In the past few years the band has travelled all over their home country of Canada, touring and sharing the stage with many international acts including The Cat Empire, Xavier Rudd, State Radio and Finley Quaye. The summer of 2010 also saw them performing at the Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver Folk Festivals.
New album, Let it Go, will be released worldwide June 12th, 2012.
Long Road
Jon and Roy Lyrics
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I've taken strain and pressure till I thought I might explode
Now I yearn for childhood days of model planes and lemonade
When the day stretched out before me like a long long Texas road
Yes a long long Texas road bout a million miles or so
When you're just a child there ain't no time but now
Must have left that long old road seven hundred years ago
And I'd find it once again if I knew how
I've worked in city factories their plastic dirt still clings to me
Monotory near killed me Lord it was a heavy load
Now I dream of comic books and horny toads and fishin' hooks
When the day stretched out before me like a long long Texas road
Yes a long long Texas road...
So I watch the children play and dream my dreams of yesterday
Don't tell them to be grateful I'm sure that they've been told
If I knew then what I know now that would have messed it up somehow
When the day stretched out before me like a long long Texas road
Yes a long long Texas road...
The lyrics to Jon and Roy's "Long Road" reflect the singer's nostalgic yearning for the simple, carefree days of childhood. The song begins with the singer acknowledging the hard work and struggles he has faced throughout his life. He then contrasts these experiences with his memories of being a child: building model planes, drinking lemonade, and feeling like he had all the time in the world. The singer longs to return to this feeling of endless possibility, represented by a "long long Texas road" that he imagines stretched out in front of him for a million miles.
As the song continues, the singer describes the toll that city life has taken on him. He reflects on the monotony of working in factories and dreams of returning to the simple pleasures of childhood, like reading comic books and fishing. In the final verse, the singer watches children playing and recognizes that he cannot fully recapture the innocence of his own childhood. He expresses his hope that the children will be allowed to enjoy their own childhoods without being burdened by the knowledge and responsibilities of adulthood.
Overall, "Long Road" is a bittersweet tribute to the fleeting nature of childhood and the longing that many adults feel to return to a simpler time. The song's evocative imagery and wistful tone make it a powerful reflection on the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been up and I've been down
I have experienced both good and bad times in my life
I've worked the fields I've plowed the ground
I have done physical labor on farms
I've taken strain and pressure till I thought I might explode
I have faced difficult and overwhelming situations that pushed me to my limits
Now I yearn for childhood days of model planes and lemonade
I long for the simple, carefree days of my childhood, when my biggest worries were flying model planes and drinking lemonade
When the day stretched out before me like a long long Texas road
The days felt endless and full of possibilities, much like a never-ending Texan highway
Yes a long long Texas road bout a million miles or so
The Texas road symbolizes the vastness of time and opportunities in life
When you're just a child there ain't no time but now
As a child, time only exists in the present moment
Must have left that long old road seven hundred years ago
The artist feels like they left that carefree road long, long ago, even though they know it hasn't been that long
And I'd find it once again if I knew how
The artist wishes they could go back to that state of mind, but they don't know how to do so
I've worked in city factories their plastic dirt still clings to me
The artist has worked in industrial jobs in the city, which left a lasting impression on them
Monotory near killed me Lord it was a heavy load
The repetitiveness of those jobs drained the singer and made them feel burdened
Now I dream of comic books and horny toads and fishin' hooks
The artist longs for childhood passions like reading comics, catching amphibians, and fishing
So I watch the children play and dream my dreams of yesterday
The singer observes children playing and remembers their own childhood days
Don't tell them to be grateful I'm sure that they've been told
The singer believes that children receive enough reminders to be thankful for what they have, and doesn't want to add to that sentiment
If I knew then what I know now that would have messed it up somehow
The singer realizes that if they knew then what they know now, they would have acted differently and possibly ruined the innocence and magic of their childhood
Yes a long long Texas road...
Repeating the line from earlier in the song, the artist emphasizes their wish to return to the carefree, open-ended days of their youth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DENNIS LINDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind