Twistin' & Groovin'

Album: Coming Home (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song describes the meeting of Leon Bridges' grandparents. "This next song is about how my grandfather first met my grandmother," Bridges said to the crowd during a gig at the Scat Jazz Lounge in his hometown of Forth Worth in Texas. "The first thing he saw was her long legs in a red dress."
  • Bridges is singing about his maternal grandparents, Victor and Eartha Sawyer, who he referenced on the track "Lisa Sawyer." Because he never actually met them, he turned to his family for help on bringing his their love story alive. "I never met them," the singer told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "Most of my family is from New Orleans, and the crazy thing is that all the photos of my grandmother and a lot of family stuff got lost in Hurricane Katrina."

    "So I asked my mom questions about Eartha Sawyer," he said. "She called my Great-Aunt Justina, Eartha's sister, who moved to Philadelphia a long time ago, and Justina remembered Victor seeing Eartha at a party and saying, 'Man, that girl with the long legs.' And she remembered Eartha's father telling Victor, 'You come here with a suit and tie before you take my daughter out.'"

Comments: 1

  • Juliana from North Carolina Leon Bridges is legend! This one in particular channels Chuck Berry style... and I Love It.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock!

Yacht Rock!Song Writing

A scholarly analysis of yacht rock favorites ("Steal Away," "Baker Street"...) with a member of the leading YR cover band.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.