Rouse lived in various places in Midwest America during his childhood due to his father's military career. Following his time at Austin Peay State University, he eventually settled down in Tennessee, where he met some local musicians and began recording. Signing to the Rykodisc subsidiary Slow River, in 1998, Rouse issued his debut album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, to widespread critical acclaim; upon settling in Nashville, he was befriended by Kurt Wagner, frontman of the endlessly brilliant chamber country group Lambchop, and in the fall of 1999, the two singers/songwriters issued a collaborative EP, Chester.
Rouse's second solo LP, Home, appeared the following spring and was followed by Under the Cold Blue Stars in 2002. For his next record Rouse hooked up with producer Brad Jones and the resulting album in 2003, 1972, was both a homage to the soft rock sounds of Rouse's youth and an opening up and deepening of his sound. Before the release of his next album, Rouse's marriage ended and he moved from Nashville to Spain. This spawned 2004's Nashville, an example of his versatile musical talent, featuring a blend of Rock, Jazz and Ballad. It served as a farewell to both the city and his marriage; it was also his most fully realized record to date. This album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005 (#80).
Rouse's next album, called Subtitulo, was released March 21, 2006 in which his move to Spain was evident.It marked a further finessing of his sound and a move towards the music of an early Paul Simon.
2007 saw a rather busy year for Rouse. He started off supporting John Mayer on a series of his Winter Tour dates. Not soon after, he released a joint EP with his girlfriend Paz Suay, under the moniker of She's Spanish, I'm American. At the end of July, Rouse released his 7th LP, Country Mouse, Cit y House. The record marked a detour from Subtitulo, offering a fuller, more instrumental sound, which appeared to divide both critics and fans. Rouse toured extensively worldwide to support the album.
He released "El Turista" in February 2010 and "The Happiness Waltz" in 2013.
www.joshrouse.com
The Last Train
Josh Rouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
City lights
Out of time
Running to catch the last train
The last train
Subway shines
City lights
Running to catch the last train
The last train
The opening lines of "The Last Train" by Josh Rouse paint a vivid picture of a bustling city that never sleeps. The subway shines brightly under the glare of the city lights as the singer rushes to catch the last train of the night. The urgency in the lyrics is reinforced by the repetition of the phrase "out of time", suggesting that the singer is in a state of panic or anxiety.
However, beyond the surface-level interpretation of a commuter trying to get home before the last train, the lyrics of the song could be interpreted as a metaphor for life itself. The idea that we are all running against the clock, trying to stay ahead of an unstoppable force, is a theme that is reflected in many of Rouse's other songs. The image of the last train could be seen as a metaphor for death, and the singer's desperate attempt to catch it could symbolize the eternal struggle to maintain control over our own lives and destinies.
Overall, "The Last Train" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that invites the listener to reflect on the dualities of life, from light and darkness to control and chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Subway shines
The bright and shiny subway train captures the attention of the singer
City lights
The lights of the skyscrapers and buildings in the city are visible from the singer's point of view
Out of time
The singer is running late and may miss the last train home
Running to catch the last train
The artist is in a rush to reach the train station in time as it's the last one available for the night
The last train
The artist is anxious about catching the last train as missing it could mean being stranded in the city all night
Contributed by Elena M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.