Long recorded the 10-song collection Dirty Pond Songs in his London bedroom, traffic noises and all. “Left to Lie” from Dirty Pond Songs, became an iTunes favorite, topping the site’s “Unsigned” chart and reaching #8 on its Folk Music chart. “The Bounty of Mary Jane” from Dirty Pond Songs and a live version of his “Being a Mockingbird”, recorded at Arlene’s Grocery in New York City, were also released via iTunes. “The Dangerous Summer” tour continued until the end of 2009, logging some 80 performances in all.
Long embarked upon the “Left to Lie” tour of Europe in early 2010 and began to record his first studio CD with producer Grammy winner Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios in London. He also released a collection of live performances from the Dangerous Summer 2009 tour. "My Darling Belle" from that collection went to #2 on iTunes' Singer-Songwriter chart.
On April 23, 2010, Long officially signed on to the roster at ATO Records, the label co-founded by musician Dave Matthews, which is home to such artists as Radiohead, David Gray, Ben Kweller, Liz Phair, and more. They released his debut album, "A Winter Tale", on February 1, 2011. During 2010, he toured with Matt Pond PA during which time he met the Kalob Griffin Band, also known as KGB, who would become his backing band for subsequent U.S. dates that year, including the Mile High Festival in Denver, the xPoNential Music Festival in Philadelphia and the Troubadour in Los Angeles. He did a solo tour of Europe in the fall, followed by North American dates in support of Michael Franti. He ended the year with a fund-raising event at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in Manhattan where he debuted his new touring band.
Long spent most of 2011 promoting the album "A Winter Tale," which began with a tour in North America. He also made an appearance on The Tonight Show on February 3, 2011 and on The Early Show on August 8, 2011. During the summer, as part of the legendary Bonnaroo Music Festival, he played on the Cafe Stage. The Dave Matthews Band Caravan included him in the line-up in Atlantic City, NJ and in Chicago, IL. He played on the BMI stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival in September. Long made "another live" recorded EP called "The Backing Singer" in July 2011, with the producer, Jesse Lauter. In October 2011, he kicked off "The Losing My Brotherhood Tour" with shows in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Long started 2012 by recording his sophomore album, produced by Ted Hutt, and appeared on the Cayamo Cruise in February. On February 23, he announced online that he would be doing a weekly "song of the week," (for an undisclosed period of time), that he records at home. He spent most of April supporting the acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, on tour, but ended the month opening a show for Iron & Wine. In between supporting Steve Winwood on tour in May, Long released his first book of poetry, "Losing My Brotherhood." He stated that a "discipline aspect allowed me to separate the poems from my music.” July consisted of Long opening shows for The Mother Hips in California as well as a performance and poetry reading at Barnes & Noble in L.A. for his book. He followed with shows in the western U.S. and then returned to opening for Steve Winwood on tour in the fall. After Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States in October of 2012, Long donated his 1965 Epiphone Cabellero guitar to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief fund. For the victims, he later participated in the benefit "A Love Letter to New York" that also included Joan Osborne, Matisyahu, and others.
Two Years Old
Bobby Long Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pulling out the corpse,
Sheltering in the Trenches again,
Crying for a lose,
I let my arms down,
Walked away in a trance,
There's parts of me layer out,
So I took my last waltz,
Got caught up in the wire,
Wrote a letter for my love,
As I head from the fire,
An old solider carried me,
Way to the coast, bathe my wounds in the sea,
I'm in the hands of a ghost, im in the hands of a ghost
Their boats came on in,
I tried to run away,
I got taken half by the throat,
In the burning light of day
Set down with the iron punch,
So broken and alone,
Left my blood on the beach for the tide to take me home
These wounds that I shed inside,
Two years old
So my girl she gave up,
She had taken me for dead,
She had forgot all her promises and everything she said,
Living in the darkest dream,
I rose up in the cold
These wounds that I have outside,
Are two years old,
These wounds that I have outside,
Are two years old,
Two years old
Living in the past,
Living by the mile I toke the same walk down,
As I did as a child,
The flags flew for a man,
Unaware of the fate no one saw me walk down, on my very last parade,
So thoughts turn to dust,
As I headed for the mound,
I strayed up the part, waiting for the count,
Living in the darkest dream so broken and all alone
These pain that I have inside is two years old
These scars that I have inside are more than two years old
These pain that I have inside is two years old
These scars that I have inside are more than two years old
Is more than two years
Is more than two years
Is more than two years
Is more than two years
Is more than two years
The song "Two Years Old" by Bobby Long tells a haunting story of a soldier who has been wounded in war and left to die on the beach. He reflects on his past, his lost love, and the wounds that have scarred him both physically and emotionally. The lyrics are filled with visceral imagery and powerful emotions that paint a vivid picture of the soldier's pain and despair.
The chorus of the song - "These pains that I have inside, are two years old" - refers to the soldier's emotional wounds, which are just as real and deep as the physical ones he has suffered. The image of him being left for dead on the beach, with his girlfriend having given up on him, is heart-wrenching and speaks to the futility and brutality of war. The soldier seems to be trapped in a cycle of pain and suffering, unable to escape the memories of his past and the wounds that he has suffered.
Overall, "Two Years Old" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the toll that war takes on those who fight in it. Through vivid imagery and haunting lyrics, Bobby Long captures the pain, despair, and desperation of a soldier wounded in battle.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost my English soul,
I feel as though I have lost a part of myself due to the hardships I have faced
Pulling out the corpse,
I am metaphorically trying to rid myself of the dead weight and burden of my past
Sheltering in the Trenches again,
I retreat to a safe place, both physically and emotionally, to protect myself from further harm
Crying for a lose,
I am mourning the things that I have lost and the pain that I have endured
I let my arms down,
I have given up trying to fight against my situation and have accepted my fate
Walked away in a trance,
I am in a state of shock and am not fully aware of my surroundings
There's parts of me layer out,
I feel as though pieces of myself have been torn away and scattered
All over France,
My struggles have taken place in different locations, but each has left its mark on me
So I took my last waltz,
I am facing my final moments and trying to find peace before I pass
Got caught up in the wire,
I am ensnared or trapped by something, symbolized by the wire
Wrote a letter for my love,
I want to leave something behind for the person I care about
As I head from the fire,
I am leaving the conflicts and struggles behind and moving on
An old solider carried me,
I am being helped by someone who has gone through similar experiences before me
Way to the coast, bathe my wounds in the sea,
I am being taken towards the sea to help heal my physical and emotional wounds
I'm in the hands of a ghost, im in the hands of a ghost
I am in the care of someone who is no longer alive, but whose spirit may still guide and protect me
Their boats came on in,
Others are arriving to help and lend support
I tried to run away,
I attempted to escape from my struggles and pain
I got taken half by the throat,
I was stopped and prevented from escaping by something, symbolized by the choking sensation
In the burning light of day
I am exposed and vulnerable to harm
Set down with the iron punch,
I have been beaten down and defeated by something, symbolized by the punch
So broken and alone,
I feel shattered and completely isolated from others
Left my blood on the beach for the tide to take me home
I have left behind a trail of pain and suffering, hoping that nature will eventually wash it away
These wounds that I shed inside,
I carry emotional and mental scars from my past
Two years old
These internal wounds have been with me for two years
So my girl she gave up,
The person I care about has lost hope in me and our relationship
She had taken me for dead,
The person I care about had given up on me and thought I was beyond help
She had forgot all her promises and everything she said,
The person I care about has moved on and forgotten their commitments to me
Living in the darkest dream,
I feel trapped in a nightmare that I cannot escape from
I rose up in the cold
I have come out of a difficult situation, but am still left feeling cold and empty inside
These wounds that I have outside,
I also carry physical scars from my past
Are two years old,
These physical scars have been with me for two years
Living in the past,
I am stuck dwelling on past events and struggles
Living by the mile I toke the same walk down,
I am repeating the same patterns and habits that led me to my struggles
As I did as a child,
These patterns have deep roots in my upbringing or early experiences
The flags flew for a man,
Others are being celebrated and honored, while I am struggling
Unaware of the fate no one saw me walk down, on my very last parade,
I am facing my final moments alone and unnoticed
So thoughts turn to dust,
My ideas and plans fall apart and are forgotten
As I headed for the mound,
I am moving towards my final resting place
I strayed up the part, waiting for the count,
I am lingering and waiting for something to happen before I can move on
These pain that I have inside is two years old,
I am still haunted by my past experiences and struggling to move on emotionally
These scars that I have inside are more than two years old,
These emotional wounds that I carry have been with me for longer than two years
Is more than two years
I have been carrying this pain and emotional baggage for a significant period of time
Is more than two years
These struggles have deeply affected and changed me, beyond just the length of time
Is more than two years
The scars I carry will continue to impact me for the rest of my life
Is more than two years
This pain is not something that can be easily overcome or forgotten
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBERT THOMAS LONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind