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."
Highways and Broken Hearts
Eli Young Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He never knew their names and never really cared
Lying to himself, he was never just a young kid scared
Living on his own with no one to hold on to
Nowhere to go and nothing to do
But lie awake and pray that one-day
Chorus:
All He knows are
Highways and broken hearts, late nights and old guitars
Wondering where you are, you're so far away
His shoes are worn and tired and not at their best
Like a gypsy never sure where he's going next
Superficial friends, and girls with glazed over eyes
It's a good time, but just for the night
Then off he'll go to maybe Mexico
Then off through Colorado
All He knows are
Highways and broken hearts, late nights and old guitars
Wondering where you are, you're so far away
Staring through the walls of that motel room
Reflecting on his days, the route he's seemed to choose
Will good outshine bad, can he turn this thing around
Should he drop to his knees, just give up now
Begging for release in the night
Has he gone too far to fight?
All He knows are
Highways and broken hearts, late nights and old guitars
Wondering where you are, you're so far away
[Thanks to Tanika for lyrics]
The song "Highways and Broken Hearts" by Eli Young Band expresses the story of a young man who is struggling to find his way in the world. He is a wanderer who travels from place to place, never staying in one location for too long. He is lonely and searching for someone to come into his life and give him purpose. Through his travels, he encounters superficial friends and fleeting romances that ultimately leave him feeling even more lost and alone. The chorus repeats the phrase "All He knows are highways and broken hearts, late nights and old guitars, wondering where you are, you're so far away", which serves to highlight the singer's feeling of isolation and displacement.
In the second verse, the young man reflects on his life and the path that he has taken. He begins to question whether he has made the right choices and wonders if it is too late for him to change his ways. The song takes a melancholic turn as he contemplates giving up altogether, feeling as though he may have gone too far to turn back. The song ends with a sense of uncertainty and longing, as the singer continues on his journey, searching for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
He never knew their names and never really cared
He did not bother learning the names of people he encountered and did not care about their lives or feelings.
Lying to himself, he was never just a young kid scared
He tried to convince himself that he was never afraid even though he was just a scared kid.
Living on his own with no one to hold on to
He had no support system and was living alone.
Nowhere to go and nothing to do
He had no particular destination or purpose in life.
But lie awake and pray that one-day Someone will come his way
He spent sleepless nights hoping that he would find someone to help him or guide him in life.
His shoes are worn and tired and not at their best
His shoes were old and inadequate.
Like a gypsy never sure where he's going next
He lacked direction and roamed aimlessly, similar to a nomad.
Superficial friends, and girls with glazed over eyes
He had shallow friendships and brief, meaningless relationships with women who showed little interest in him.
It's a good time, but just for the night
His experiences were temporary and did not bring lasting happiness.
Then off he'll go to maybe Mexico, Then off through Colorado
He would travel from place to place without a clear destination or plan, possibly going to Mexico or through Colorado.
Staring through the walls of that motel room
He spent time alone in cheap hotel rooms, thinking about his life.
Reflecting on his days, the route he's seemed to choose
He thought about the path he had taken in life so far.
Will good outshine bad, can he turn this thing around
He wondered if he could make positive changes in his life and overcome his difficulties.
Should he drop to his knees, just give up now
He considered giving up and giving in to his troubles.
Begging for release in the night
He prayed for a way out of his problems and struggles.
Has he gone too far to fight?
He questioned whether it was too late for him to make changes and improve his life.
All He knows are Highways and broken hearts, late nights and old guitars, Wondering where you are, you're so far away
He is familiar with the nomadic lifestyle of traveling on highways and having broken relationships. He spends his nights playing music on old guitars and wondering where his true happiness lies, feeling isolated and distant from others.
Lyrics © NTAC INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brieanna
I Love Eli YOung Band! They rock!!
jaden brooke
this song means the world to me! it picks me up off my feet when life throws me down....
Ralph Thomas
This song is the story of my life. I have lived this song for a long time now.
Katherine Hall
They are AMAZING! They make even the saddest songs awesome!
cwidner24
this is by far the best song in the world. thank you so much eli young band. it is greatly appreciated
Seth Mann
2019 and still timeless
Brieanna
I love Eli Young Band! There like the best band in the Whole Wide World
Ashley McCoy
still my favorite song 💞💞💞
J
Agreed! And still listening to it in 2018
Cameron Cherry
This song reminds me of every broken heart i ever had with Life.... Love.... Or Anything.... Perfect song to just let it all out.... same kind of music i write on my keyboard