(driving country rock music) (crowd cheers and applauds) - [Announcer] "Ocean State Sessions" features performances by local musicians and brings you the stories behind the songs.

Coming up tonight.

♪ Sand sinking between your toes ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ And you'll find you're in a river ♪ ♪ Run down to the sea ♪ ♪ Come to find you've got a home with me ♪ (relaxed cheerful music) (relaxed pop ballad music) ♪ I knew I had to leave ♪ ♪ So I packed my things to go ♪ ♪ How long did I really think ♪ ♪ I could keep up with this circus show ♪ ♪ Too many times I have been ♪ ♪ Criticized and cast aside ♪ ♪ So I thought I'd take a ride ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I'm getting outta here ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I leave today ♪ ♪ Make no mistakes, you know I'm gonna leave ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave no matter what you say ♪ ♪ It wasn't long till I had 60 miles of road ♪ ♪ Lord, he knows I did not know where to go ♪ ♪ Found an off-road motel where I could lay my head ♪ ♪ I was robbed of everything as I lay asleep in the bed ♪ ♪ Opened my eyes to the thief running out the door ♪ ♪ Well, I fought until he knew what for ♪ ♪ And his body hit the floor ♪ ♪ Oh, you know I'm running with my money ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I'm getting outta here ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I leave today ♪ ♪ Make no mistakes, you know I'm gonna leave ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave no matter what you say ♪ ♪ I knew it wasn't long until I'd be found ♪ ♪ Outta the States for Mexico I was bound ♪ ♪ I changed my hair, I changed my clothes ♪ ♪ I'd even change my name ♪ ♪ Deep inside, I felt they'd find me just the same ♪ ♪ A few miles from the border, spent my cash on a 45 ♪ ♪ It would be a miracle if I could make it out alive ♪ ♪ I was a wanted woman ♪ ♪ Why not raise the stakes ♪ ♪ A good, old-fashioned heist ♪ ♪ While I was still in the States ♪ ♪ I pulled into a filling station in a quiet Arizona town ♪ ♪ I asked the man behind the counter ♪ ♪ Could you please lay some cigarettes down ♪ ♪ I pressed my pistol to his head soon as he turned around ♪ ♪ I emptied the register and slowly backed out ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I'm getting outta here ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I leave today ♪ ♪ And make no mistakes, you know I'm gonna leave ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave no matter what you say ♪ ♪ I jumped in my car ♪ ♪ Naturally, I drove fast ♪ ♪ 100 miles per hour on the dash ♪ ♪ I heard the sirens in the distance calling my name ♪ ♪ By then, I had made it past customs ♪ ♪ Oh, what a shame, I got away ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I made it outta here ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I got away ♪ ♪ Beep, beep outta here, I made it outta here ♪ ♪ Maybe you will catch me on another day ♪ ♪ You will never catch me ♪ ♪ On another day ♪ ♪ You will never catch me ♪ ♪ On another day ♪ - My name is Lily Rhodes.

I'm from Warren, Rhode Island, and I am a singer-songwriter and guitarist.

I was actually going to become a writer before I decided to become a musician.

I was studying creative writing at my high school, and I was on track to do writing for the rest of my life.

And I picked up a guitar, and I realized that it could actually be translated to songwriting.

And I found that it was just a really amazing working process.

I found it really inspirational, and to have sort of these short, little vignettes of stories.

I didn't have to commit to, like, a 700-page novel or something, and that's kinda when I started realizing, you know, I could change these stories into songs.

And then I just got so into playing guitar that that just kinda became my lifeblood, and now, it's all I really do.

"Is It Human Nature?"

That was a fun one to write.

It was actually assignment for a class at my school, and it was to write a 12-bar blues song, but of course, I messed up the 12 bars of the blues.

(giggles) And I changed the chords around a little bit without realizing it, and I came in with the song, and I didn't get a very good grade, but I did like the song.

(melancholy guitar music) (melancholy guitar music continues) ♪ Every day lately ♪ ♪ When I been feeling awful, oh ♪ ♪ Dark cloud of cruelty wherever I go ♪ ♪ Is it human nature ♪ ♪ Well, how the hell am I to know ♪ ♪ I woke up this morning ♪ ♪ In a downright awful mood ♪ ♪ They say watch it ♪ ♪ It's all in your attitude ♪ ♪ How can I feel optimistic ♪ ♪ When the world is so damn cruel ♪ ♪ The world takes good people ♪ ♪ And squashes them down ♪ ♪ Caught in the eye of a hurricane ♪ ♪ Spinning round and round ♪ ♪ Flash flood of negativity ♪ ♪ The world'll watch them drown ♪ ♪ The world is frostbitten ♪ ♪ 'Cause the people are so cold ♪ ♪ The world is full of winter ♪ ♪ Yeah, it's getting real old ♪ ♪ Somebody needs to thaw it out ♪ ♪ And choose kindness, you know ♪ ♪ Some people feel like sunshine ♪ ♪ On a brutal winter day ♪ ♪ They're few and far between ♪ ♪ You gotta work to make them stay ♪ ♪ Hold them close, and ♪ ♪ Don't let the cruel world take them away ♪ ♪ Every day lately ♪ ♪ When I been feeling awful low ♪ ♪ Surround myself with sunshine ♪ ♪ Wherever I go ♪ ♪ I know it's human nature ♪ ♪ To wax so damn cold ♪ (melancholy music) "It's a Rightful Place?"

It's my ode to Rhode Island.

It's just a love letter about how much I feel this state has impacted me.

The nature here is just outta this world beautiful, so I felt it was only right to write a song about how much I love the natural world, especially on the East Coast.

Water is a big part of my life.

I'm a big swimmer, big surfer, so it's really important to me to just conserve the nature in our, you know, our beautiful Earth.

We have to make sure that that stays around for a while, so it's important to me to write about conservation, but also just to cherish the natural beauty that we're surrounded by.

I find a lot of inspiration from literature and poetry, especially about just, you know, the forest or the beach.

(giggles) Otis Read was up there accompanying me on banjo today.

He's just an amazing multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

And I honestly, I've been taking lessons with him.

When I was, like, very young, I stopped when I was around maybe 16 or 17 years old, but before that, he was actually my ukulele teacher, and I only recently started playing guitar, but he helped me write some of my earliest songs.

He gave me a lot of really constructive feedback, helped me start learning a little bit about ukulele, and then eventually, my interests gravitated towards the guitar.

So we've stayed in touch.

He lives right around where I live in Warren, and he's just a local legend, so, you know, you can't help but really respect his craft, and he's got some amazing songs.

He's a really awesome artist.

(relaxed guitar music) (relaxed guitar music continues) ♪ I wake up every morning ♪ ♪ And I let the sun in ♪ ♪ I wake up every morning ♪ ♪ And I let the world in ♪ ♪ Every breath I take ♪ ♪ Each step I make ♪ ♪ Has brought me to my grace ♪ ♪ Has saved me from my fate ♪ ♪ The universe ♪ ♪ Has fallen into place ♪ ♪ The universe ♪ ♪ Has fallen into place ♪ ♪ Place, place ♪ (relaxed music) (relaxed music continues) ♪ The sweater I wear ♪ ♪ Hangs soft against my skin ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ Water sprays ♪ ♪ As the tide rolls in ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ Let the sand ♪ ♪ Sink in between your toes ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ Feel the cool wind ♪ ♪ On your nose ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ Every breath I take ♪ ♪ Each step I make ♪ ♪ Has brought me to my grace ♪ ♪ Has saved me from my fate ♪ ♪ The universe ♪ ♪ Has fallen into place ♪ (relaxed music) ♪ The universe ♪ ♪ Has fallen into place ♪ ♪ The universe ♪ ♪ Has fallen into place ♪ (air whooshing) - Hi, my name's Otis Read.

I'm from Warren, Rhode Island, and I'm a singer-songwriter who also has a whole cadre of music students.

I teach actually banjo and guitar, bass, have a good time with it.

Being a teacher is great.

I get to meet kids of all ages.

I have older students, retired students, and we do everything from work on songs and songwriting to just learning the basics.

It's great, fantastic.

♪ A one, two, three ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) ♪ You looked out windows while I drove ♪ ♪ My eyes were trained on signs ♪ ♪ You scoured maps, we crossed borderlines ♪ ♪ In the glare of the windshield in the sunlight ♪ ♪ Through the dust of the dirt roads ♪ ♪ We both had suffered a parade of episodes ♪ ♪ Come to find, you're not alone ♪ ♪ Come to see ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ ♪ Come to find, you're in a river ♪ ♪ Running down to the sea ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ (hums) Past barbed fences and milestones ♪ ♪ Covered in rain and thunder ♪ ♪ Over the mountains, through the tunnels under ♪ ♪ We held some 20-odd points of view ♪ ♪ Got lost and tossed and turning ♪ ♪ Trying to fulfill this yearning long time overdue ♪ ♪ Long time overdue ♪ ♪ Come to find, you're not alone ♪ ♪ Come to see ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Come to find, you're in a river ♪ ♪ Running down to the sea ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) ♪ Down corridors of paintings and pictures ♪ ♪ Past tapestries and designs ♪ ♪ Our combination was twisted into vines ♪ ♪ We held some 20-odd points of view ♪ ♪ Got lost and tossed and turning ♪ ♪ I'm trying to fulfill this yearning long time overdue ♪ ♪ Long time overdue ♪ ♪ Come to find, you're not alone ♪ ♪ Come to see ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Come to find, you're in a river ♪ ♪ Run down to the sea ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) ♪ Come to find, you're not alone ♪ ♪ Come see ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Come to find, you're in a river ♪ ♪ Running down to the sea ♪ ♪ Come to find, you've got a home with me ♪ ♪ You've got a home with me ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ You've got a home with me ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) "Roll the Other Way" was written in the '80s, and it was kind of at a, I think I was kind of at a crossroads, where I was looking for the next move, and it was just sort of trying to gauge where I'm at and where I'm going next.

And it seemed to hang around over the years and brought it back to life recently.

It's sort of about pushing forward and stepping back and pushing forward and stepping back.

That whole process of, you know, writing a song, redoing it, thinking about it, trying it again, you know.

Doesn't necessarily apply to songwriting.

It could be doing anything.

♪ A one, a two, a one, two, three ♪ (relaxed country folk music) ♪ I will have to lose my path ♪ ♪ If I want to make my way ♪ ♪ And it seems I've got some dues I have to pay ♪ (relaxed country folk music) ♪ Makes no difference what you dream ♪ ♪ 'Cause other things always come between ♪ ♪ At least my thinking on all that I have seen ♪ (relaxed country folk music) ♪ And can't hold onto things behind me ♪ ♪ They'll never be the same ♪ ♪ But I keep on singing right through the pain ♪ ♪ Or might begin to roll the other way ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) (relaxed country folk music continues) ♪ So hold on, thunder ♪ ♪ Hold on, rain 'cause I know I'll see the sun again ♪ ♪ There just might be some struggle along the way ♪ ♪ If constant change is all I see ♪ ♪ And still not sure where I wanna be ♪ ♪ If I keep on moving, I can always hold my freedom ♪ ♪ And can't hold onto things behind me ♪ ♪ They'll never be the same ♪ ♪ But I keep on singing right through the pain ♪ ♪ Or I might begin to roll the other way ♪ (relaxed country folk music) ♪ Seems I've got some dues I'll have to pay ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) "Hot Summer Wind," I was living in Italy for a few years, and it was during the war in Croatia.

And it just felt like I needed to say something about what was going on there, and the inspiration came.

And I just, you know, drew on the olive trees and the grass.

You know, I was living in a beautiful countryside spot in Umbria, and yeah, that's really how it happened.

♪ A one, two, three ♪ (relaxed country folk music) ♪ Hot summer wind from across the sea ♪ ♪ Hot summer wind from across the sea ♪ ♪ You bring a wave of suffering ♪ ♪ And sadness over me ♪ ♪ For you've seen faces I cannot see ♪ ♪ Summer wind blow from across the sea ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) ♪ Oh, olive tree, how can you stand so calm ♪ ♪ Oh, olive tree, how can you stand so calm ♪ ♪ Why do you wave your branches so ♪ ♪ In these ill winds of war ♪ ♪ You taunt me, will they be blowing evermore ♪ ♪ Olive tree, how can you stand so calm ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) ♪ Oh, long, green grass, why you turn to brown ♪ ♪ Oh, long, green grass, why you turn to brown ♪ ♪ Have you been trampled underfoot ♪ ♪ Your soil is parched and dry ♪ ♪ Open scars and echoes of the battle cry ♪ ♪ Long, green grass, why you turn to brown ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) ♪ Hot summer wind from across the sea ♪ ♪ Hot summer wind from across the sea ♪ ♪ You bring a wave of suffering ♪ ♪ And sadness over me ♪ ♪ For you've seen faces I cannot see ♪ (throat clearing) ♪ Summer wind, blow from across the sea ♪ (relaxed country folk music) (relaxed country folk music continues) (relaxed country folk music continues) (energetic rock music) - [Announcer] Go online to hear more music, meet the artists, and more.

Visit RIPBS.org.

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