“Ellis Paul is one of Boston’s best-ever songwriting exports...” – The Boston Globe. The Day After Everything Changed, the 2010 album from singer- songwriter Ellis Paul, was released on Ellis’ label, Black Wolf Records. Since emerging from the Boston music scene, Paul’s music has been consistently recognized and celebrated worldwide. The new record reinforces this acclaim and is sure to cement his place as one of America’s most talented songwriters.
Recorded in Nashville, the 15-song album was produced by Thad Beaty and Jason Collum and features five songs co-written by Paul’s longtime friend and collaborator, Kristian Bush, founder of the Grammy Award winning band Sugarland. Several of the Sugarland musicians served as Ellis’ backing band for the recording. Throughout 2011, to keep the collaboration alive, Paul will continue to open numerous sold-out arena dates for Sugarland on the current Incredible Machine Tour.
“Ellis has a voice that is so powerful that you know who it is the second he comes through your radio. His music and songs are a new birth in American sound that makes me want to go see concerts again.” -Kristian Bush / Sugarland
“The Day After Everything Changed” is Paul’s first studio album in five years and his 16th release to date. The project was 100% funded by his loyal fan base. The songs on the record reflect Paul’s commitment to storytelling, exemplified in the title track “The Day After Everything Changed.” Described by Paul himself, the songs on the album are about people who are at a crossroads in their life. “I like songs to be cultural events, little ones, that somehow tell me what it feels like to be living here on this planet, in this country, at this time. I want to hear about people’s joys and woes and apply them to my own. You can’t fake real life stories. When you’re faking it --it’s obvious. As long as the writing feels real -- it works in any genre.”
Movie director Peter Farrelly, of the Farrelly Brothers, praises Ellis Paul as “a national treasure”. Ellis’ songs have appeared in the soundtracks for three Farrelly Bothers movies, “Me Myself & Irene” with Jim Carey, “Shallow Hal” with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, and in February 2011, the Farrelly Brothers latest project, "Hall Pass" starring Owen Wilson and Alyssa Milano will showcase up to 9 musical tracks off of Ellis' latest album The Day After Everything Changed as the score of this hit movie. This is Ellis’ third Hollywood blockbuster credit.
With “The Day After Everything Changed” we're struck more by the fact that Paul is still playing at the top of his game to such an extraordinary degree. It is, as always, the quality not the quantity but in this case we're rewarded with both. / Direct Current
Ellis celebrated his 20th anniversary of being a touring musician on July 2010 when the Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, declared July 9th 2010 “Ellis Paul Day” to honor one of Boston’s leading musical exports. Ellis will be anointing his 2 decades of song during his “20th Anniversary Tour” throughout 2011. Over the past two decades Paul has garnered numerous honors including 14 Boston Music Awards, second only to Aerosmith. He has performed with countless acclaimed musicians, including Patty Griffin, John Mayer, Ani Difranco, John Prine, Sugarland, and at the request of Woody’s daughter Nora Guthrie and after several trips to the Woody Guthrie archives, Ellis even has a co-write with Woody, their song “God’s Promise”.
Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora says of Ellis, “A singer songwriter is only as good as the times he reflects. Wise, tender, brilliant and biting, Ellis is one of our best human compasses, marking in melodies and poems where we’ve been and where we might go if we so choose to. Personally Ellis, I’m goin’ where you’re goin’!”
Blacktop Train
Ellis Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're rolling like the thunder in a midwest rain
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
Every revolution rides the wheels of change
They poured blacktop two-lane right through the cornfields
Laid a stripe right across my back
The wheels came spinning with the wide-eyed crusaders
Silos, scarecrows, american machine,
Rev up your engines you're as fast as a train
Oh my lord, look how the weather has changed
Cyclones, dust storms, blacktop trains
Cyclones, dust storms, blacktop trains
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
They're rolling like the thunder in a midwest rain
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
Every revolution rides the wheels of change
They're gonna write a new song they blow on by
Start a revolution and blow on by
It ain't ever gonna be the same
They come east coast, west coast, chryslers and oldsmobiles
Smoke rolling, chrome on the plains
Musicians pull over looking over their shoulders
At hank williams, buddy holly lighting the flame
Motels, oilwells, truckstop, marines
Going to california with their pin-up dreams
Roll down your window, brother, shout out my name
You're on route 66, on a blacktop train
Route 66, on a blacktop train
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
They're rolling like the thunder in a midwest rain
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
Every revolution rides the wheels of change
In the song "Blacktop Train," Ellis Paul uses the image of a train traveling on a blacktop road to explore themes of change, progress, and the cost of modernity in America's heartland. The train serves as a metaphor for the forces of modernity pushing forward relentlessly, changing the landscape and culture of the Midwest. The lyrics describe how the construction of a two-lane blacktop road through the cornfields is emblematic of the American love of progress, but it also comes at a cost. The road leaves a permanent mark on the land and on the people who live there, as "the wheels [of the train] came spinning with the wide-eyed crusaders out on a quest for the trail of jack kerouac."
The song also contains a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, bygone era. The mention of Hank Williams and Buddy Holly evokes a sense of the golden age of American music, and the image of musicians pulling over to pay their respects underscores the importance of music as a cultural touchstone. But the song ultimately acknowledges that change is inevitable, and that it can be both a force for good and a force for destruction.
Overall, "Blacktop Train" is a meditation on the complexity of progress and change in America's heartland. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the landscape and culture of the Midwest, while also exploring deeper themes of nostalgia, progress, and the cost of progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
The singer is witnessing the presence of a blacktop train.
They're rolling like the thunder in a midwest rain
The singer acknowledges the sheer power of the train on the move.
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
The singer reiterates the presence of a blacktop train.
Every revolution rides the wheels of change
The artist believes that revolutions and changes are often driven by people who are on the move.
They poured blacktop two-lane right through the cornfields
The artist observes that the people have paved a road right through a scenic cornfield.
Laid a stripe right across my back
The presence of a road is imprinted onto the singer.
The wheels came spinning with the wide-eyed crusaders
The train brings with it people who are enthusiastic and optimistic about their travels.
Out on a quest for the trail of jack kerouac
The people on the train are looking for adventure, much like Jack Kerouac, a famous American writer.
Silos, scarecrows, american machine,
The scenic view, with silos and scarecrows, is now accompanied by an industrialized machine.
Rev up your engines you're as fast as a train
The people on the road are revving up their engines to feel as powerful as the train.
Oh my lord, look how the weather has changed
The weather has become chaotic, and the singer acknowledges the change.
Cyclones, dust storms, blacktop trains
The artist associates the chaos with the presence of a blacktop train.
Cyclones, dust storms, blacktop trains
The singer reiterates that chaos surrounds the presence of a blacktop train.
They're gonna write a new song they blow on by
The singer predicts that the train will inspire new songs and stories as it passes.
Start a revolution and blow on by
The singer believes that the train has the potential to start a revolution as it passes by.
It ain't ever gonna be the same
The presence of the train has changed everything, and things will never be the same again.
They come east coast, west coast, chryslers and oldsmobiles
People from all parts of America and all types of cars are traveling on the same road.
Smoke rolling, chrome on the plains
The singer observes the exhaust fumes and shiny details on the cars.
Musicians pull over looking over their shoulders
Musicians are stopping their travels to look back at the history of music along the road.
At hank williams, buddy holly lighting the flame
The musicians are inspired by Hank Williams and Buddy Holly's contributions to the world of music.
Motels, oilwells, truckstop, marines
The artist observes the variety of businesses and services located along the road.
Going to california with their pin-up dreams
People are traveling towards California with aspirations of their own.
Roll down your window, brother, shout out my name
The singer wants the people in the other cars to acknowledge their presence and interact with them.
You're on route 66, on a blacktop train
The people on the road are following Route 66, a famous highway in the United States.
Route 66, on a blacktop train
The singer reiterates that the people are traveling on Route 66, and that the road is akin to a blacktop train.
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
The singer repeats the symbol of the blacktop train.
They're rolling like the thunder in a midwest rain
The singer compares the train's movements to that of the unpredictable nature of a Midwestern thunderstorm.
Ooo-ooo on a blacktop train
The artist repeats the symbol of the blacktop train.
Every revolution rides the wheels of change
The artist believes that the people on the train are contributing to the ongoing revolutions in the world through their travels.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ELLIS PAUL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind