During the 70s, while still in his teens, Mitchell began playing with local bands in the city of Sarnia. After evolving through a few name changes with essentially the same band, Mitchell and a group titled "Zooom" headed off for Toronto, Ontario. The band eventually dissolved, with Mitchell travelling over to the Greek islands.
Upon his return to Canada, he formed the band Max Webster, which managed to finally break through commercially. Besides playing the group, Mitchell and wrote most of the band's songs with fellow Sarnia native and lyricist, Pye Dubois (Paul Woods). Max Webster toured extensively and built a string of hits. Mitchell's solo career began after his departure from Max Webster, with session work and a succession of solo albums.
In early 1985, the song "Go For Soda" from the Akimbo Alogo album became an international hit and perhaps remains his best known song outside of his native Canada.
In 2004, Mitchell entered the radio broadcasting industry, becoming afternoon drive time host on Toronto classic rock radio station Q107.
As of 2005, Mitchell, still does the afternoon drive time on Q107, and is working on a new double CD set for a Spring 2006 release.
In December of 2005, Mitchell had proposed to the Q107 listeners that they write a Christmas song together. The resulting song is entitled "A Christmas Smile". At the end of the song, Mitchell advises his fans not to drink and drive, but to "go for a soda" instead.
The U.S. of Ache
Kim Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was a theme in my serious heart
We had sex in Detroit, rave reviews in Boston on the road to Pittsburgh closing
night in Dallas
Then we said goodbye
I send echoes cross state lines
Chocolates by wire
Meet me in the middle of the U.S. of ache
There must be a town in the middle of America
Where we can meet and start again
I guess she wants to keep me her secret
And i just want to give my secret away
I send echoes cross state lines
Chocolates by wire
Telegrams by the hour
Meet me in the middle of the U.S. of ache
I can't get to Florida
Without driving through Kansas
Cigarettes and motor oil
I know she's never been to heaven
And i sure as hell can't fine her here on earth
I send echoes cross state lines
Chocolates by wire
Telegrams by the hour
Meet me in the middle of the U.S. of ache
The U.S. of Ache by Kim Mitchell tells a story about a man who met a girl during his travels, but they had to part ways. The man sends messages to the girl by wire and telegrams, hoping to meet in a town in the middle of America where they can start over. The song talks about the man's yearning for the girl, his frustration in not being able to locate her, and his willingness to give away his secret.
The lyrics paint a picture of a long-distance relationship that is complicated by distance and secrecy. The man describes how he had sex with the girl in Detroit and got rave reviews in Boston, but they had to part ways after their closing night in Dallas. The man sends chocolates and messages by wire and telegram to show his love and longing for the girl.
The line "Meet me in the middle of the U.S. of ache" is a captivating part of the song. The phrase "U.S. of ache" refers to the emotional pain one feels when in love, especially in long-distance relationships. The man hopes that they can meet in a town in the middle of America, suggesting they meet halfway to make things work.
Line by Line Meaning
I was one line in a diary in Kansas
I was just a small part of her story, like a line in a diary, when I met her in Kansas.
She was a theme in my serious heart
She was more than just a passing interest, but a serious matter that occupied my heart.
We had sex in Detroit, rave reviews in Boston on the road to Pittsburgh closing night in Dallas
We had a sexual encounter in Detroit and then had great experiences along the way on our trip, ending with a memorable closing night in Dallas.
Then we said goodbye
Unfortunately, our time together had to come to an end and we said our goodbyes.
I send echoes cross state lines
Even though we were far apart, I still tried to reach out and communicate with her through various means like echoes.
Chocolates by wire
I attempted to woo her from afar by sending her chocolates through the wire.
Telegrams by the hour
I sent her numerous telegrams throughout the day as a way of staying connected and letting her know I was thinking about her.
Meet me in the middle of the U.S. of ache
I longed to be with her and asked her to meet me in the middle of the United States, where we could be together and cure our heartache.
There must be a town in the middle of America
I believed that there was a town in the center of the country where we could meet and start anew.
Where we can meet and start again
In that town, we could have a fresh start and begin our relationship again.
I guess she wants to keep me her secret
Sadly, it seemed as though she didn't want to be open about our relationship and wanted to keep me as her secret.
And i just want to give my secret away
On the other hand, I was willing to be open about our love and wanted to tell everyone my secret.
I can't get to Florida without driving through Kansas
No matter where I traveled, I always had to pass through Kansas to get to Florida, which reminded me of our time together.
Cigarettes and motor oil
The smell of cigarettes and motor oil reminds me of the places we visited and the moments we shared.
I know she's never been to heaven
I realize that she may not be perfect, but she is still the one I want to be with, despite her flaws.
And i sure as hell can't fine her here on earth
Even though she may not be perfect, she is still the one for me and I can't find anyone like her on earth.
Contributed by Stella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.