So Whitmore, an adventurous, independent woman who showed no fear of flying solo, decided to make the record herself.
With an added emphasis on make. For starters, she wrote the songs and crafted the string arrangements, played numerous instruments (her trademark fiddle, mandolin, viola and mellotron among them), provided lead and harmony vocals and served as one of the engineers.
Then she really went to work.
The process involved painting a nifty red biplane (almost matching the fiery color of her stunningly hot and curly locks) on each CD package by hand ... then signing and numbering each like a personal work of art ... then letting everyone who would listen know where to find the finished product.
Accompanying Whitmore on this flight of passage was her gifted co-pilot, Son Volt’s Chris Masterson, an accomplished musician himself who handled the producing duties and most of the guitar chores while showing his versatility by also playing harmonica, ukulele, and glockenspiel. He and she threw everything into this project but the kitchen sink, although they did pound some pots and pans on the carousel-like “Waltz of The Mystery Ship,” a nostalgic, 46-second ditty.
Some of Whitmore's friends and family (her father Alex is a folk singer and guitarist; her younger sister Bonnie plays guitar, bass, and cello) went along for the thrill ride as passengers eager to get where they were going.
Without a high-flying publicity machine, though, Whitmore is counting on word of mouth (and a lot of MySpace and Facebook friends) to keep this fleet of Airplanes running.
Just Friends
Eleanor Whitmore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just friends but not like before
To think of what we′ve been
And not to kiss again
Seems like pretending
It isn't the ending
Two friends but one broken heart
We loved, we laughed, we cried
Suddenly love died
The story ended
But we′re just friends
Two friends drifting apart
Two friends but one broken heart
We loved, we laughed, we cried
Suddenly love died
The story ended
But we're just friends
The lyrics of Eleanor Whitmore's song "Just Friends" are a reflection on a relationship that has come to an end, leaving the individuals involved to navigate new parameters for their friendship. The opening lines "Just friends, lovers no more / Just friends but not like before" indicate that there has been a shift in the dynamic of the relationship, and the individuals are no longer romantically involved. However, they are still friends, albeit with a changed relationship compared to before.
The lyrics go on to describe the difficulty of accepting that the relationship has ended, with the lines "To think of what we′ve been / And not to kiss again / Seems like pretending / It isn't the ending." These lines highlight the feeling of loss and the struggle to come to terms with the fact that the relationship has ended. The chorus repeats the idea that the two individuals are now "just friends," with the lines "Two friends but one broken heart / We loved, we laughed, we cried / Suddenly love died / The story ended / But we're just friends."
Overall, the lyrics of "Just Friends" are a poignant reflection on the complexities and challenges of transitioning from a romantic relationship to a friendship. The song captures the bittersweet feelings of loss and the struggle to maintain a connection with someone who was once so important.
Line by Line Meaning
Just friends, lovers no more
We used to be in a romantic relationship, but now we're just friends.
Just friends but not like before
Our friendship has changed since we ended our romantic relationship.
To think of what we've been
Reflecting on our past romantic relationship.
And not to kiss again
Despite our past romantic feelings, we won't be intimate again.
Seems like pretending
It feels like we're pretending that our romantic relationship never happened.
It isn't the ending
Even though our romantic relationship is over, our friendship is not necessarily over.
Two friends drifting apart
Our friendship is changing and we're growing apart.
Two friends but one broken heart
We're both still hurting from the end of our romantic relationship.
We loved, we laughed, we cried
We shared a lot of emotions together during our romantic relationship.
Suddenly love died
Our romantic feelings for each other disappeared quickly.
The story ended
Our romantic relationship is over.
But we're just friends
Despite the end of our romantic relationship, we still have a strong friendship.
Contributed by Christopher W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Schipper
will be featured in Dave's Basement Tracks #100 All My Friends