Von Sneidern played in a local band called the U-Turns in the early 1980s before relocating to San Francisco in 1985. In the Bay Area he played with several locally based power-pop bands, including the Lost Patrol and The Sneetches (the latter as bassist), before joining Flying Color as guitarist in 1987. After Flying Color broke up in 1990, Von Sneidern hit the road with former Beat leader Paul Collins and lived for a short time in New York before returning to San Francisco to pursue a solo career.
Von Sneidern issued his self-produced debut album, Sight & Sound, on the Heyday label in 1993. In addition to winning rave reviews from power-pop fans, it also featured a guest appearance from John Wesley Harding, with whom Von Sneidern would collaborate frequently in the years to come. The follow-up, Big White Lies, appeared in 1994, and as word of Von Sneidern's music spread in the pop underground, he picked up more production work in addition to his own recordings, and opened his own Bay Area recording studio.
When Von Sneidern released his third album, Go!, in 1996, he was on the local indie label Mod Lang; that label also released the follow-up, 1998's Wood + Wire. For his next project, Von Sneidern formed a soul/R&B-influenced outfit called the Sportsmen, which also featured pianist Khoi-San, guitarist Dave "Shaggy" Gleason, bassist Teenage Rob and drummer Derek Ritchie. Their debut album, Spirited, was released by the Japanese Lazy Cat label in 1999. Von Sneidern subsequently formed his own label, which allowed him to release several idiosyncratic projects in 2000. First among these was London Payne (subtitled Searching the Muse: Memoirs Across America), which set poetry by John R. Dykes to music; it was followed by 2-cute 2-be 4-gotten, a similar exercise that drew from poetry written by teenage girls. Finally, there was an additional live album spanning 1998-2000, Live Start Lifting
Walking Endlessly
Chris von Sneidern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why can't I think of the last time I grew
Why did I forget all of my youth
Why do I spend every day with you
Walking Endlessly, I can't get out...
Of this house where I have stayed
cause I still think of unresolving past
Walking Endlessly, walking endlessly
I don't think I can brave another mile
walking endlessly I see
I can't get out, get out, get out...
Of this mind that I can't make
The longest road's the one I always take
Have I set myself up for the breakdown
Walking Endlessly, walking endlessly
an absolutely horrible demise
walking endlessly I see
I can't get out, get out, get out, get out, get me out.
The lyrics to Chris von Sneidern's song, Walking Endlessly, seem to be about feeling stuck in one's life and unable to move forward. The singer asks a series of questions that suggest a sense of confusion and loss, asking why he can't remember his youth, why he spends every day with someone who may be causing him this confusion or loss, and why he feels unable to "get out" of his situation. The sense of being "stuck" is further emphasized by the repetition of the phrase "walking endlessly," which suggests a feeling of futility and repetition.
The lines, "Of this house where I have stayed / Every day means more as I look back / cause I still think of unresolving past" suggest that the singer may be reflecting on past decisions or experiences that he regrets, that are holding him back from moving forward. There is perhaps a sense of nostalgia or longing for something that is now out of reach. This feeling is echoed in the line "The longest road's the one I always take," which suggests that the singer is trapped in a pattern of behavior that may not be healthy or helpful to him.
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the human tendency to get stuck in patterns of behavior, even when those patterns are no longer serving us. The singer expresses a desire to break out of this cycle and move forward, but seems unsure how to do so. The repeated phrase, "I can't get out, get out, get out," suggests a feeling of helplessness and frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
Why can't I think of the last time I grew
I am struggling to recall the last time I felt a sense of personal growth or development.
Why did I forget all of my youth
I am concerned about how little I remember from my younger years.
Why do I spend every day with you
I am questioning why I continue to devote so much time to this relationship.
Walking Endlessly, I can't get out...
I feel trapped, both literally and figuratively, and cannot find a way to escape my current situation.
Of this house where I have stayed
I am feeling confined and stuck in this physical space.
Every day means more as I look back
As time goes on, I am realizing the value and importance of each passing day.
cause I still think of unresolving past
I am still haunted by unresolved issues and events from my past.
Walking Endlessly, walking endlessly
I am stuck in a cycle of going nowhere, both physically and mentally.
I don't think I can brave another mile
I am overwhelmed and unsure if I have the strength to continue on this path.
walking endlessly I see
I am filled with a sense of hopelessness and despair as I continue to walk aimlessly.
I can't get out, get out, get out...
I am desperate to find a way out of this situation.
Of this mind that I can't make
I feel trapped in my own thoughts, unable to properly process or make sense of them.
The longest road's the one I always take
I always seem to choose the most difficult and challenging path for myself.
Have I set myself up for the breakdown
I am concerned that my own choices and actions may be leading me towards a mental or emotional breakdown.
an absolutely horrible demise
I am filled with a sense of dread and fear that my situation may lead to my own downfall.
walking endlessly I see
I am still stuck in the same cycle of hopelessness and despair.
I can't get out, get out, get out, get out, get me out.
I am desperately pleading for a way out of my current situation, both physically and mentally.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Chris von Sneidern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind