Story Behind The Song

The music started as an odd climbing riff that I couldn't get out of my head. Then one day the full form of the song just came together. The lyrics are all about how everything under the sun has already been done in art & music ... every story/plot has been around since Aristotle and there aren't really any new chord progressions to be invented. Kind of like Beatles lyrics "There's nothing you can do that ain't been done". We're all just reinventing the wheel, so we might as well just turn it up and have fun.

Song Description

Described as "aggressively country pop" or even "country punk" it's an accessible, fun, jangly pop song. Right from first riff, it's a song that gets people dancing at shows. It's more countryish than the rest of our stuff, but it's hardly straight-country ... almost feels like southern bands like The Radiators or something. Has a simple hook "You still should get a medal for reinventing the wheel" - verses are about: 1) Originality in general, 2) Basic themes in stories, 3) Name-checking various music artists

Lyrics

Nothing that you can do, that ain't been done
For every number two, there's number one
You probably won't reach the very top
That doesn't mean that you should stop

They still should give a medal for reinventing the wheel

Fish out of water, guy saves the girl
Mother and daughter, boy gets the girl
Man vs. nature, ignorant bliss
All been done before ... that's all there is

They still should give a medal for reinventing the wheel

Oh - take a look what we can do
No - we don't do anything new

Los Lobos, Little Feat, Raul Malo
The Band, The English Beat, Beck and Keb Mo'
Hank Williams senior and Johnny Cash
It's in this song here ... recycled trash

They still should give a medal for reinventing the wheel
They still should give a medal for reinventing the wheel