They began performing in the folk-pop genre in coffee houses in their hometown. In 1995, their live album, Live at KaLo's Coffee House, was released, and drew some attention. After touring for a year, in 1996 they released a second independent album, Not from Concentrate and performed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. While touring they were noticed by Jimmy Buffett, who signed them to Island Records in 1997, and released We've Never Heard of You, Either the following year. In 2000, they released Evan and Jaron for Sony BMG Music Entertainment/Columbia Records. The album proved to be their commercial breakthrough, spawning the hit single Crazy For This Girl, From My Head to My Heart, and The Distance. At the height of their success, Evan started a family and the touring ceased. Their most recent album, Half Dozen, offered more of Americana/country sound and included six songs as well as three additional bonus tracks. They also portrayed The Everly Brothers on NBC's American Dreams.
Evan and Jaron can be seen every week on USA Network's Character Road Trip.
In March 2006, the pair appeared on ABC's reality TV show, American Inventor, showcasing their Pit Bowl, a container for discarded seeds and pits in various fruits and nuts.
They now are in the middle of a new album called 52 Sundays. The album is being recorded one song per Sunday for a year; hence the name. It's only available online, with no actual physical CD being offered (This move is aimed to be "Green-friendly").
They are Observant Jews and keep the sabbath even while on tour, refusing to play on Friday nights. They have one older sister, Andrea (b. 1967).
Where Were You
Evan and Jaron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You tell me you know just who I am
That's a felony 'cause no one can
I can only look back when I stand all on my own
I know a friend and I'll tell you when I see one
I'm reaching back again can I make it if I run
Where were you when my thoughts were growing old
Where were you
The train has left the station with no chartered destination
If you don't have a ticket in your hand it's too late to ride
'Cause I've already closed the ticket stand
Where were you when I was naked in the cold
Where were you when my thoughts were growing old
Where were you
Softly I hear you call and surely you're after it all
You tell me you know just who I am
That's a felony 'cause no one can
And there's something that I really want to know
It's building up inside where did you go
Where were you when I was naked in the cold
Where were you when my thoughts were growing old
Where were you
The lyrics to Evan and Jaron's song "Where Were You" seem to be about feeling unsupported by a friend or loved one during difficult times. The opening lines suggest that someone is reaching out and claiming to know the singer very well, but the singer is skeptical of this claim because no one can truly know another person completely. The singer seems to be recalling a time when they were vulnerable, "naked in the cold," and feeling abandoned by someone who should have been there for them. The lyrics "where were you when my thoughts were growing old" could be interpreted as feeling alone during a time of personal growth or change.
The second half of the song brings in a train metaphor - the train has already left the station and it's too late to buy a ticket. This could represent the singer's journey through life, and the feeling that some people have missed their chance to be a part of it or support them. The repeated refrain "where were you" emphasizes this feeling of being let down by others.
Overall, the song seems to be about the pain of feeling unsupported or abandoned by people who are supposed to be there for you. The train metaphor suggests that once someone misses their chance to join you on your journey, it's too late for them to catch up.
Line by Line Meaning
Softly I hear you call and surely you're after it all
You try to approach me softly, but I can see that you have ulterior motives.
You tell me you know just who I am. That's a felony 'cause no one can
You claim to know me well, but it's impossible for anyone to truly understand me.
I can only look back when I stand all on my own
I can only reflect on my past when I am standing on my own two feet, without any external influences.
I know a friend and I'll tell you when I see one
I can recognize a true friend when I come across one.
I'm reaching back again can I make it if I run
I'm trying to move forward from my past but I wonder if I can succeed if I try to run away from it.
Where were you when I was naked in the cold
You were not there for me when I was vulnerable and alone.
Where were you when my thoughts were growing old
You were not there for me when I needed someone to help me with my aging thoughts.
The train has left the station with no chartered destination
Time has moved on without any specific direction or plan.
If you don't have a ticket in your hand it's too late to ride
If you're not prepared, it's too late to try to join me on my journey.
'Cause I've already closed the ticket stand
I am no longer offering an opportunity for you to join me on this journey.
And there's something that I really want to know, it's building up inside where did you go
I am curious about where you went when I needed you the most and it's starting to consume me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EVAN LOWENSTEIN, JARON LOWENSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind