McLaughlin was born on September 27, 1982 in Anderson, Indiana. Playing piano since early childhood, he was always finding ways to get out of piano lessons. While attending Highland High School, he shattered both wrists in an accident that interrupted his musical education. Nevertheless, McLaughlin attended Anderson University to study music. He released an independent album entitled Up until Now in 2003. This quickly led to McLaughlin becoming the first artist to sign on with the school's record label, Orangehaus Records. His self-titled album was released in 2004 to local and regional praise. He began touring, travelling throughout the U.S. Midwest, and working up a grassroots following.
He released Indiana in 2007, preceded earlier in the same year by the EP Industry, also known as Jon McL. In 2008, McLaughlin returned with lead single "Beating My Heart" from his album OK Now released in the same year. He gained fame with his cameo appearance in Disney's Enchanted. Released in early September 2011 in the U.S. Forever If Ever was McLaughlin's third major-label release. 2012's lead single "Summer Is Over" featured fellow singer-songwriter-pianist Sara Bareilles from Promising Promises which was a slightly reworked version of his 2011 album. There were no other singles released from the album. Jon released Holding My Breath on his website and iTunes on September 24, 2013. The mp3 version of the album is also available at Amazon.
Indiana
Jon McLaughlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I could never get used to the beach
And I'm glad I never grew up on a mountain
To figure out how high the world could reach
I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
For some the world?s a treasure to discover
And your scenery should never stay the same
And they're trading in their dreams for explanations
All in an attempt to entertain
But I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
The trick of love is to never let it find you
It?s easy to get over missing out
I know the 'how's' and 'when's'
But now and then she's all I think about
I wonder how it feels to be famous
But wonder is as far as I will go
'Cause I?d probably lose myself in all the pictures
And end up being someone I don't know
So it?s probably best I stay in Indiana
Just dreaming of the world as it should be
Where every day is a battle to convince myself
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
In Jon McLaughlin's song Indiana, the lyrics explore themes of appreciation for the small things in life, and the importance of fantasy versus reality. Through the lines "I'm glad I never lived next to the water, so I could never get used to the beach", McLaughlin suggests that by avoiding constant exposure to exceptional beauty, he can continue to appreciate it. The song goes on to describe McLaughlin's love for the miles between him and the city, where he can quietly imagine every street in a state of escapism. The lyrics also hint at a missed opportunity for love, with McLaughlin declaring "I'm glad she never fell in love with me".
McLaughlin contrasts his approach to life with those who believe in the idea that "your scenery should never stay the same". He believes that these people can lose touch with fantasy and instead are only concerned with explaining things in an attempt to keep entertained. McLaughlin also touches on the fear of losing oneself if becoming famous, which he describes as his own personal 'wonder but never go' feeling. Ultimately, the song comes to a close with McLaughlin stating his appreciation for staying in Indiana, where he can dream of the world "as it should be".
Line by Line Meaning
I'm glad I never lived next to the water
I am happy that I never lived by the ocean, so I could never take the beauty of it for granted.
So I could never get used to the beach
This way, I can never get bored or overlook its beauty.
And I'm glad I never grew up on a mountain
I am content that I did not grow up on a mountain and miss out on seeing how high the world can reach.
To figure out how high the world could reach
If I had grown up on a mountain, I might have become jaded to the beauty around me and missed out on exploring and seeing new heights.
I love the miles between me and the city
I enjoy having distance between myself and the busy downtown area.
Where I quietly imagine every street
I appreciate the opportunity to be creative and picture every street, building and person in my head from afar.
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I am happy that I am only imagining the future, rather than living it and potentially being disappointed.
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
It is a blessing that this certain girl never fell in love with me, as it saved me from heartbreak and complications.
For some the world's a treasure to discover
Some people find the world exhilarating, always wanting to see new things.
And your scenery should never stay the same
Some people believe that static views are boring and that every day they need something new to appreciate.
And they're trading in their dreams for explanations
People are trading their aspirations for knowledge and explanations rather than living in the moment.
All in an attempt to entertain
People do this all to entertain themselves.
The trick of love is to never let it find you
To maintain a happy life, one should not actively pursue love, as it may lead to disappointment.
It's easy to get over missing out
It is easy to overcome the longing for what could have been.
I know the 'how's' and 'when's'
I understand the process of love and the mechanics of how it works.
But now and then she's all I think about
Occasionally, this girl is all I can think about, which can be hard to manage.
I wonder how it feels to be famous
I often wonder how it feels to be in the public eye and become a celebrity.
But wonder is as far as I will go
I am content with thinking about it, as it does not bring more joy than dreaming of it.
'Cause I'd probably lose myself in all the pictures
If I ever did become famous, I worry I would become engrossed in the limelight and lose myself.
And end up being someone I don't know
Lastly, I fear that I would become an altered version of myself, someone I do not recognize.
So it's probably best I stay in Indiana
Therefore, it is best that I remain in Indiana, away from the flashy life of fame.
Just dreaming of the world as it should be
Instead, I enjoy dreaming of a perfect world without the distraction of fame.
Where every day is a battle to convince myself
Every day, I strive to believe that the path I chose is the right path and to not doubt myself.
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
Lastly, I am at peace with the fact that this girl never fell for me and count it as a blessing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aisdd
I'm glad i never lived next to the water
So I could never get used to the beach
And I'm glad I never grew up on a mountain
To figure out how high the world could reach
I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
For some the world's a treasure to discover
And your scenery should never stay the same
And they're trading in their dreams for Explanations
All in an attempt to entertain
But I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
The trick of love is to never let it find you
It's easy to get over missing out
I know the how's and whens, but now and then,
She's all I think about
I wonder how it feels to be famous
But wonder is as far as I will go
Because I'd probably lose myself in all the Pictures
And end up being someone I don't know.
So it's probably best I stay in Indiana
Just dreaming of the world as it should be
Where every day is a battle to convince myself
I'm glad she never fell in love with me
k0almin3r
there are so many fly by night artists, with average voices and no musical talent, who are shown more respect than Jon. this is pure, raw talent...musically, vocally, and emotionally moving...just beautiful...keep doing what you're doing brother..
Elaine Marie Hursen
I would agree with you, except that it discounts how much time he has spent honing his skills and sound. Yes, there is absolutely raw talent, but he's also worked really damn hard.
Mark Radcliffe
Could. Not. Agree. More. He's the real deal. This vid should have 60 million views. Not 200k. But you can't keep a good man down, and this dude will eventually write that one song that we won't stop playing for 100 years. 👍
Ian McDonough
That is why I love him.
soapsnsuds
I was on a bus to home this afternoon, and this song played in my mp3 player. I just had to play it over and over again. There's something infinitely heartbreaking about it. Yet, it's introspective, and somehow, it makes me marvel at the power of love and how it can be beautifully translated into music. Congratulations to you for being a great instrument of that power. :)
Juliet
this song is so heartbreaking and so honest
SuperSpaceman123
This song is amazing
OWoodMusic
This is such an amazing idea for a song, and so beautifully played. Great music :)
Ian Eduria
This is a masterpiece.
BevAnn
Great voice and a great piano player. Love the lyrics to many of his songs. It's nice you can understand each word, nice clear voice. I could listen to him all day!!