“Take it to the Grave”
Written by David Taub
Interview by American Songwriter
David Taub is the American Songwriter March Forward Lyric Contest Promotion winner with his song “Take it to the Grave.” American Songwriter caught up with him to get the story behind the lyrics.
How long have you been songwriting?
I’ve been writing songs for about 20 years. I learned how to play guitar in college and since I wasn’t able to play other people’s songs all that well, I started writing my own.
Why did you enter American Songwriter’s March Forward Promotion?
I have been a fan of American Songwriter for a while and coincidentally I had just finished this song when I saw the email about the promotional competition.
What was the inspiration behind your song, “Take it to the Grave”?
It was largely inspired by my grandpa’s stories about growing up poor, being an immigrant widow’s son, and having to work incredibly hard to attain his American Dream. I thought about the difficult times that people like my grandparents and my wife’s grandparents were born into and the challenges they had to overcome in order to make ends meet and ultimately lead successful lives. Parts of the song are also based on my mom, who put herself through school at night while working full-time and raising a young son. I never realized until recently the kind of perseverance and fortitude this took. She truly got everything she earned the hard way.
Are you planning to release any new music this year?
Over the last few years I have been working with my best friend and music collaborator on an original musical called Rebels. We are hoping to finish the cast recording later this year and then start working on the production.
Who are your all-time favorite songwriters and why?
Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters are my all-time favorites. Bruce is such an uncanny lyricist and songwriter. His songs often paint vivid, darkly cinematic portraits while speaking in such a relatable way about the human condition. Waters can write with such venom while managing to be remarkably poetic. I’ve never heard of him referred to as a protest singer but there are songs on Animals , The Wall & The Final Cut that are in my opinion some of the best protest songs ever written. I also consider my music partner Michael Vicari one of my favorite songwriters. He writes such powerful melodies that can tell a story even without vocals.
What would you tell other artists who are considering entering the contest?
I think Nike said it best – Just do it!
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Read the winning lyrics to “Take it to the Grave” below:
From the ghettos to the slums to the tenement squares
They were begging for food, they were gasping for air
My mother was a widow at twenty-one
She came to this country with fire in her blood
It never came easy and it never came cheap
She got kicked to the ground then got back on her feet
What little we had was always enough
So I never looked down, I never gave up
Rather be a three-legged stray than best in show
Rather hit rock bottom than bask in the glow
of an ivory tower you can see from space
I’d rather have friends from a much lower place
I’d rather say I made it than say I had it made
The hardest times are the times I’d never trade
I don’t need a savior, I’ve never been saved
It’s a hard road I’ve taken
But I’ll take it to the grave
From a cold water flat to a house with a yard
An American dream never traveled so far
Through the steel mills and the factories
There were bills to pay and mouths to feed
Put myself through school, worked from coast to coast
For the father, son and the Holy Ghost
Someday I’ll die but I’m proud to say
I got what I got the hard way
Rather be a three-legged stray than best in show
Rather hit rock bottom than bask in the glow
of an ivory tower you can see from space
I’d rather have friends from a much lower place
I’d rather say I made it than say I had it made
The hardest times are the times I’d never trade
I don’t need a savior, I’ve never been saved
It’s a hard road I’ve taken
But I’ll take it to the grave
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