The song is about coming home after he left for years to be with the girl (Lorie I suppose ) it didn’t work out he still thinks about her but he’s home where he belongs with his friends bird hunting and enjoying his way of life
You’d have to have hunted to realize how good that last bar is. When you’re walking and trying to scare up coveys and you hear the flutter of wings you throw the shotgun to your shoulder and tag them in sky. If you hit them their feathers explode out around them like a firework
I think the song is literally about hunting birds and not a metaphor. in the states hunting in rural areas is a way of life. covey took wing as the opening line means the birds took flight, "shotguns were ringing", they were shooting. the rest of the song uses that hunt as a vehicle for the narrator reflecting about a decade long failed marriage after he made it home to his buddies. the truth and metaphor layed out because of their hunting expedition is the poetic telling of felker and the beauty of life. love the style of listening and reflecting on lyrics in your channel. keep it up!
This song means an awful lot to me. September first is a holy day for me. Some of the best days of my life where spent swinging a Belgian made browning over a freshly hewn corn field.
A little context. There are 4th of July Rodeos and rodeo dances afterward in an awful lot of small Texas and Oklahoma towns. It’s an annual tradition. When he talks about her being home on the 4th Of July, it’s about her returning to her hometown (she moved off to Tulsa also) and they’d dance on the 4th of July refers to that same rodeo dance which she returns to each year. “My hands around a Belgian-made Browning, my mind on the lines of her face” is just a great country music line.
There’s a LOT more to this. “A flutter of feathers, a shotgun shouldered, it felt like the 4th of July”…he got back to his roots. It was LIBERATING…I’ve been there. This song is personal for me. This exact experience saved my life.
I don’t know that you can appreciate the incredible beauty and heartbreak of this song being anywhere but the American south. It’s a song about a hunting trip that hides the story of a failed marriage. It’s full of shit only people from around here would understand like “go on to hell, honey, I’m headed home” is clearly and homage to the saying “ya’ll can go to hell, I’m going to Texas.” Turnpike is honestly one of the best red dirt bands that has ever existed, really looking forward to the possibility of seeing them live again.
There are several breeds of pointing dogs. There's German Shorthair Pointers, Deutsches Drahthaars, English Pointers, Brittany's, Poodle Pointers, Vizslas, Weimaraners and etc. However the song is referring to an English Pointer.
Man watching this is crazy. I worked at a bar in the mid 2000s and the Troubadours were just a bar band that played around our region here in Oklahoma. I never got to see them as a fan I was always working the bar. It was Dirty’s Tavern in Tulsa Oklahoma. Still great memories 🥰
I think the mind on the lines of her face is pointing out he's distracted and not focused on hunting. Even the 4th of July party he had started to loosen up but he's still thinking of her again and not thinking he made his shot. His buddy is trying to pull him out of a tail spin with hunting and jokes and his old dog. It's another very Hemingway song looking at the details of something relatable while dancing around the actual topic of the song but managing to nail both.
My favorite Turnpike song is 7&7. It’s a beautiful song about young love and changing perspective as you move through the years past it. It’s an absolute shame that Evan has been in and out of his troubles, or they’d be far bigger and better by this point.
Or they would never be who they are. Even Felker writes from the heart and his songs wouldn't be as good as they are without him living though what he is writing about. The pain he has lived through is what makes his songs what they are. It's the double edged sword that makes musicians, especially songwriters, so relatable; but also the reason that so many end up with addictions, or worse.
@@1bakagaijin absolutely. Still, many can stay sober enough to tour and make show dates, remember the words to their own songs, etc. I’m a fan. I’ve seen them live many times before they stopped touring. I very much wish him the best.
When you said it was weird that he was thinking of the girl's face when he was shooting at quail and you said that was kind of weird, I think you're missing the most powerful point of this song is that he is going through this breakup right now literally this week and no matter what he does he cannot get his mind off of her. He cannot even be shooting quail out of the sky with his grandfather's Browning Belgium and even in that most intense favorite experience he cannot get his mind off of her. He is broken and in so much pain that nothing Can get her out of his head in this moment. I believe in this song what happened was the girl decided they were splitting up and she said she herself is going to her own home which is probably in Southwest Arkansas and she's telling him she doesn't care where he goes. So he goes to his home to go quail hunting With Dan to get his mind off of his pain but it's impossible for him to do. Everything going on on that hunt somehow reminds him of her or of their relationship together. The Belgian made Browning is a particular type of shotgun made by the Browning brand but years ago Browning made those shotguns in different countries and the ones made in Belgium have always been perceive to be the very highest quality and they are especially expensive and particularly hard to find. The one in this song was handed down to him by his grandfather and it's very special and it appears in multiple songs. In the housefire, the only thing he could get out of the house was one picture and that shotgun and nothing else.
Belgian-made Browning is a reference to s series of Auto 5’s (and other) before their production was moved to Asia. It’s certainly shotgun (not a rilfe) and probably one he inherited as the Brownings were made in Belgium before he was born. Great reaction video.
As a new hunter and someone from a fairly rural town, this song means a lot to me. While there are literal meanings to the lyrics, I think it's all about what home means and knowing where someone belongs.
I love the “4th of July” lines. As an American, seems to me he means “freedom.” Metaphorically, he’s home free. Him belting these lines out always hits me in the feels.
If you listen though, he's talking about how the girl that left him will be home to celebrate the 4th with her family, and he can see her again/get another shot. So quite the opposite of freedom. And that fits with Evan's state of mind when he wrote it. Dude was messed up.
Love the channel, keep up the great work! Never commented before but had to on this one, since I believe is one of the best written country songs of my generation (I'm 30) because of the vivid imagery in almost every line. The more times you listen to this song, the more you appreciate it. Jim is the protagonist 12 yr old English pointer. "A dozen Decembers" is just to describe his bird dog, which took me forever to realize. Living in Texas, I've been able to see Turnpike live ~10 times and if they every play again live it's something you have to experience. All Turnpike songs are great, but others that should be at the top of the list are 1968, The Funeral and The Housefire.
hey man!! its been a while since ive been in your comments. it just so happened that i came across this video tonight before i take my bird dog hunting tomorrow morning! so you made my night once again!
I've always thought this song was more about him and his buddy. Women come and go, but his buddy has always been there to lift him back up. And he always has home❤ and hunting 😉
Runnin’ from your folks, runnin’ from the laww Runnin’ from loove, runnin’ from your fears runnin’ from it alll🎶🎶 Song cuts deap. My favorite from Cody Canada is them boys from oklahoma!! 😂
They were wonderful to see live. Actually saw them in Shreveport, LA about 5 years ago. The writing and musicianship is something truly special. Outside of possibly Isbell I don't think there is a better lyricist. The one thing that seems to be overlooked here is that a "bird" is considered a female so Bird Hunters is being used as a double/triple entendre here which is super cool to making multiple comments about his life/experience while using only a single vehicle.
Lous and Heavy - Cody Jinks on Texas Music Scene. That was where I heard it first. My husband came out of our room and said what song is this? I love it! And it’s been his favorite song since!
😭ohhh nooooo! You should have watched the Austin City Limits version!! So much better. This one feels a little messy compared to ACL. Still a good song but such a better vibe in the other one. Check it out in your own time now that you're familiar.
I will try my best to explain in as few characters as I can. The entirety of the song takes place while he is actually out on a bird hunt with a buddy of his from his days before he met a girl and moved away. The whole point of the song is that he is back home doing what he loves doing after the break up, but he cannot get her off of his mind. The best example of this is the bridge when all of the sudden there's "a flutter of feathers, a shotgun to shoulder. I thought of the 4th of July. Bet she'll be home on the 4th of July. Bet we dance on the 4th of July". Hes not referring back to a time when he met her, he just cannot get her off his mind and he is hoping she will be back. I'm not the best at explaining what I'm thinking, but I hope this helps. This songs takes several listens to understand the setting. I urge you to watch the Austin City Limits version. Thanks for the video brother!
You did a good job explaining it. I like the nuances of the third verse. The dog being 12 (old age for the dog) is in better shape than he is after his time in Tulsa. Come home and live the good life. The Belgium Browning, sometimes called an A5 or Auto 5, is a highly prized heirloom for hunters.
@john see after the hundreds of times I've listened to this song, I was always puzzled by who was "Jim" and It didn't occur to me is was the dog sitting right next to them. I love music.
@@sixtyfore Jim is the narrator. "Dan said 'Look at ol' Jim' while looking at Jim the narrator whose shooting has gotten worse during the 12 years he was living in Tulsa, OK . The dog stayed behind in Cherokee County, OK with Dan and we aren't told the dog's name. The dog didn't spend time in Tulsa because Jim gave him up when he moved to Tulsa with Lorrie in '05. The dog has been with Dan. Jim is the one who's no worse for wear after 12 years away except his shooting has gone downhill and he's turning gray. Jimmy and Lorrie had a rocky years-long relationship that began when they were very young. This song is one of several stories of the seasons of that relationship. IMHO
I would for sure check out Shane Smith and the Saints, specifically “coast” or “all i see is you” especially if you are a fan of the fiddle. They are a tremendous group and one of the best live acts out there
The song is about coming home after he left for years to be with the girl (Lorie I suppose ) it didn’t work out he still thinks about her but he’s home where he belongs with his friends bird hunting and enjoying his way of life
I LOVE the bridge, especially here:
Mope, mope, mope, then BOOM!
You’d have to have hunted to realize how good that last bar is. When you’re walking and trying to scare up coveys and you hear the flutter of wings you throw the shotgun to your shoulder and tag them in sky. If you hit them their feathers explode out around them like a firework
As an avid bird hunter myself, trust me this song is like a hymn. Right in the feels.
Time afield heals all.
I think the song is literally about hunting birds and not a metaphor. in the states hunting in rural areas is a way of life. covey took wing as the opening line means the birds took flight, "shotguns were ringing", they were shooting.
the rest of the song uses that hunt as a vehicle for the narrator reflecting about a decade long failed marriage after he made it home to his buddies. the truth and metaphor layed out because of their hunting expedition is the poetic telling of felker and the beauty of life.
love the style of listening and reflecting on lyrics in your channel. keep it up!
This song means an awful lot to me.
September first is a holy day for me.
Some of the best days of my life where spent swinging a Belgian made browning over a freshly hewn corn field.
A little context. There are 4th of July Rodeos and rodeo dances afterward in an awful lot of small Texas and Oklahoma towns. It’s an annual tradition. When he talks about her being home on the 4th Of July, it’s about her returning to her hometown (she moved off to Tulsa also) and they’d dance on the 4th of July refers to that same rodeo dance which she returns to each year.
“My hands around a Belgian-made Browning, my mind on the lines of her face” is just a great country music line.
There’s a LOT more to this. “A flutter of feathers, a shotgun shouldered, it felt like the 4th of July”…he got back to his roots. It was LIBERATING…I’ve been there. This song is personal for me. This exact experience saved my life.
This is one of my favorites of the troubadours cuz I go bird hunting with the same shotgun!
I don’t know that you can appreciate the incredible beauty and heartbreak of this song being anywhere but the American south. It’s a song about a hunting trip that hides the story of a failed marriage. It’s full of shit only people from around here would understand like “go on to hell, honey, I’m headed home” is clearly and homage to the saying “ya’ll can go to hell, I’m going to Texas.”
Turnpike is honestly one of the best red dirt bands that has ever existed, really looking forward to the possibility of seeing them live again.
There are several breeds of pointing dogs. There's German Shorthair Pointers, Deutsches Drahthaars, English Pointers, Brittany's, Poodle Pointers, Vizslas, Weimaraners and etc. However the song is referring to an English Pointer.
Man watching this is crazy. I worked at a bar in the mid 2000s and the Troubadours were just a bar band that played around our region here in Oklahoma. I never got to see them as a fan I was always working the bar. It was Dirty’s Tavern in Tulsa Oklahoma. Still great memories 🥰
I was at this show and looking back now it all seems like a dream. I miss this band and I miss live music
Man, that comment hit me hard. To better times, friend!
Same, I've seen them 4 times live and they all seem like dreams
I think the mind on the lines of her face is pointing out he's distracted and not focused on hunting. Even the 4th of July party he had started to loosen up but he's still thinking of her again and not thinking he made his shot. His buddy is trying to pull him out of a tail spin with hunting and jokes and his old dog. It's another very Hemingway song looking at the details of something relatable while dancing around the actual topic of the song but managing to nail both.
He mentions bird hunting in the first lines of the song when he says the the shotguns were singing. It means they were shooting at the birds
And he tried to reload but it also means that he is doing the same with his life
I live in Chewey, Oklahoma located in the legendary Cherokee County.
My favorite Turnpike song is 7&7. It’s a beautiful song about young love and changing perspective as you move through the years past it. It’s an absolute shame that Evan has been in and out of his troubles, or they’d be far bigger and better by this point.
Or they would never be who they are. Even Felker writes from the heart and his songs wouldn't be as good as they are without him living though what he is writing about. The pain he has lived through is what makes his songs what they are. It's the double edged sword that makes musicians, especially songwriters, so relatable; but also the reason that so many end up with addictions, or worse.
@@1bakagaijin absolutely. Still, many can stay sober enough to tour and make show dates, remember the words to their own songs, etc. I’m a fan. I’ve seen them live many times before they stopped touring. I very much wish him the best.
Love your videos man. A browning is a shotgun. And a pointer is a bird dog.
When you said it was weird that he was thinking of the girl's face when he was shooting at quail and you said that was kind of weird, I think you're missing the most powerful point of this song is that he is going through this breakup right now literally this week and no matter what he does he cannot get his mind off of her. He cannot even be shooting quail out of the sky with his grandfather's Browning Belgium and even in that most intense favorite experience he cannot get his mind off of her. He is broken and in so much pain that nothing Can get her out of his head in this moment.
I believe in this song what happened was the girl decided they were splitting up and she said she herself is going to her own home which is probably in Southwest Arkansas and she's telling him she doesn't care where he goes. So he goes to his home to go quail hunting With Dan to get his mind off of his pain but it's impossible for him to do. Everything going on on that hunt somehow reminds him of her or of their relationship together.
The Belgian made Browning is a particular type of shotgun made by the Browning brand but years ago Browning made those shotguns in different countries and the ones made in Belgium have always been perceive to be the very highest quality and they are especially expensive and particularly hard to find. The one in this song was handed down to him by his grandfather and it's very special and it appears in multiple songs. In the housefire, the only thing he could get out of the house was one picture and that shotgun and nothing else.
love how Felker referenced McMurtry. go check him out.
Brownings are expensive shotguns , Covey is a bunch of birds.
Blue guitar - Ryan Engleman
fiddle - Kyle Nix
Bass - RC Edwards
Pedal Steel - Hank Early
Drums - Gabe Pearson
Lead vocals - Felker
Belgian-made Browning is a reference to s series of Auto 5’s (and other) before their production was moved to Asia. It’s certainly shotgun (not a rilfe) and probably one he inherited as the Brownings were made in Belgium before he was born. Great reaction video.
As a Texas guy and somebody who lives not too far from where these guys started I can tell you right now, this is about as Texas as it gets.
As a new hunter and someone from a fairly rural town, this song means a lot to me. While there are literal meanings to the lyrics, I think it's all about what home means and knowing where someone belongs.
I love the “4th of July” lines. As an American, seems to me he means “freedom.” Metaphorically, he’s home free. Him belting these lines out always hits me in the feels.
If you listen though, he's talking about how the girl that left him will be home to celebrate the 4th with her family, and he can see her again/get another shot. So quite the opposite of freedom. And that fits with Evan's state of mind when he wrote it. Dude was messed up.
I love that they always have that Oklahoma flag there. Their music just feels like home to me.
Love the channel, keep up the great work! Never commented before but had to on this one, since I believe is one of the best written country songs of my generation (I'm 30) because of the vivid imagery in almost every line. The more times you listen to this song, the more you appreciate it. Jim is the protagonist 12 yr old English pointer. "A dozen Decembers" is just to describe his bird dog, which took me forever to realize. Living in Texas, I've been able to see Turnpike live ~10 times and if they every play again live it's something you have to experience. All Turnpike songs are great, but others that should be at the top of the list are 1968, The Funeral and The Housefire.
hey man!! its been a while since ive been in your comments. it just so happened that i came across this video tonight before i take my bird dog hunting tomorrow morning! so you made my night once again!
Glad this didn't get blocked. Texas Music Scene has a bunch of great artist on it. I'd recommend Sunny Sweeney "Nothing wrong with Texas".
Before the devil knows we’re dead by turnpike is a very good song
I've always thought this song was more about him and his buddy. Women come and go, but his buddy has always been there to lift him back up. And he always has home❤ and hunting 😉
I would suggest "17" - by Cross Canadian Ragweed to be added to your list to listen to. A Staple of the Red Dirt Country Music Scene.
Runnin’ from your folks, runnin’ from the laww
Runnin’ from loove, runnin’ from your fears runnin’ from it alll🎶🎶
Song cuts deap.
My favorite from Cody Canada is them boys from oklahoma!! 😂
They were wonderful to see live. Actually saw them in Shreveport, LA about 5 years ago. The writing and musicianship is something truly special. Outside of possibly Isbell I don't think there is a better lyricist. The one thing that seems to be overlooked here is that a "bird" is considered a female so Bird Hunters is being used as a double/triple entendre here which is super cool to making multiple comments about his life/experience while using only a single vehicle.
Lous and Heavy - Cody Jinks on Texas Music Scene. That was where I heard it first. My husband came out of our room and said what song is this? I love it! And it’s been his favorite song since!
My favorite turnpike song right now is “something to hold onto” from their most recent album
Before the devil knows we re dead hear ya live session
YES!
You should do Charleston girl by Tyler Childers
😭ohhh nooooo! You should have watched the Austin City Limits version!! So much better. This one feels a little messy compared to ACL. Still a good song but such a better vibe in the other one. Check it out in your own time now that you're familiar.
I will try my best to explain in as few characters as I can.
The entirety of the song takes place while he is actually out on a bird hunt with a buddy of his from his days before he met a girl and moved away. The whole point of the song is that he is back home doing what he loves doing after the break up, but he cannot get her off of his mind. The best example of this is the bridge when all of the sudden there's "a flutter of feathers, a shotgun to shoulder. I thought of the 4th of July. Bet she'll be home on the 4th of July. Bet we dance on the 4th of July". Hes not referring back to a time when he met her, he just cannot get her off his mind and he is hoping she will be back. I'm not the best at explaining what I'm thinking, but I hope this helps. This songs takes several listens to understand the setting. I urge you to watch the Austin City Limits version. Thanks for the video brother!
ruclips.net/video/SOuLjwu2X14/видео.html
You did a good job explaining it. I like the nuances of the third verse. The dog being 12 (old age for the dog) is in better shape than he is after his time in Tulsa. Come home and live the good life. The Belgium Browning, sometimes called an A5 or Auto 5, is a highly prized heirloom for hunters.
@john see after the hundreds of times I've listened to this song, I was always puzzled by who was "Jim" and It didn't occur to me is was the dog sitting right next to them. I love music.
@@sixtyfore Jim is the narrator. "Dan said 'Look at ol' Jim' while looking at Jim the narrator whose shooting has gotten worse during the 12 years he was living in Tulsa, OK .
The dog stayed behind in Cherokee County, OK with Dan and we aren't told the dog's name. The dog didn't spend time in Tulsa because Jim gave him up when he moved to Tulsa with Lorrie in '05.
The dog has been with Dan. Jim is the one who's no worse for wear after 12 years away except his shooting has gone downhill and he's turning gray.
Jimmy and Lorrie had a rocky years-long relationship that began when they were very young. This song is one of several stories of the seasons of that relationship.
IMHO
I would for sure check out Shane Smith and the Saints, specifically “coast” or “all i see is you” especially if you are a fan of the fiddle. They are a tremendous group and one of the best live acts out there