Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder and lead vocalist/ guitarist BJ Barham. A new lineup was announced in April 2017 with new faces joining the ranks: Crooks drummer Joey Bybee, Damn Quails bass player Ben Hussey and guitarist Shane Boeker – all from Texas – along with Nashville pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, who also fronts Music City's experimental Buck Owens tribute Buck N' Stuff. Bybee left in August 2018 and was replaced by Nashville-based drummer Matty Alger, who in turn left in February 2019. Kurtz left the band after the Mile Zero fest in January 2019, and Hussey left in July 2019.
Their first album, Antique Hearts, was released in 2006, followed by The Bible and the Bottle in 2008.
In 2012, American Aquarium released two albums: Live in Raleigh and Burn. Flicker. Die.
The band released their sixth original album, Wolves, in February 2015.[7] The band's fans helped raise $24,000 through a Kickstarter project to help fund the album's production, and the album was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina at Echo Mountain.
On November 25, 2016 "Live at Terminal West" was released by the band from a live show recording in November 2015 at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia.
Things Change was released on New West Records in 2018, followed by
Lamentations (on New West Records) in 2020.
Gone Long Gone
American Aquarium Lyrics
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I blamed it on the women and I blamed it on the booze
When you want what you ain′t got, you lose what you do
And she'll be gone, long gone
I've set fire to bridges just to watch them come undone
Fought so many battles and yet a single war I′ve won
Why play the game when you know the outcome?
Gone like the nights when we would lie awake
Talkin' ′til the sun goes again
And I know one day she won't be comin′ back
No, she ain't ever coming back
I′ve been known to let my pride get in the way
Of sayin' the important things she needed me to say
Like tellin' her, "I′m sorry babe, let′s try it your way"
Now she's gone, long gone
Gone like the nights when we would lie awake
Talkin′ 'til the sun goes again
And I know one day she won′t be comin' back
No, she ain′t ever coming back
Now I'm left to think about what might've been
If I had only listened to her and tried to comprehend
Not takin′ her for granted time and time again
She won′t be gone, long gone
Gone like the nights we would lie awake
Talkin' ′til the sun goes again
And I know one day she won't be comin′ back
No, she ain't ever coming back
No, she ain′t ever comin' back
The song "Gone Long Gone" by American Aquarium is a heartfelt ballad about a man who recognizes how he has taken his relationship for granted and lost the love of his life. The song has a melancholic tone and uses powerful imagery to describe the regret the singer feels. The opening lines, "I've spent my whole life runnin' from the truth, I blamed it on the women and I blamed it on the booze," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The song talks about how the singer has been blaming outside factors for his mistakes instead of owning up to them, and as a result, he has lost his love, and she is never coming back.
The lyrics then go on to describe how the singer has burnt bridges and fought many battles, but he has never won the war of love. The line "Why play the game when you know the outcome? She'll be gone, long gone," suggests that the singer knew he was taking his love for granted yet did not try to make things right. The song talks about the moments in the past that the singer shared with his love, but they are all gone now, and he knows she won't be coming back. The song finishes with the singer thinking about what might have been if he had only listened to his love and taken her for granted, and how he will never get her back.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ve spent my whole life runnin' from the truth
I have been avoiding confronting my own reality for as long as I can remember
I blamed it on the women and I blamed it on the booze
I used women and alcohol as excuses for my personal shortcomings
When you want what you ain′t got, you lose what you do
Focusing on what you don't have can cause you to overlook and lose what you do have
And she'll be gone, long gone
As a result of my actions and behavior, she will leave me and never come back
I've set fire to bridges just to watch them come undone
I have intentionally destroyed relationships just to see them fall apart
Fought so many battles and yet a single war I′ve won
Despite all the conflicts I have engaged in, I have only succeeded in losing what is truly important
Why play the game when you know the outcome?
It is pointless to engage in something when the end result is already known
She′ll be gone, long gone
Her departure is inevitable due to my past mistakes and continued behavior
Gone like the nights when we would lie awake
Her absence will be as complete as the nights we spent awake and talking with each other
Talkin' ′til the sun goes again
Talking until the sun comes up
And I know one day she won't be comin′ back
I am aware that one day she will not return to me
No, she ain't ever coming back
No, she will never return to me
I′ve been known to let my pride get in the way
My pride has caused me to overlook important things that were needed for a successful relationship
Of sayin' the important things she needed me to say
I have failed to say the important things that she needed me to say
Like tellin' her, "I′m sorry babe, let′s try it your way"
Apologizing and being willing to try things her way were important things that I failed to say
Now she's gone, long gone
Her absence from my life is a result of my failure to say and do the things that were necessary for a successful relationship
Now I'm left to think about what might've been
I am now forced to think about the potential outcomes that could have been possible if I had acted differently
If I had only listened to her and tried to comprehend
If I had only paid attention to her and made an effort to understand her perspective
Not takin′ her for granted time and time again
If I had not repeatedly failed to appreciate her and take her for granted
She won′t be gone, long gone
If I had done things differently, she would not have left me and disappeared from my life
No, she ain′t ever coming back
No, she will never return to me
Writer(s): Bj Barham
Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.