(woman) Prairie Musicians is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.

[guitar plays in funky "swamp rock" style] ♪ ♪ ♪ Don't say you know exactly how I feel ♪ ♪ ♪ You drove me off the ledge ♪ ♪ Then gave me back the wheel ♪ ♪ You told me I should tear all my walls down ♪ ♪ Be careful what you wish for ♪ ♪ In my waters you will drown ♪ ♪ I know you like them young and full of scars ♪ ♪ So here we are ♪ ♪ ♪ I light a cigarette and breathe you in ♪ ♪ ♪ You love me like your hangover ♪ ♪ From your tonic and your gin ♪ ♪ You smell like leather and you smell like lace ♪ ♪ One more drink you're mine ♪ ♪ And I'll take you from this place ♪ ♪ It's okay I've got my car outside ♪ ♪ You're a lucky man but your luck's run out tonight ♪ ♪ You're a big bad wolf ♪ ♪ I'm no Red Riding Hood ♪ ♪ I used to be someone ♪ ♪ Somebody who was good ♪ ♪ Then you took me in ♪ ♪ And you tore me to the bone ♪ ♪ Now I know just what you are ♪ ♪ You're not going home ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ How sweet you think you know ♪ ♪ Just where we are ♪ ♪ ♪ You ask me to make love to you ♪ ♪ While we're sitting in the car ♪ ♪ I smile and say that we should take a walk ♪ ♪ You slur your words and then say ♪ ♪ "Sure if we don't have to talk" ♪ ♪ I check my Colt revolver ♪ ♪ Against my waist ♪ ♪ And I wait ♪ ♪ ♪ You stutter and I hear you say my name ♪ ♪ I love you like a dog that's been locked up on a chain ♪ ♪ You think you know exactly who I am ♪ ♪ ♪ One more step and you'll know for sure ♪ ♪ That I don't give a damn ♪ ♪ You're a big bad wolf ♪ ♪ I'm no Red Riding Hood ♪ ♪ I used to be someone ♪ ♪ Somebody who was good ♪ ♪ Then you took me in ♪ ♪ And you tore me to the bone ♪ ♪ Now I know just what you are ♪ ♪ You're not going ♪ ♪ Home ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Say you know exactly how I feel ♪ ♪ ♪ You drove me to this bitter end ♪ ♪ Then gave me back the wheel ♪ ♪ You told me I should tear all my walls down ♪ ♪ Be careful what you wish for ♪ ♪ In those waters you will drown ♪ ♪ You don't flinch when you hear the sound ♪ ♪ I thank my lucky stars that there's not a soul around ♪ ♪ You're a big bad wolf ♪ ♪ I'm no Red Riding Hood ♪ ♪ I used to be someone ♪ ♪ Somebody who was good ♪ ♪ Then you took me in ♪ ♪ And you tore me to the bone ♪ ♪ Now I know just what you are ♪ ♪ You're not going home ♪ ♪ You're a big bad wolf ♪ ♪ I'm no Red Riding Hood ♪ ♪ I used to be someone ♪ ♪ Somebody who was good ♪ ♪ Then you took me in ♪ ♪ And you tore me to the bone ♪ ♪ Well now I know just what you are ♪ ♪ You're not going home ♪ ♪ ♪ Not going home ♪ ♪ Hi, my name is Samantha Grimes, and I'm originally from Forest Lake, Minnesota and Minnesota born and raised.

I play kind of a non-genre specific version of Americana, country roots, rock-- basically a little bit of everything.

My mother was a singer in the choir at church and in bars, and my dad was a DJ in the Twin Cities, and he would bring home the duplicates from the radio station on vinyl.

When I was young they would dance around with us and play Boston and Foreigner, and I just fell in love with it.

I knew that someday I wanted to be a musician.

I remember asking Santa Claus for a guitar when I was 5.

The guitar was much bigger than I was at that age.

So I laid it on my lap, so that's why I play left-handed and upside down-- complete accident.

[playing a country rock intro] ♪ ♪ ♪ The writings on the wall ♪ ♪ Say nothing at all ♪ ♪ But that look upon your face ♪ ♪ Is pretty hard to mistake ♪ ♪ I get lost then I'm found when I'm up ♪ ♪ I go down on you ♪ ♪ In the blink of an eye I don't know why I hide ♪ ♪ I do ♪ ♪ ♪ You and I aren't like her or him ♪ ♪ Our history is not a casual thing ♪ ♪ We're tethered lives together on the end ♪ ♪ Of a red string ♪ ♪ A red string ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And the timing's never right ♪ ♪ For stolen moments in the night ♪ ♪ And you're never quite at ease ♪ ♪ When you're lying through your teeth ♪ ♪ When you're biting your tongue ♪ ♪ And the blood starts to run are you still fine ♪ ♪ True we both made our beds but it's couches instead ♪ ♪ For our kind ♪ ♪ But you and I aren't like her or him ♪ ♪ Our history is not a casual thing ♪ ♪ We're tethered lives together on the end ♪ ♪ Of a ♪ ♪ Red string ♪ ♪ A red string ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ah ah-ah-ah ah-ah-ah ah-ah-ah ♪ ♪ Ah-ah ah ah ♪ ♪ ♪ Ah ah-ah-ah ah-ah-ah ah-ah-ah ♪ ♪ Ah ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ ♪ But you and I aren't like her or him ♪ ♪ Our history is not a casual thing ♪ ♪ We're tethered lives together on the end ♪ ♪ Of a red string ♪ ♪ A red string ♪ ♪ A red string ♪ ♪ A red string ♪ ♪ The left-handed thing-- I am left-handed which is a plus.

Honestly, it has caused a little bit of a hiccup especially when it comes to playing electric guitar.

Whenever I purchase an electric guitar my musician friend flips everything around for me so I'm not hittin' knobs when I go for a downstroke.

I can break a lot of E and A strings, which are the bottom two.

I carry a lot of extra strings with me for that exact purpose.

But I think it's awesome because I get a lot of unique sounds out of my guitars, and there's some harmonics that come into play, and it just gives me a little more versatility with the songs that I create.

I'd never trade it for the world.

It's so much fun, and it gives me so much room in my music.

♪ [playing syncopated rhythmic rock] ♪ ♪ ♪ In Wheaton County it's close to three a.m. ♪ ♪ And the bars are slowly turning down their lights ♪ ♪ Two boys are sulking in their Killian's Irish Red ♪ ♪ Reminiscing everything about the night ♪ ♪ It's been ten years since they last walked those halls ♪ ♪ And every doorway looks and feels the same ♪ ♪ But the class of '93 seems stuck upon the page ♪ ♪ Everyone is gone everyone has changed ♪ ♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ Ten years go by and you're stuck in the same life ♪ ♪ Never left the place you swore you'd leave behind ♪ ♪ And everyone around you has passed you by ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Like Jacob Warner is now an engineer ♪ ♪ And Phillip Hurley lives in Tennessee ♪ ♪ Douglas Frank McCarthy was killed in Kosovo ♪ ♪ And his best friend became an actor on the silver screen ♪ ♪ But our two heroes, sitting at that bar on Ferris Drive ♪ ♪ Have lived and worked a decade in this town ♪ ♪ And with all the opportunities they gave up in the past ♪ ♪ They've come to see their futures in the faces of their dads ♪ ♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ Ten years go by and you're stuck in the same life ♪ ♪ Never left the place you swore you'd leave behind ♪ ♪ And everyone around you has passed you by ♪ ♪ And tonight ♪ ♪ It feels like you are in the waiting line ♪ ♪ You're in the shade while others get the shine ♪ ♪ And you're SOL because you wouldn't try ♪ ♪ ♪ Everyone around you ♪ ♪ Has passed you by ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ In Wheaton County ♪ ♪ It's noon or sometime close ♪ ♪ They found him with a pistol in his hand ♪ ♪ Everybody knew his name ♪ ♪ All knew his woes ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's common knowledge that's how life in Wheaton County goes ♪ ♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ Ten years go by and you're stuck in the same life ♪ ♪ Never left the place you swore you'd leave behind ♪ ♪ Everyone around you ♪ ♪ Passed you by ♪ ♪ And tonight ♪ ♪ It feels like you are in the waiting line ♪ ♪ You're in the shade while others get the shine ♪ ♪ And you're SOL because you wouldn't try ♪ ♪ And everyone around you ♪ ♪ Has passed you by ♪ ♪ Oh oh-oh oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Songwriting for me is, it's not methodical I would say, but do kind of have a general way that things go.

I tend to come up with the music first.

I will be messing around with my guitar or on the piano, and I'll come up with either a progression or some kind of melody, and I'll think that sounds kind of cool, and then I think of what part of a movie that mood and that music would be in.

And what's going on in that movie.

I think that's why a lot of my songwriting tends to lead towards storytelling.

And I always say that the best songs come fast for me.

So if it all comes together in 20 minutes, and I've got a song.

I'm just pleased as punch about it.

"Black Eye Liner" is another favorite.

I wrote that during the Pandemic when everyone was locked up inside our houses, and I was really missing playing live.

I had been quite a while since all the venues had shut down, and everyone was trapped in their houses.

I thought about how funny it was I missed the fact that my eyeliner would run when I played, because I sweat, I sweat a lot.

[laughs] And my eye liner would go down like this, and I'd look like a racoon after, and I was sitting there with my guitar, and I stumbled across this cool little riff, and I thought how cool it would be to write a song that talks about you could be sad, you could be whatever, but if you're up there on stage, and you're doing what you love, and that black eyeliner comes down-- it's the picture of everything good in a song and in being an artist.

[playing a blues-rock beat] ♪ ♪ ♪ I've been searching ♪ ♪ Low and high ♪ ♪ I've been praying ♪ ♪ For a sign ♪ ♪ I've been living like I'm waiting to die ♪ ♪ ♪ I've been lonely ♪ ♪ In the dark ♪ ♪ I've been broken ♪ ♪ By my heart ♪ ♪ I've been bleeding I've been torn apart ♪ ♪ ♪ But my eyes are burning raw ♪ ♪ Crying tears ♪ ♪ Nobody else saw ♪ ♪ Paint the liner black ♪ ♪ Though it's lonely at the top ♪ ♪ There's no there's no going back ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I can see ♪ ♪ You out the back ♪ ♪ Single malt whiskey ♪ ♪ In your hand ♪ ♪ Looking for another looking for a lover so you feel like a man ♪ ♪ ♪ And I could have you with one look ♪ ♪ Desperation's ♪ ♪ My favorite hook ♪ ♪ I'm a hunter and my prey has me shook ♪ ♪ ♪ 'Cause my eyes are burning raw ♪ ♪ Crying tears ♪ ♪ Nobody else saw ♪ ♪ Paint the liner black ♪ ♪ Though it's lonely at the top there's no ♪ ♪ There's no going back ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So I'm sitting by myself ♪ ♪ Got my demons ♪ ♪ On a shelf ♪ ♪ Light another smoke tell another joke like there's still something left ♪ ♪ ♪ But my eyes are burning raw ♪ ♪ Crying tears ♪ ♪ Nobody else saw ♪ ♪ Paint the liner black ♪ ♪ Though it's lonely at the top ♪ ♪ There's no there's no going back ♪ ♪ My eyes are raw crying tears ♪ ♪ Nobody else saw ♪ ♪ Paint the liner black ♪ ♪ Though it's lonely at the top ♪ ♪ There's no there's no going back ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing in country-rock rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Look at me I need attention again ♪ ♪ I overcompensate then fall into bed ♪ ♪ I swear on my fingers crossed ♪ ♪ That I'm not so insecure ♪ ♪ I don't know why the chase gets me off ♪ ♪ Get a taste then you better get lost ♪ ♪ When I'm the one who's lost yeah ♪ ♪ I'm the one who's lost ♪ ♪ You think I want to be this way ♪ ♪ You think it's easy for me ♪ ♪ Now I can't sleep at night ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know that it's not right ♪ ♪ But every single thing I do ♪ ♪ I'm only making up for you ♪ ♪ And the damage has been done ♪ ♪ The damage has been done ah ♪ ♪ ♪ I've been dying ♪ ♪ ♪ Been toying with this thought in my brain ♪ ♪ I need love but I'll settle for less ♪ ♪ Diamond rings are just silly things that people easily forget ♪ ♪ Don't know if maybe I'm bored ♪ ♪ It used to be fun but it isn't no more ♪ ♪ Maybe I'm getting older ♪ ♪ Maybe I'm just colder ♪ ♪ You think I want to be this way ♪ ♪ You think it's easy for me ♪ ♪ Now I can't sleep at night 'cause I know that it's not right ♪ ♪ Every single thing I do ♪ ♪ I'm only making up for you ♪ ♪ And the damage has been done ♪ ♪ The damage has been done ah ha ♪ ♪ ♪ Has been done ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Why can't I be like everyone else ♪ ♪ I want to go out and trust myself ♪ ♪ Why can't I trust myself ♪ ♪ ♪ You think I want to be this way ♪ ♪ You think it's easy for me ♪ ♪ Now I can't sleep at night 'cause I know that it's not right ♪ ♪ And every single thing I do ♪ ♪ I'm only making up for you ♪ ♪ And the damage has been done ♪ ♪ The damage has been done now ♪ ♪ ♪ All been done ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [rapid finger-picking] [playing a rhythmic rock beat] ♪ ♪ Carry on without me ♪ ♪ I'm on fire you don't want the ashes ♪ ♪ The desire you don't want the chaos ♪ ♪ I create ♪ ♪ You don't want me ♪ ♪ So hide me in your desk drawer where I'll wait ♪ ♪ Picture perfect secrets ♪ ♪ Never let 'em see the light of day ♪ ♪ You don't want me ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm only lookin' out for you ♪ ♪ ♪ So think of all the damage ♪ ♪ I could do ♪ ♪ Oh how's a broken heart ♪ ♪ Allowed to bruise ♪ ♪ Why is the first case always the worst case ♪ ♪ When it comes to you ♪ ♪ Ah-ah ha I'm only looking out for you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So come on baby tell me that you get it ♪ ♪ ♪ I only said it 'cause I meant it ♪ ♪ ♪ I feel it's so obvious ♪ ♪ My heart's just pulp and lies ♪ ♪ Oh trust me I'm no prize ♪ ♪ You don't want me ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm only looking out for you ♪ ♪ So think of all the damage ♪ ♪ I could do ♪ ♪ Oh how's a broken heart ♪ ♪ Allowed to bruise ♪ ♪ Why is the first case always the worst case ♪ ♪ When it comes to you ♪ ♪ Oh-oh I'm only looking out ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ Ah-ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ Ah-ah-ah-ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ Ah-ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ Why is the first case always the worst case ♪ ♪ When it comes to you oo-oo ♪ ♪ I'm only looking out for you ♪ ♪ ♪ So think of all the damage ♪ ♪ I could do ♪ ♪ Oh how's a broken heart ♪ ♪ Allowed to bruise ♪ ♪ Why is the first case ♪ ♪ Always the worst case ♪ ♪ When it comes to you ♪ ♪ Ah-ah ah-ah ♪ ♪ I'm only looking out for you ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm only looking out ♪ ♪ For you ♪ (woman) Prairie Musicians is made possible by The Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.