Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer best known for his long-running progressive metal/rock opera project Ayreon. Lucassen started his career in 1980 as the guitarist and backing vocalist of Dutch band Bodine as Iron Anthony, before joining Vengeance in 1984. After eight years he left the band, wanting to go into a more progressive direction, and released two years later an unsuccessful solo album entitled 'Pools of Sorrow - Waves of Joy under the moniker Anthony.
In 1995, Lucassen released an album uncredited to any artist called Ayreon: The Final Experiment, in which he sang, wrote every song and played most of the instruments. The album conducted to the creation of Ayreon; despite being relatively unknown at first, the project gained notable attention and praise with the release of its third album Into the Electric Castle, establishing Lucassen as a notable composer of rock operas. Following Ayreon's success, Lucassen has been involved in many other projects: he is the creator, composer and current guitarist/keyboardist of Star One, Guilt Machine, and The Gentle Storm, and the creator and former guitarist of Ambeon and Stream of Passion. He composes and writes most of his songs, but leaves the lyrics to his musical partners in some of his projects.
Lucassen plays a wide variety of instruments: his main instruments are guitar and keyboards, however he also plays bass, banjo and many others. Overall, in his career and including all his bands and projects (as principal instrumentalist/creative force or as a member), Lucassen has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, two EPs and seventeen singles. He has also made many minor participations alongside various artists including Shadow Gallery, After Forever, Within Temptation and Avantasia, and appears in over 50 albums
The Letter
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Lyrics
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Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
I don't care how much money I gotta spend
Got to get back to baby again
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more
Listen mister, can't you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more
Listen mister, can't you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
The Letter by Arjen Anthony Lucassen essentially describes a man who has received a letter from his lover, stating she cannot live without him. The man is ecstatic and immediately sets out to return home to his lover. He mentions that he does not care about money and that he needs to get back to his lover as soon as possible. He does not have the time to take a fast train as he is in a rush and requests a ticket for an airplane instead. He sings about how lonely days are now gone and he is on his way back to his lover, who has just written him a letter.
The lyrics of the song are simple and straightforward, but convey the emotions of the singer vividly. The song represents the power of love and the effect it can have on a person's life. It shows how the simplest of acts, such as a letter, can have a profound impact on someone's life. The song can also be interpreted as a metaphor for the power of communication in a relationship. The letter represents the communication between the two lovers, which is crucial for maintaining the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
I urgently need to book a flight to go see my loved one.
Ain't got time to take a fast train
I don't have the luxury of time to take a slower form of transportation, I need to get there as soon as possible.
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home
My time of sadness and loneliness is now over as I'm finally heading back to the comfort of my home with my significant other.
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
My lover has communicated to me through a heartfelt letter and that fills me with joy and anticipation.
I don't care how much money I gotta spend
The cost of this trip is not a factor, all that matters is reuniting with my beloved.
Got to get back to baby again
I need to return to my partener as soon as possible after receiving this letter.
Well, she wrote me a letter
My beloved has taken the time and effort to write to me, making me feel cared for and important.
Said she couldn't live without me no more
My significant other has expressed how vital my presence is to their life and well-being.
Listen mister, can't you see I got to get back
I urgently need to return to my loved one, it's a pressing matter.
To my baby once-a more
My beloved has been referred to as 'my baby' throughout the song to emphasize the intimacy and affection of our relationship.
Anyway, yeah
An expression of affirming the decision to return home to my loved one.
Contributed by Callie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.