The band was formed almost five years ago by Mike Eli who grew up just outside of Houston and James Young who hails from Irving, TX. After playing together as a duo they were later joined by drummer Chris Thompson of Colleyville, TX and bassist Jon Jones of Omaha, NE who all met while students at the University of North Texas at Denton, about 50 miles north of Dallas/Forth Worth. After graduating the group decided to stay in Denton and to this day make their home in the town.
Late in 2003 producer Frank Liddell (Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Chris Knight) attended a show at the Gypsy Tea Room where EYB was playing on the bill with Miranda Lambert. He was blown away by the show and wound up signing them to Carnival Recording Company soon after. In April 2005, the Eli Young Band released Level, marking their debut on Carnival.
Level has drawn comparisons to The Jayhawks in the plaintive "When It Rains". The band members, all in their early 20s, have proven to be adept at blending their musical influences into a cohesive sound on this effort. You can hear the heartland rock of John Mellencamp in the autobiographical "Small Town Kid" and the crying-in-your-beer band on the road saga "Highways and Broken Hearts." There's the grinding blues of the Black Crowes in "Bring It on Home," and the romantic lament of "That's the Way" and "Everything Is You."
Everything is You
Eli Young Band Lyrics
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And I remember how you loved it so
Memories sneak on me, wherever I go
A car like you used to drive
Pulled beside me today at the light
Chances to break down and cry wherever I go
How'd ya turn so cold, where's the girl I used to know
[Chorus]
And it's love and hate and all these emotions
I never thought that you'd be going
Now I'm just going through the motions
Where everything is you, everything is you
An inside joke comes to mind
We'd wear them out all the time
Memories sneak up on me wherever I go
And it seems you've disappeared, though you're not that far away
Please tell me it's not true, I didn't mean that much to you
And it's love and hate and all these emotions
I never thought that you'd be going
Now I'm just going through the motions
Where everything is you, everything is you
What did I do wrong, nothing I treated you like an angel
What'd I do wrong, nothin' I treated you like an angel
What'd I do wrong, nothin' I treated you like an angel
I treated you like an angel
And it's love and hate and all these emotions
I never thought that you'd be going
Now I'm just going through the motions
Where everything is you, everything is you
I treated you like an angel
The Eli Young Band's song "Everything Is You" is a heartfelt ballad about a painful breakup that takes the singer by surprise. As he goes about his daily business, he is constantly reminded of his former love, from the eternal flame song that they once shared to the car that she used to drive. Memories of happier times keep creeping up on him, and he struggles to come to terms with the fact that the girl he loved and trusted has gone away, seemingly without giving him any warning. He is torn between a desire to appear strong and to hide his true feelings from the world and the realization that, deep down inside, he is consumed by love and hate and a myriad other confusing emotions. The song ends on a poignant note, with the singer asking what he did wrong and lamenting the fact that he treated his former love like an angel.
Line by Line Meaning
Eternal flame came on the radio
A song played on the radio that brought back memories of the past
And I remember how you loved it so
Recalling how much joy that particular song brought to your significant other
Memories sneak on me, wherever I go
The memories of your past relationship and love continue to follow you and appear when least expected
A car like you used to drive
A car that looks similar to one your significant other previously drove caught your attention
Pulled beside me today at the light
The car came up next to you at a stoplight
Chances to break down and cry wherever I go
Small triggers that remind you of the past relationship and love can cause emotional breakdowns to occur at any given moment
And you want me to be strong, any less just shows I'm weak
Your significant other wants you to be strong, but any moment of weakness reveals that you are still affected by the breakup
How'd ya turn so cold, where's the girl I used to know
Questioning how your significant other became so detached and showing remorse for the loss of the person you knew
And it's love and hate and all these emotions
The fluctuating emotions that come with love and heartbreak
I never thought that you'd be going
Surprised by the fact that your significant other left you
Now I'm just going through the motions
Feeling numb and going through the day-to-day routines without true emotional connection
Where everything is you, everything is you
Being unable to escape the memories and thoughts of your past relationship and love
An inside joke comes to mind
A joke that only you and your significant other shared, which comes to mind spontaneously
We'd wear them out all the time
The inside joke was frequently referenced and joked about in the past
And it seems you've disappeared, though you're not that far away
Feeling as if your significant other has vanished despite being physically close by
Please tell me it's not true, I didn't mean that much to you
Begging for confirmation that your significant other didn't leave you because you weren't important enough to them
What did I do wrong, nothing I treated you like an angel
Feeling confused about what went wrong in the relationship despite treating your significant other with utmost love and care
And it's love and hate and all these emotions
Continuing fluctuations in emotions following the breakup
I never thought that you'd be going
Still surprised by the unexpected ending to the relationship
Now I'm just going through the motions
Continuing to live without feeling truly alive or connected
Where everything is you, everything is you
Your past relationship and love continue to consume your thoughts and feelings, leaving everything else dull in comparison
I treated you like an angel
Reminding your significant other that you always treated them with utmost love and care
Lyrics © NTAC INC
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