BoxCar Racer was a short-lived side project formed in 2002 by two members o… Read Full Bio ↴BoxCar Racer was a short-lived side project formed in 2002 by two members of the band blink-182, featuring guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker. As lead member Tom DeLonge stated, "it was never a 'band' but rather a project" to experiment with and record ideas DeLonge felt did not fit with blink-182’s sound. Tom enlisted Travis Barker stating that the reason why he asked Barker to drum on the album is because he didn't want to pay for a studio drummer. Mark Hoppus made his feelings about this project known. Tom DeLonge said that he did not mean for Hoppus to feel that way and therefore stated that Box Car Racer would never reform.

Taking Barker from blink-182 and David Kennedy they recorded their self-titled album, "Box Car Racer", in 2002. On the album Tom did all the bass work, but Anthony Celestino was their touring bass player. Guests on the album included Mark Hoppus from blink-182, Tim Armstrong from Rancid and also Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory.

Tom and Travis claim the band was heavily influenced by Dischord Emo, citing influences such as Rites of Spring, Fugazi and later era post hardcore bands such as Quicksand.

Box Car Racer took a hiatus after their headlining tour in 2003. Tom has stated publicly that Box Car Racer is now defunct and will never reunite. Their website was taken off the Internet in late March 2005 and has since been put back online. Many people speculated that Tom's new project was going to be a new Box Car Racer album when he initially announced that he was working on a new album but those rumors were dismissed after the announcement of +44 and Angels & Airwaves. But now blink-182 is back - and touring!

Origin of Name
The band's name comes from the B-29 Bomber which dropped the second atomic bomb (to be used in warfare) on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The plane's name was "Bockscar". Tom has said in an interview that he has seen the name misspelled as "Boxcar".

Members
Tom DeLonge - Vocals, Guitar (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves)
Travis Barker - Drums (blink-182, +44, The Transplants, The Aquabats)
David Kennedy - Guitar (Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street, Angels & Airwaves)
Anthony Celestino - Bass (Over My Dead Body)

Mandy
Box Car Racer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Live Barry Manilow Cover]

I remember all my life
Rainin' down as cold as ice
Shadows of a man
A face through a window
Cryin' in the night
The night goes into

Mornin', just another day
Happy people pass my way
Lookin' in their eyes
I see a memory
I never realized
How happy you made me, oh Mandy

[Chorus]

Well you came and you gave without takin'
But I sent you away, oh Mandy
Well, you kissed me and stopped me from shakin'
And I need you today, oh Mandy

Standin' on the edge of time
Walked away when love was mine
Caught up in a world of uphill climbin'
The tears are in my mind
And nothing is rhymin', oh Mandy

[Chorus]

Yesterday's a dream
I face the mornin'
Cryin' on a breeze
The pain is callin', oh Mandy

[Chorus]

You came and you gave without takin'
But I sent you away, oh Mandy

You kissed me and stopped me from shakin'
And I need you

Overall Meaning

today, oh Mandy

The lyrics of Box Car Racer's song Mandy are actually a cover of Barry Manilow's classic hit from 1974, which tells the story of a man missing a lost love named Mandy. The opening verse describes his state of mind, remembering the rain and the shadows of a man crying in the night. The next verse talks about how he walks through the day, watching happy people and realizing how happy Mandy made him. The chorus is probably the most memorable aspect of the song, wherein the singer acknowledges Mandy's kindness and love, but for reasons he doesn't seem to understand, he pushed her away. The chorus repeats itself multiple times as the singer comes to terms with his mistake and realizes that he still needs Mandy in his life.

The final verse is perhaps the saddest part of the song. The singer talks about how he threw away his love for Mandy, walking away when love was still within his grasp. Now, nothing in his life rhymes, and he is left with the pain of the memory of this lost love. The chorus repeats one more time, emphasizing how much he needs Mandy in his life now.

Interestingly, the Box Car Racer version of the song completely reimagines the orchestration and takes a poppy, upbeat classic and turns it into an alternative rock track consisting of loud guitars, drums, and raw vocals. It's an unexpected take on the song, and the combination of the different genres makes it stand out from other covers.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember all my life
The start of a nostalgic reflection filled with sorrowful memories.

Rainin' down as cold as ice
The tears were falling from the eyes, cold and harsh like ice.

Shadows of a man
The man is lost and in darkness, with no hope in sight.

A face through a window
A glimpse of light and hope through a window, trying to pierce through the darkness.

Cryin' in the night
The man is in deep distress and sorrow, feeling hopeless and alone in the darkness.

The night goes into Mornin', just another day
Time passes by, and the sorrow becomes a routine part of life.

Happy people pass my way
Everyone around him seems content and carefree, which makes him feel more alone in his pain.

Lookin' in their eyes
Trying to find a glimmer of hope and light in those around him, but failing to do so.

I see a memory
A realization that there was a time in his life when he was loved and happy.

I never realized How happy you made me, oh Mandy
He never appreciated the happiness that his former lover brought him until it was too late.

Well you came and you gave without takin'
His ex-lover was selfless and gave everything without expecting anything in return.

But I sent you away, oh Mandy
He made the mistake of pushing her away and losing her love.

Well, you kissed me and stopped me from shakin'
Her love was so strong that it stopped him from trembling with fear and uncertainty.

And I need you today, oh Mandy
He realizes that he needs her now more than ever before.

Standin' on the edge of time
He is at a crossroads in his life where he must make a decision that will affect his future.

Walked away when love was mine
He let love slip away and never realized what he had until it was gone.

Caught up in a world of uphill climbin'
Life is a never-ending struggle, and he is constantly fighting an uphill battle.

The tears are in my mind
He feels the pain and sadness in his heart, an internal struggle rather than a physical one.

And nothing is rhymin', oh Mandy
His life is out of sync, with nothing making sense or fitting together anymore.

Yesterday's a dream
The past is a distant memory, forever out of reach.

I face the mornin'
He must confront the reality of his current situation and try to move on from the past.

Cryin' on a breeze
His pain is carried away by the wind, but he cannot escape it.

The pain is callin', oh Mandy
The pain and sorrow still linger, haunting him at every turn.

You came and you gave without takin'
He acknowledges that his ex-lover was an incredible person who gave selflessly with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

But I sent you away, oh Mandy
He is filled with regret for pushing her away and hurting her, causing him to lose her forever.

You kissed me and stopped me from shakin'
Her love had the power to calm his fears and insecurities, giving him the strength to face anything.

And I need you today, oh Mandy
He longs for her love and support, realizing that he cannot face the world alone.

Contributed by Reagan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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