or referencing Charlie as a person who is not present
Please let that boy go, darlin',
Charlie might be someone who has some control or authority over one of their lives
It wasn't his fault, it was mine,
It sounds like one of them has done something wrong or sinful, possibly with each other or with Charlie
He didn't know no better,
Charlie is possibly less experienced or naive than the two partners when it comes to physical intimacy or possibly anything else
I should have listened, you were right
They regret not following some advice or decision that Charlie might have made in the past
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ZSUZSANNA EVE WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rajatkumar35
Now this is a BAND!!! Perfect use of bass, acoustics and drums.
@lovescookiemonstar
ZZ is really too damn under-rated. And I love her "hoo,hoo, hoo-o-o-o~" thing
@gothiccowgirl07
Gotta love the vibe she gives off. I bob my head like a hippy every time I listen to her.
@just_sum_punk
I adore this version of "Charlie Ain't Home" way more than the album version. On the album version, the arrangement seemed very pop esque and like the studio intentionally spliced the audio between ears. So if one of my earbuds were to be busted, the song would be super awkward to listen to. This version feels more full and organic and really well put together. Good job, Z.Z.
@einstin2
ZZ Ward is the reason I still put faith in the emusic auto-suggest. I love the bluesy sound of her voice and guitar.
@LNClubsTheaters
ZZ Ward and Ali Shaheed Muhammed make a great team!
@rhondawright2122
Not only is she amazing but her band is awesome!
@dcox421
Every song this woman sings is awesome. She is like Janis Joplin v BB King. Incredible
@danielfarrar9364
I'm not a dancer - but I literally cannot help myself. You absolutely rock!
@charlenegoes2301
New fan of ZZ Ward. She is amazing and her music is smoking hot.