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.
Mountains Win Again
Blues Traveler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it
Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it
Keep it all inside don't show how much she rocked ya
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh you gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
The mountains win again
The mountains win again
Dreams we dreamed at night were never meant to come to life
I can't understand the ease she pulled away her hand
This time in my life I was hurt enough to care
I guess from now on I'll be careful what I share
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Yeah feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
A pocket is no place for a smile anyway
Someday I will find love again will blow my mind
Maybe it will be that love that got away from me
Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight
Can you feel the same
Yeah ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
Ooh the mountains win again
The lyrics to Blues Traveler's song "Mountains Win Again" are filled with both melancholy and hope. The opening verse reflects a sense of loss and attempts to conceal the pain. The singer picks up their smile and puts it in their pocket, hoping to hold onto it as long as possible. But the sad reality is that men are not supposed to cry and show their emotions. The line "keep it all inside, don't show how much she rocked ya" suggests that the singer's heart has been broken by someone they cared for deeply. The refrain repeats the phrase "the mountains win again," which may symbolize the overwhelming sense of defeat in the face of nature's power and permanence.
The second verse continues the theme of loss and longing. The singer reflects on dreams that never came to fruition, and expresses confusion about why the person they cared for pulled away. They are hurt enough to care, but also suggest that they will be more wary in the future. However, despite this sadness, the singer still holds onto the hope that they will find love again. They acknowledge that a smile in a pocket is not where it belongs, and look forward to a time when they will no longer have to hide their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I pick up my smile put it in my pocket
I force myself to maintain a happy facade and hide my true emotions.
Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it
I try to keep my smile intact for as long as possible, avoiding showing my true feelings.
Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it
As a man, I feel societal pressure to not show vulnerability, but I am struggling to hold back my tears.
Keep it all inside don't show how much she rocked ya
I bottle up my emotions from a past relationship and avoid showing how deeply it affected me.
Ooh can you feel the same
Do you understand and empathize with my pain?
Ooh you gotta love the pain
Sometimes we need to experience heartache and pain to truly appreciate the good times.
Ooh it looks like rain again
I sense that metaphorical rain, or sadness, is approaching once again.
Ooh I feel it comin' in
I am starting to feel the weight of my emotions and the negative situation settling in.
The mountains win again
I have faced hardship and pain before, and it seems that these mountains of difficulty and hurt are winning yet again.
Dreams we dreamed at night were never meant to come to life
The hopes and aspirations we had as a couple were never meant to become reality.
I can't understand the ease she pulled away her hand
I am confused and hurt by how easily she walked away from our relationship.
This time in my life I was hurt enough to care
This experience has hurt me deeply, but it has also made me realize that I am capable of caring for someone else.
I guess from now on I'll be careful what I share
I have learned from this heartbreak and will be more cautious about who I open up to in the future.
A pocket is no place for a smile anyway
A forced smile is not genuine or sustainable in the long-term.
Someday I will find love again will blow my mind
Despite my past heartache, I know that there is a possibility for a future love that will be even more amazing and mind-blowing.
Maybe it will be that love that got away from me
It is possible that the love I lost was meant to be, and that it will come back to me in the future.
Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight
I wonder if there is a way for me to express my emotions in a way that will resonate with others and make them feel the depth of my pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: BOBBY SHEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AdamSurvivingAmerica
I pick up my smile put it in my pocket
Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it
Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it
Keep it all inside don't show how much she rocked ya
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh you gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh I feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
The mountains win again
Dreams we dreamed at night were never meant to come to life
I can't understand the ease she pulled away her hand
This time in my life I was hurt enough to care
I guess from now on I'll be careful what I share
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Yeah feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
A pocket is no place for a smile anyway
Someday I will find love again will blow my mind
Maybe it will be that love that got away from me
Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight
Can you feel the same
Yeah ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
Ooh the mountains win again
Ookmongani
"The Mountains Win Again"
I pick up my smile put it in my pocket
Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it
Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it
Keep it all inside don't show how much she rocked ya
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh you gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh I feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
The mountains win again
Dreams we dreamed at night were never meant to come to life
I can't understand the ease she pulled away her hand
This time in my life I was hurt enough to care
I guess from now on I'll be careful what I share
Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Yeah feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
A pocket is no place for a smile anyway
Someday I will find love again will blow my mind
Maybe it will be that love that got away from me
Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight
Can you feel the same
Yeah ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
Ooh the mountains win again
Sea Bear
This is a criminally underrated song
Anonymous Turtle
Criminally underrated band!
Chad Glasner
Too me this band and this song are the quintessential nineties music. It makes me miss the nineties so much. Great music!
Curtis Mccray
I agree 100%
Spudz Weaver
U got that right
01FrugalBassist
Yep, most people never slow down to really listen anymore
Travis Bickle
This song makes we want to go back and just stay in the 90s forever.
Chris
Yes, exactly. Me too
Uncle Bullhorn
"Four" was such an amazing album, and this song still gives me chills. It came out while I was starting my fight against cancer. I know it's about depression, but there were many times during my surgeries and chemo that I really thought I was fighting mountains.
MrGuggisberg
A coworker said why you want to give me a reach around when Run Around came on.