Spilt Milk was recorded in London with Jimmy Hogarth, the sought-after British producer whose recent credits include Duffy, Corinne Bailey Rae and James Blunt. Powerhouse songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and arranger Eg White – Grammy Awards Record of the Year nominee for Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” – co-wrote most of this material. Singer and pianist Ed Harcourt also co-wrote two, including the climactic “Far From the Country,” an especially poignant and personal conclusion to the disc, about the physical and emotional distances one must bridge to keep love alive
For inspiration, Train turns to Aretha Franklin – “There is not a song that Aretha has sung or will ever sing that doesn’t just melt me” – along with blues/R&B cult figures like former Stax star/Raelette Mable John and Bob Dylan-favorite Karen Dalton. Says Train, “I wanted my album to offer glimpses of my influences, not sound like my influences. Jimmy, Eg and I are of similar backgrounds, we appreciate the same music; we have similar tastes. The arrangements are just what we felt the songs needed, they give the songs flavor but don’t try to steal anybody else’s style. I hope the album is a nod to the music I love, while still being modern.”
Music has been at the center of Train’s world since she was a toddler, when her mother encouraged her to play the violin. Train took to the instrument, but, more importantly, she also discovered an innate aptitude as a singer, with unerring pitch and a preternaturally mature delivery from a very young age. Says Train, “There’s depth to my voice and I think it comes from a lot of different places. But the way I sound today is the way I always sounded -- except in a tinier body.”
As an artist, Train could never simply be described as a product of her times and that has allowed her, on Spilt Milk, to create music that can arguably be called timeless. Her mom, who raised Train alone, fashioned what some might view as a sheltered existence for the young Train, keeping her away from television and pop radio. But what she really did was provide a fertile laboratory for Train to freely grow as a young woman and a singer, apart from the vagaries of trends. Train took music and ballet lessons and listened to classical music and opera, along with jazz and blues. Her violin training definitely came in handy: Train has arranging credits on three of her tracks and overdubbed strings on two of them.
Though born in New York City, Train was raised in Savannah, Georgia, and southern soul and gospel, which she sang in church and school choirs growing up, has had the most profound effect on her work. Almost as significant was the moment when, as a teenager, she unearthed her mom’s tucked-away stash of vinyl albums from the sixties and seventies: Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin. Say Train,” I remember hearing Janis Joplin’s records and thinking, what is that all about? We lived in downtown Savannah, in a house kind of like a New York City brownstone. When we had thunderstorms I would go up to the roof and scream at the top of my lungs because I wanted to make my voice raspier. God only knows what that’s done to me!”
By the time Train was 19, she was already singing professionally, albeit locally. A producer based in the south who’d spotted Train arranged to bring her up to New York City to showcase for Blue Note. The label chiefs offered Train a development deal – but her mom had other ideas. She insisted her daughter go to college first. Many a confident and headstrong young artist would rebel and go it alone, accept the deal and take their chances. But Train – reluctantly, she now admits – listened to her mom. She agreed to attend college in Athens, Ga., keeping her hand in music by joining a band and spending far more time rehearsing and gigging than hitting the books. And when she was ready to return to her career full-time, Blue Note was still waiting.
It was time well-spent, Train now realizes: “I know that at 19, I would not have made this record, which is the record I always wanted to make. This is the album that defines who I am. At 19, I don’t know what I would have put out. I believe everything happened for a reason. It took this amount of time for me to get here and to make this record. I always knew it would happen. “
Train made several trips to London over the course of two years, to write with Hogarth and White, but the actual recording moved quickly. In fact, Train was such a natural that some of the vocal performances they chose came straight from the song demos they’d originally done. Right before they were about to embark on their final sessions, though, a disastrous computer glitch during file back-up resulted in the loss of much of what they’d already completed. As Train recalls, “It was the perfect electronic storm.” Undaunted, she and her cohorts went back in and re-cut the vanished material with even more passion and determination, the setback turning out to be far more inspiration than challenge. Looking back, Train says, “I don’t think anything was lost. I don’t think there was this one magic moment that we could never recapture. I love what it is today.” And the experience provided her with an album title. “Don’t cry over spilt milk.”
Train’s confidence and faith in what she has created is part of what makes Spilt Milk so thrilling: “There’s just this magic thing that happens sometimes and you think, I want to sing this song for the rest of my life – I want to live in it, I want to bury myself in it, I want to wriggle around in it.. Every time I finished one, it was like, I can’t believe that, at this point in my life I finally have a song I would fight for, that I believe in 100% percent. And now I have all these songs together on an entire album that I feel this way about. For me, that’s my college degree.”
Saturdays Are The Greatest
Kristina Train Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when you wake with someone
and you read the morning papers
in a little patch of sun
watching boats on the water
maybe ice cream in the park
and then on to a movie
Saturdays are the greatest
they were made just for fun
it's the fun I remember
I used to have someone
victim of my mascara
for a table booked at eight
then hanging out to a party
and staying up a little late
and it's not much of a party
when you're a girl on your own
and Saturday turns to Sunday
and you wake up alone
Saturdays are the greatest
they were made just for fun
it's the fun I remember
it's the fun that's familiar
and Saturdays were the greatest
I used to have someone
The song "Saturdays Are The Greatest" by Kristina Train is a nostalgic tune about the joy of spending Saturdays with a loved one, and the emptiness that can accompany spending them alone. The verses describe the pleasures of sharing a lazy morning with someone special, reading the paper and watching boats on the water while basking in the sunshine. The couple then head out to have ice cream in the park and catch a movie, cherishing each other's company as the day turns into night.
The chorus repeats the sentiment that "Saturdays are the greatest," highlighting the fact that these days are meant for fun and enjoyment. There is a wistful quality in the lyric "it's the fun I remember, I used to have someone," suggesting that the singer is recalling past Saturdays spent with a partner who is no longer in her life. The final verse poignantly details the loneliness of spending a Saturday night alone, with the singer dolled up for a date that will never happen.
Line by Line Meaning
Saturdays are the greatest
The singer loves Saturdays the most out of all the days.
when you wake with someone
Waking up next to someone is an essential part of having a great Saturday.
and you read the morning papers
Reading the newspaper in the morning is a relaxing and enjoyable activity to do on a Saturday.
in a little patch of sun
The artist enjoys reading the newspaper in the warmth of the sun on a Saturday morning.
watching boats on the water
Observing boats sail across the water is a pleasurable activity to do on a Saturday.
maybe ice cream in the park
Grabbing some ice cream and heading to the park is a delightful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
and then on to a movie
Going to see a movie on a Saturday evening is exciting and fun.
when outside it's getting dark
Seeing a movie at night is even better as the darkness adds to the atmosphere.
they were made just for fun
The artist believes that Saturdays are designed for entertainment and pleasure.
it's the fun I remember
The artist reminisces and cherishes the exciting moments she had on Saturdays in the past.
victim of my mascara
The singer is referring to herself as the victim of her makeup and getting ready for a night out.
for a table booked at eight
The artist is looking forward to a night out at a fancy restaurant with a reservation at 8 pm.
then hanging out to a party
After dinner, the singer is planning to attend a fun social gathering with friends.
and staying up a little late
The singer intends to have a late night and stay up longer than usual.
and it's not much of a party
The singer realizes that attending a party alone is not as enjoyable as going with someone.
when you're a girl on your own
Being alone at a party can be uncomfortable or boring, especially for a single woman.
and Saturday turns to Sunday
As the night goes on, Saturday eventually becomes Sunday.
and you wake up alone
The singer wakes up without someone next to her on a Sunday morning, which is not as enjoyable as waking up with someone on a Saturday.
it's the fun that's familiar
The singer misses the exciting and enjoyable time she used to have on Saturdays with someone.
I used to have someone
The artist used to have a special person to share Saturdays with, but now she is alone.
Writer(s): Martin James F. Craft, Kristina Train
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@argiskelton7292
Saturdays are the greatest
When you wake with someone
And you read the morning papers
In a little patch of sun
Watching boats on the water
Maybe ice cream in the park
And then on to a movie
When outside it's getting dark
Saturdays are the greatest
They were made just for fun
It's the fun I remember
I used to have someone
Victim of my mascara
For a table booked at eight
Then hanging out to a party
And staying up a little late
And it's not much of a party
When you're a girl on your own
And Saturday turns to Sunday
And you wake up alone
Saturdays are the greatest
They were made just for fun
It's the fun I remember
It's the fun that's familiar
@sethdavis5078
Bruce Springsteen just recommended this song and album on his new SiriusXm radio show. That's how I discovered. It is really sad and beautiful. I can picture everything.
@johnjoeflanagan
I heard this today for the first time. What a timeless, beautiful lyric. Great singer.
@marioarredondo7181
Just a beautifully written and sung song that tugs at your hearts memories of lost love
@ott0759
This song is destined to be a classic. Well done.
@Hypermarlin
It's a travesty that Kristina Train is not very well known and that this classic as you rightly call it is lost and buried, as far as I can see. I keep coming back to listen to this beautiful song every time to time.
@argiskelton7292
Saturdays are the greatest
When you wake with someone
And you read the morning papers
In a little patch of sun
Watching boats on the water
Maybe ice cream in the park
And then on to a movie
When outside it's getting dark
Saturdays are the greatest
They were made just for fun
It's the fun I remember
I used to have someone
Victim of my mascara
For a table booked at eight
Then hanging out to a party
And staying up a little late
And it's not much of a party
When you're a girl on your own
And Saturday turns to Sunday
And you wake up alone
Saturdays are the greatest
They were made just for fun
It's the fun I remember
It's the fun that's familiar
@BrianCampbell303
I think it's "fixing up my mascara"
@dragant1958
Stunning song, and executed with such timeless elegance.
@paullarge7152
She really captures that bitter-sweet ennui after a breakup.
@paulfisher3181
Perfect