Grandaddy are an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1… Read Full Bio ↴Grandaddy are an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1992 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch; although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early recordings like 1994's Complex Party Come Along Theories, with the 1995 additions of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden the group's sound expanded exponentially over the course of subsequent efforts including the unreleased Don't Sock the Tryer and the 1996 EP A Pretty Mess by This One Band. Originally issued on indie label Will Records, 1997's acclaimed full-length Under the Western Freeway proved Grandaddy's creative breakthrough, and the following year the album was reissued on major-label V2, with "Summer Here Kids" earning Single of the Week honors in the pages of the NME. The Broken Down Comforter Collection, a compilation of singles tracks, preceded the 1999 Signal to Snow Ratio EP, which heralded a movement toward the vintage electronic textures further in evidence on 2000's superb The Sophtware Slump. In 2002, the group released another odds-n-sods collection, Concrete Dunes, which paved the way for a busy 2003: that spring, Grandaddy released the Floating Debris EP and their fourth full-length, Sumday, and spent the rest of the year touring, making appearances at festivals such as Glastonbury. In 2005, they resurfaced with the Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla EP and a full-length album (Just Like the Fambly Cat) followed in 2006. It was to be their last, though Jason Lytle continues to tour, playing Grandaddy songs as well as his own solo works.

Additional Info:

Under the name Arm of Roger, Grandaddy recorded a joke album entitled The Ham and its Lily in 2002.

A.M. 180, which was released as a single, is featured prominently in the British film 28 Days Later.

On the 27th January 2006, Jason Lytle confirmed that the band would split following the release of their final album, Just Like The Fambly Cat.

Jason Lytle has since toured the US as a solo artist, playing Grandaddy songs from the last album and others. He is said to plan a solo career of new material.

On March 2, 2012, Grandaddy announced their reunion with news of a headline slot at the End of the Road Festival in Dorset, England on 2 September. Further dates are expected.

You Drove Your Car Into a Moving Train
Grandaddy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the telephone all morning
It's been a while since I talked to you
Your voice's transferred sweet
I wish forever I could talk to you

Of course I blame that guy Tom
I'm sure he talked you into doing it
Although I'm sorry he's dead

When you go to him I kill him again...
And again...and again...

Keep trying that tapes and records
I thought you loved them over anything
This conversation's hard for me and stupid
But we had to do it

You drove your car into a moving train
You held each other headed for the end
And they say it went blank
Now here you are with just a few days left

Keep trying that tapes and records
I thought you loved them over anything

This conversation's hard for me and stupid
But we had to do it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Grandaddy's "You Drove Your Car Into a Moving Train" explore the aftermath of a tragic event. The song is a conversation between two individuals who haven't talked in a while. The singer of the song is lamenting the fact that he or she hasn't spoken to the other person for a long time. The person on the other end of the line is revealed to have driven their car into a moving train while holding onto another person. The singer expresses their devastation at the event, blaming Tom for talking the person into driving into the train. The singer also indicates that the person on the phone loves tapes and records, but it's hard for them to have this conversation. The song ends with the realization that the person that drove the car into the train only has a few days left to live.

The interpretation of the lyrics could be about the death of a loved one or a close friend. The singer is grieving the loss of someone close to them and is angry that the person driving the car was influenced by another individual. Throughout the song, the singer alludes to their relationship with the other person, indicating that they were close and shared similar interests.

Line by Line Meaning

On the telephone all morning
I've been on the phone for hours

It's been a while since I talked to you
We haven't spoken in some time

Your voice's transferred sweet
Your voice sounds pleasant

I wish forever I could talk to you
I wish we could talk forever

Of course I blame that guy Tom
I naturally blame Tom for this

I'm sure he talked you into doing it
I'm certain he convinced you to do it

Although I'm sorry he's dead
Despite my regret for his death

When you go to him I kill him again... And again...and again...
If I could, I would kill him multiple times when you meet him in the afterlife

Keep trying that tapes and records
Continue listening to your music collection

I thought you loved them over anything
I believed you valued your music collection more than anything

This conversation's hard for me and stupid
This conversation is difficult for me and pointless