Looking to the sky is all some can do – but not for Chad Sugg. This all-Am… Read Full Bio ↴Looking to the sky is all some can do – but not for Chad Sugg. This all-American has turned his dream-like world into a reality filled with hope and happiness. By the age of 18, Sugg knew that there was more to life than dorm rooms and frat parties. When a simple side project that once passed the time between classes began to evolve into an incomparable passion, Sugg said goodbye to the textbooks and hit the road under a new alias: Backseat Goodbye.

Sugg has come a long way from the being the little boy growing up in Tennessee that was once intrigued and inspired by the sheet music hidden in his aunt’s old piano bench. Always ready to accomplish a new challenge – Sugg began teaching himself how to play the piano at age 11. Soon after learning his first instrument, he found himself picking up an acoustic guitar and doing just the same. Now 23 years old, Sugg has gone on to master the drums, banjo, bass, and even the mandolin. The ever-evolving musician found his earliest musical creations channeling his biggest musical influence, Bright Eyes, and has since taken the emotionally sincere lyrical qualities of this inspiration and blended them with his own unique disposition of optimism and content.

In just five short years, the charismatic Sugg has used simplicity, sincerity, and smiles to gain the approval of the music world. In his short career, Sugg has already pumped out six EPs (many of them featuring a “full length” amount of songs), five annual holiday EPs, and one LP, Dressed Up Like Dreams. The non-stop production of music, touring, and self-promotion has certainly started to pay off - With over 500,000 song downloads on PureVolume, nearly 100,000 singles sold, and thousands of albums sold, it comes as no surprise that Backseat Goodbye has already found a place in the iTunes Folk Top 100 Album and Singles charts - multiple times, and has landed himself coveted sets at SXSW and CMJ, as well as a being a featured band in Alternative Press Magazine’s AP&R section.

Reminiscent of the high spirited vocals and positivism of The Rocket Summer and the polished, upbeat musicality of Eric Hutchinson, Backseat Goodbye has created a blend all his own, that immediately embraces the hearts, imaginations – and hope, of listeners around the world.

In the words of Sugg, Backseat Goodbye is “music for the hopeful, music for the kids with their heads in the clouds, and music by a kid that’s just as lost in life as everyone else.”

Virginia
Backseat Goodbye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

well virginia came down the stairs
said "i have something to say, i love you anyway"
i opened my eyes and blew a kiss from the old couch
we found on the side of the road
this apartment has dirty steps
and a few broken windows
but it's the only place i could ever call home
i used to know your first name

but forgot it twice on purpose
when you said you had to go
it's not like the summer lasts all year
july left me here without you
the sun is gone, the stars all fell
i can't get to sleep tonight
and if you were here
it would all be alright
i told you not to laugh
when i said you looked beautiful
but you did it anyway
our old friends all left this town
but we liked the sound of it
so we just stayed

let's dance let's dance around the yard
clap our hands until we are gone

Overall Meaning

The opening line of Backseat Goodbye's song Virginia sets the tone for the narrative that follows. Virginia comes down the stairs with something important to say. The singer's love for Virginia is unconditional even if it might not be reciprocated. The opening lines of the song showcase the raw and honest emotions of the singer. The old couch that they found on the side of the road serves as a metaphor for their unconventional lifestyle. The singer says that the apartment has dirty steps and a few broken windows, but it is the only place he could ever call home. This expresses the sense of contentment and gratitude that the singer has, as he values the place that he calls home despite its imperfections.

The singer reminisces about forgetting Virginia's name twice on purpose. This could be interpreted as the singer's playful teasing or a conscious effort to refrain from getting too attached to Virginia. He is aware that she will have to leave him at some point. The summertime romance was fleeting, and July has left him feeling lonely. The sun has set, and the stars have fallen. The singer is unable to get to sleep at night, but he knows that if Virginia were there, everything would be all right.

The singer's old friends have left the town, but he and Virginia remain. They dance around the yard, clapping their hands until they are gone. The song captures the bittersweet moments of life, emphasizing the beauty in everyday things. The singer is aware that nothing lasts forever, but the memories they have created will always be cherished.

Line by Line Meaning

well virginia came down the stairs
Virginia descended the stairs

said 'i have something to say, i love you anyway'
She expressed her love despite any complications

i opened my eyes and blew a kiss from the old couch
From the couch, I woke up and expressed my love back to Virginia

we found on the side of the road
The couch was upcycled from the roadside

this apartment has dirty steps
The apartment we live in is not well maintained

and a few broken windows
There are a few broken windows in the apartment

but it's the only place i could ever call home
Regardless, it's our beloved home

i used to know your first name
I knew Virginia's name, though I forgot it intentionally

but forgot it twice on purpose
I made an effort to forget it

when you said you had to go
When Virginia was leaving

it's not like the summer lasts all year
The happy moments don't last forever