Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band dating from the early 1980s to … Read Full Bio ↴Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band dating from the early 1980s to the early 1990s (and re-formed again in the 2000s). They are best known for the poignant songwriting and vocals of Johnette Napolitano.

Singer / songwriter / bassist Napolitano formed the band Dream 6 with guitarist James Mankey in Los Angeles in 1982, releasing an eponymous EP in France on the Happy Hermit label in 1983. When they signed with IRS in 1986, labelmate Michael Stipe suggested the name Concrete Blonde, describing the contrast between their hard rock music and introspective lyrics. They were joined by drummer Harry Rushakoff on their eponymous debut album. Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson replaced Rushakoff on Bloodletting and several tracks on Mexican Moon, while Rushakoff was in treatment for drug addiction. Rushakoff was kicked out of the band in 2002 for failing to show up for several rehearsals and shows. He was replaced by Gabriel Ramirez.

Their most popular album was 1990's Bloodletting. The band broke up in 1995, but reunited in 2001, releasing Group Therapy in 2002 and Mojave in 2004.

End of the Line
Concrete Blonde Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take a walk out in the rain
Called you time and time again
Everything is wrong
You've gone

Reached the point of no return
The more I see the more I stand alone
I see the end of the line

Were you ever lonely
Mystified and blue
Realizing only
Your number's up
You're through

Had my share of winning
Now's my time to lose
After a fair beginning

The game's up
You're through
Think I'll walk out in the storm
Got no love to keep me warm inside

I see the end of the line
Now's the time to take a dive
Take a magic carpet ride
Everything is wrong
We've gone

If you ever miss me
If I should cross your mind

You know where to find me
I'll be waiting at the end of the line

Overall Meaning

The song "End of the Line" by Concrete Blonde, tells a story of a relationship that has reached its end. The singer has called their partner time and time again in the pouring rain, but to no avail. They have reached the point of no return and now they stand alone, seeing the end of the line. The idea of loneliness and despair is strongly present in this song, and the singer is essentially telling their partner that it's over, and there's nothing they can do about it.

The second verse of the song highlights the fact that the partner may have also been feeling lonely and blue, but the singer realises that their time is up and they must walk away. They have had their fair share of winning, but now it's time to face the reality that the game is up, and they are through. The singer tells their former partner that they have no love left to keep them warm inside, and they can see the end of the line.

The final verse of the song is a message to the partner, that if they ever miss the singer, they know where to find them. The singer acknowledges that they will be waiting at the end of the line. The message may be seen as a glimmer of hope for the partner, but the overall tone suggests that it's unlikely they will be able to salvage the relationship.

Overall, Concrete Blonde's "End of the Line" is a poignant song that deals with the end of a relationship. It's a song about acceptance, loneliness and moving on from a relationship that was once thought to be unbreakable.

Line by Line Meaning

Take a walk out in the rain
Going outside under harsh circumstances.

Called you time and time again
Repeatedly trying to reach someone who is not responding.

Everything is wrong
Nothing is going well.

You've gone
The person has left.

Reached the point of no return
An irreversible situation has been reached.

The more I see the more I stand alone
The more I understand, the more isolated I feel.

I see the end of the line
The conclusion to the situation is in sight.

Were you ever lonely
Did you experience isolation?

Mystified and blue
Feeling confused and sad.

Realizing only
Coming to the understanding that the outcome is predetermined.

Your number's up
Your time is up; your fate is sealed.