On The Road
On the road you will find yourself
Getting lost being someone else
But you know you will find yourself on the road
Here in the moment where the dust is spun
You got time for contemplation underneath this desert sun
And there is no destination but the journey we’ve been on – on the road …
Hanson
This song, from the next Hanson.net member’s kit, follows a theme familiar not just to Hanson, but to musicians and poets down the ages.
In this short verse and chorus, they suggest journey, life, identity, transience, change, loss, acceptance, turmoil, fulfilment, reflection and knowing Hanson, much, much more.
Some famous non Hanson songs that look at the life of the musician on the road include, Bob Seger Turn the Page, Neil Young Tonight’s the Night and Willie Nelson On the Road Again, songs which stretch the idea from the darkest to the brightest interpretations of the artist’s experience.
But there is no telling if these Hanson lyrics refer to the life of the musician, or rather the life of the human being, making his or her way through the complexities of existence, taking rest where possible and catching moments to gather themselves wherever they may be.
I would guess that the words combine both, for it must be impossible for Isaac, Taylor and Zac, who have spent much of their lives on the road, to separate the two.
For them, places visited, decisions made and people met have substantially happened against the backdrop of touring and this must bring an eye for detail that most people are denied.
So do the words above provide any insight into the wisdom of Hanson, as the excitement of Anthem quietens and they contemplate their next destination?
Certainly the song suggests something about the journey to self discovery, expression and fulfilment, but it has a tender note of realisation and even warning, reminding the listener not to look too far ahead, but rather to make the most of the moments as they happen and to appreciate the now.
In The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster says,
“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.”
Hanson have always seemed to understand this idea, whether it has been visiting places en route to tour dates, taking photographs and documenting life as they travel or even being inspired by local customs to write a new song.
But they have also taken pleasure and inspiration or drawn courage and insight from the circumstances between records, ultimately moving forward and seizing opportunities to consider and establish more of who they are.
At This year’s Hanson day event in Tulsa, Hanson will celebrate 10 years since the release of Underneath, the album that almost didn’t happen.
The road from This Time Around to Underneath was long, painful and arduous. Hanson had to consider many unexpected options, but it resulted in creative choices which were ultimately liberating for the band, allowing for a different relationship with the music, the business and the fan base.
The establishment of 3CG records in downtown Tulsa may have seemed like a risky venture at the time, but the development of The Brady Arts district, which surrounds it, puts Hanson at the heart of a thriving, trendy, imaginative and well populated cultural scene.
And Hanson has worked unceasingly since then to define their sound, a clear and original sound, one that is rooted in musical integrity but is coloured with ingenuity.
Perhaps the other songs that Hanson release on the member’s kit will help to illustrate what this journey along the road is about for them.
From Michael Jackson and Al Green, to stomping and the sound of drunken gangs, the predictable and the unpredictable may well meet in the excited turmoil of the moment and generate exuberant rhythm and blues alongside lyrical ballad.
We wish Hanson well on the road, as it unfolds this year, and whether it is in the USA, Mexico, Australia or somewhere else, if you join them, have fun – On The Road.
Join the Hanson fan club and hear the new music by visiting http://www.hanson.net/site/sections/18
