Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999.
While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their Top 40 singles "Run-Around" and "Hook". They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album four, released in 1994. Sheehan's death and Popper's struggle with obesity put a damper on the group's success, and A&M dropped the band in 2002.
Love of My Life
Blues Traveler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter how hard I try
I knew the love we shared was dead
Until she gave me a letter
With some words she wrote down
And I swear this is what she said
She said...
We sat in the rain and talked forever
Love of my life your carefree way
Showed me the potential of each and every day
But love of my life
When you told me today
That my place was gone
In your carefree way
I realized..."
She said...
She said "love of my life now I finally see
A carefree way wasn't meant for me
The pain I feel you just can't understand
You'd think it as fire, pull away your hand
But love of my life
When you told me today
That my place was gone in your carefree way
I realized..."
You know she realized she must learn for
once on her own not to let her days burn
Because she's alone
She needed to learn for once on her own
not to let her days burn
Because she's alone
She needed to learn for once on her own
not to let her days burn
Because she's alone
She said...
"Love of my life your arms were never shy
To hold me tight when I needed to cry
Love of my life you made me believe
And for that I do love you but I know I
must leave
Because love of my life
When you told me today
That my place was gone
In your carefree way
I realized..."
Oh yes she realized, and for once so did I
Because it occurred to me the love of my
life was she
And then and only then I started to cry
In this song, Blues Traveler's lead singer is reflecting on the end of a relationship. He feels that the love they shared had died and that he was unable to cry about it. However, his ex-partner gives him a letter with some words she wrote down, and in it, she details what their relationship meant to her. She reflects on their first night together and how they talked in the rain until morning. She talks about how he showed her the potential of each day, but that his carefree way of living made her realize that she needed more. She recognized the pain she felt in losing him and describes it as feeling like fire, and says that he can't understand how she feels. However, she acknowledges that she needs to learn to live on her own and not let her days burn because she is alone.
The singer then reflects on what she wrote, realizing that she is the love of his life, and this realization causes him to finally cry. It is a bittersweet moment, as he realizes too late that he wanted to be with her, but she has already made the decision to walk away.
The song explores themes of love, loss, and reflection, and it is lyrically powerful in the way that it captures the depth of emotions that come with the end of a relationship. It also highlights the importance of communication and how a simple letter can change everything.
Line by Line Meaning
I just couldn't cry
Despite the sadness, I was unable to shed a tear
No matter how hard I try
Even with effort, no tears came from my eye
I knew the love we shared was dead
I understood that our love had reached its end
Until she gave me a letter
But then, she handed me a letter
With some words she wrote down
Containing some heartfelt words she had written
And I swear this is what she said
And I believe these were her exact words
"Love of my life our first night together
"You were my true love from the beginning,
We sat in the rain and talked forever
We talked for hours sitting in the rain,
Love of my life your carefree way
Your lighthearted and joyous spirit,
Showed me the potential of each and every day
Has shown me the promise that every day holds
But love of my life
However, my love,
When you told me today
When you recently informed me,
That my place was gone
That I no longer held a place in your life,
In your carefree way
In your casual and unconcerned manner,
I realized..."
I came to an understanding
She said...
Her words continued...
"Love of my life now I finally see
"Now I truly understand,
A carefree way wasn't meant for me
That my personality is not suited for a blissful and unconcerned life
The pain I feel you just can't understand
You cannot fathom the agony that torments me
You'd think it as fire, pull away your hand
It feels like flames to me, and you would withdraw from the burn
But love of my life
However, my love,
When you told me today
When you recently informed me,
That my place was gone in your carefree way
That I had been replaced by a more cheerful and carefree companion
I realized..."
I came to a realization
You know she realized she must learn for
She came to understand that she had to learn
once on her own not to let her days burn
To never waste her precious time without a purpose
Because she's alone
Because she's by herself now
She needed to learn for once on her own
It's a necessary lesson she needs to discover alone
not to let her days burn
To make the most of every moment, without squandering any of it
Because she's alone
Since she isn't surrounded by love anymore,
She said...
And she continued,
"Love of my life your arms were never shy
"Even when I was in tears, you embraced me tightly,
To hold me tight when I needed to cry
And held me firm the moment I started to weep
Love of my life you made me believe
Through your love, you helped me realize
And for that I do love you but I know I must leave
I will always cherish you, but I must depart from your side
Because love of my life
Because, my dear,
When you told me today
When you recently informed me,
That my place was gone
That you have found someone else to take my place,
In your carefree way
In your happy-go-lucky style,
I realized..."
I understood
Oh yes she realized
Yes, she comprehended
and for once so did I
And for the first time, so did I
Because it occurred to me the love of my
The truth dawned on me: the love of my life
life was she
Was the very same lady standing in front of me
And then and only then I started to cry
And at that exact moment, my tears began to flow
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind