Zac Brown Band Balance Their Serious and Playful Sides in ‘Stubborn Pride’ and ‘Paradise Lost on Me’ [LISTEN]
Zac Brown Band honor their roots in a pair of new songs, "Stubborn Pride" and "Paradise Lost on Me."
Frontman Zac Brown's smoky vocals take center stage in "Stubborn Pride," a song that returns the experimental group to their country foundation. The seven-minute lament, which features Americana-leaning performer Marcus King, chronicles a man's journey from living a life lead by ego to finding a life partner who settles his wild spirit.
"My stubborn pride / Laid on the floor / Burned every bridge / I knew before / You pulled me from the fire / So I won't face the flames alone / And gave this gypsy heart / The only home it's ever known," he proclaims over a soulful melody and supporting choir to match.
The song ends with an extended guitar solo:
The breezy "Paradise Lost on Me," meanwhile, counteracts the serious nature of "Stubborn Pride," calling back to ZBB's carefree hits "Toes" and "Knee Deep." An inviting melody transports the listener to a tropical setting, as Brown uses white sand, frozen margaritas and sunsets to paint the picture of a perfect beach day, during which he met the woman of his dreams.
When the song fades away, the sun-kissed love story allows the listener to choose how it ends:
""Stubborn Pride" means a lot to me. I love the poetry of the verses in this one. Sometimes it takes people a long time to get everything right. But with your stubborn pride, it’s hard to admit that you messed up a little bit and that you need a change. I tell people that are having a hard time that it’s never too late to get it right," Brown shares in a press release, adding that "Paradise" is “the happiest sad song we have ever done."
"The guy found love there at this spot and never found anything like it again, so he comes back to that place again to be close to where it happened," he continues. "In the song, we never give away what happened to her, but you know it was something he could never actually get over. You have to write your own story.”
Zac Brown Band's two new tracks arrive as their current single, "Same Boat," climbs the charts. It's currently in the Top 25 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
The Grammy winners are set to embark on The Comeback Tour, which will kick off Thursday (Aug. 5) in New Jersey and continue through October, when they'll wrap at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Oct. 17.