Jukebox the Ghost is a Washington, D.C.-born, Brooklyn-based three-piece rock band. The band consists of Ben Thornewill (vocals & piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals & guitar) and Jesse Kristin (drums). Since 2006, Jukebox the Ghost has toured extensively.
In 2003, Ben, Tommy, and Jesse met while attending George Washington University. Shortly after, they formed a band called The Sunday Mail. They took a semester's break to study abroad, and re-formed upon returning as Jukebox the Ghost. They came up with the name after combining lyrics from a Captain Beefheart song and a line from the book Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov.
In 2008, they released their first album "Let Live & Let Ghosts", and began playing new songs in concerts.
Jukebox the Ghost recorded a cover of Ace of Base's "Beautiful Life" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2, which was released in November 2008.
Following their tour with Ben Folds in early April 2009, they began their headlining tour in the UK with Nightmare of You. They began their headlining tour with Jenny Owen Youngs back in the United States on April 30 in Chicago, IL. This tour lasted into June, at which point they temporarily stopped touring to concentrate on their next album, "Everything Under the Sun." The band began recording for the new album on September 29th, 2009 at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In February 2010, Jukebox the Ghost toured across Europe with Adam Green of The Moldy Peaches. This was followed by a separate tour in the United States with bands Tally Hall and Skybox. They will begin touring once again in late May 2010 with the band Free Energy, and will be playing at Lollapalooza in Chicago this August.
"The Popular Thing," a song from their upcoming album, is featured in the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Long Way Home
Jukebox the Ghost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's strange how you can never know who's
Going to stay with you and who will leave
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
We walk through the park at night
Gazing up at all the satellites
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day further down the road
With full grown children of your own
If I passed by you on a busy street,
Will you remember me?
Will you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
Caught beneath the ocean,
Searching for a sign of life
One day down the road you'll find
Something that you kept inside
Caught beneath the ocean
A part of us is still alive
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
The lyrics of Jukebox the Ghost's "Long Way Home" speak of reminiscences of a past lover who may or may not be present in the future. The song begins in the past tense, "Seems like many years ago," with the singer acknowledging how it is impossible to know who will stay or leave in life. The lines, "Do you remember me? Do you remember me?" echo the uncertainty of whether the person remembers the singer or not. However, there is a hint of longing in the way the singer repeats the question, which is underlined by the slow melodic composition of the song.
As the song progresses, it flashes back to one particular night, "long ago," when the two were walking down a road that they used to know. The person with the singer asked to take the long way home, implying that the two of them wanted to spend more time together. The singer recalls this memory as a cherished moment.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics become more reflective and introspective. The singer contemplates seeing the person after they both have grown old and have children of their own. The lyrics hint that perhaps some memories stay with a person, while others are lost, almost washed away like something "caught beneath the ocean." The song is a statement on the unpredictability of life, the fleeting nature of relationships, and the bittersweet ache of not knowing whether someone from the past still remembers one.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like many years ago
It's been a long time since the memory being reminisced
It's strange how you can never know who's
Life is unpredictable, you can never tell who will stick around
Going to stay with you and who will leave
Some people stay in our lives while others leave unexpectedly
Do you remember me?
Asking if the other person still remembers the memory being recalled
We walk through the park at night
Describing a specific memory of walking through a park at night
Gazing up at all the satellites
Looking up at the stars and man-made objects in the sky
(Lights) in the city made it hard to see
The lights from the city obscured the view of the stars
On that night, long ago
Referring back to the specific memory described earlier
Walking down the road that we used to know
Recalling a familiar road from the past
You said, "Let's take it slow"
The other person suggested taking a slower pace on the walk
Let's take the long way home
Choosing to take a longer route home to enjoy the moment and each other's company
One day further down the road
Alluding to a future time in life
With full grown children of your own
Describing a hypothetical scenario of having children in the future
If I passed by you on a busy street,
Wondering if the other person would recognize them in the future
Will you remember me?
Asking if the other person will still remember the memory and the person themselves
One day down the road you'll find
Continuing with the future timeline from earlier
Everything you hid inside
Suggesting that things bottled up inside will eventually resurface
Caught beneath the ocean,
Using a metaphor of being submerged under water to describe the internal struggle
Searching for a sign of life
Seeking some sort of hope or meaning in life
Something that you kept inside
Reemphasizing that things kept inside oneself will eventually come out
A part of us is still alive
Despite the passage of time and changes in life, a part of the memory and the people in it still remains
Lyrics © CYPMP
Written by: BEN THORNEWILL, CALEB SHREVE, JESSE KRISTIN, TOMMY SIEGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GlonX
Seems like many years ago
It's strange how you can never know who's
Going to stay with you and who will leave
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
We walk through the park at night
Gazing up at all the satellites
(Lights) in the city made it hard to see
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day further down the road
With full grown children of your own
If I passed by you on a busy street,
Will you remember me?
Will you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
Caught beneath the ocean,
Searching for a sign of life
One day down the road you'll find
Something that you kept inside
Caught beneath the ocean
A part of us is still alive
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
Aquamatey
There's always at least one track on each album that just gives me goosebumps and makes me get lost in thought. This is one of those songs. It's so beautiful and meaningful. Thank you for this, Jukebox the Ghost.
GlonX
Seems like many years ago
It's strange how you can never know who's
Going to stay with you and who will leave
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
We walk through the park at night
Gazing up at all the satellites
(Lights) in the city made it hard to see
Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day further down the road
With full grown children of your own
If I passed by you on a busy street,
Will you remember me?
Will you remember me?
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
Caught beneath the ocean,
Searching for a sign of life
One day down the road you'll find
Something that you kept inside
Caught beneath the ocean
A part of us is still alive
One day down the road you'll find
Everything you hid inside
On that night, long ago
Walking down the road that we used to know
You said, "Let's take it slow"
Let's take the long way home
Let's take the long way home
Vaultgirl
I had just bought your new album a few weeks before my boyfriend of 6 years broke up with me. You guys have been our favourite band and we've seen you in concert three times. Even though it's been almost half a year and I'm moving on, this song gets my every time... I want to thank you. It's a nice way to grieve and remember the beautiful part of something that brings a lot of pain. (Always have to listen to The Great Unknown afterwards!! Haha)
Keep it up, guys. <3
I Deever
I had a similar experience, Jukebox stays in my heart with me too though.
saltwatertaffynlife
I love this song so, so deeply. It feels like home.
Ynnep-Chan
I spent an hour trying to find this song after 5 years! A friend found it and I'm crying now because I love it.
WoodenSpoonOfSteel
everything on this album is just beautiful
Elizabeth Yeager
I LOVE THE WHOLE ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anns
Thank you for your music Is very calming 🤗
Jocelyn Funk
....this is why you guys are life. Your music is golden and the vocals always spot on. I LOVE YOU