Originally a Washington D.C.-based roots rock band, with "country, swing, bluegrass, blues, folk, mariachi, punk, pop, and Tin Pan Alley influences". Now based out of Nashville, Eric Brace and the gang travel around the US singing about the Donut Girl.
LTH frontman Eric Brace is a former staff writer for The Washington Post where he was a columnist covering the local music and nightlife scene. Prior to Last Train Home, Eric played in several Washington area bands, including B-Time, the Beggars, and Kevin Johnson & the Linemen. He also ran a local rock label, Top Records, for many years, before focusing on his own music.
It was in late 1996 that Eric began pulling together a band to record some of his songs. Those recordings became the band's eponymous debut, "Last Train Home," released in 1997 on the D.C. indie Adult Swim Records (run by Dischord Records co-owner and punk rock legend Jeff Nelson). In 1999, the band returned with the deeper and richer release, "True North." With rave reviews coming in on a regular basis, the band started touring the east coast more widely, and took a couple of trips to Nashville to play its music.
Soon there was a Christmas EP, another EP of cover tunes, and another full-length CD, "Time and Water." The band's path was becoming clear. In January, 2003, just as it was being declared Washington D.C.'s "Artist of the Year" by the Washington Area Music Association, Last Train Home went full-time. With its profile rising, the band opened for Willie Nelson at the Wolf Trap amphitheater outside Washington, and for Dolly Parton at DAR Constitution Hall. After relocating to Nashville, LTH quickly became an integral part of Nashville's independent music scene, and was named by the Tennessean newspaper as one of the finest live acts of 2005: "Best Show: Tie between Neil Young at the Ryman and Last Train Home at the Family Wash."
In 2005, the band released the CD "Bound Away," and followed that in 2007 with "Last Good Kiss," both widely-praised CDs that showed the band's extraordinary growth. That artistic evolution was rewarded with appearances on the CBS "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and on the syndicated radio show "Mountain Stage."
In 2006, to celebrate its tenth anniversary, LTH recorded and released a live concert DVD and CD, "Last Train Home Live at IOTA," a vivid document that captures the dynamic live performance that has become the hallmark of this band.
Brace contributes most of the songs to LTH's recordings, but he also champions the works of such Washington area artists (and part-time LTH members) Alan Brace, Karl Straub, Steve Wedemeyer, Scott McKnight, and Bill Williams. He also finds lesser-known gems from the likes of Buck Owens, Tom T. Hall, Paul Kelly, Bob Dylan, and Barry White to add to the band's CDs and sets.
In 2009, they released an EP under the name Eric Brace & Last Train Home.
http://redbeetrecords.com/last-train-home
Lorelei
Last Train Home Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And how you tried to make me think that it was all in my head, I still like you
And even though you hurt me, when you gave me back my shirt, the one you used to wear
I still like you
I thought it was a marathon, you made it a dash
But every guy will tell you that it's fun to watch things crash, so, I still like you
And even from a distance, I find it hard to turn my eyes away
(BRIDGE)
I can't help that you're my weakness, I can do no wrong
I have learned to love my weakness, why should I be strong?
Lorelei, my Lorelei, I've crashed upon your rocks
I know they come to hear you sing, but I would only die if you would only talk to me
And with name like Lorelei, does anybody still wonder
Why I still like you?
(BRIDGE)
(VERSE 3)
I still like you... repeat 2x
In Last Train Home's song Lorelei, the singer is expressing his continued attraction to someone who has treated him poorly. The song opens with the singer acknowledging the hurt and confusion caused by the other person's actions, as they tried to gaslight him into thinking he was imagining things. Despite this mistreatment, the singer admits he still likes this person. This ambivalence is highlighted in the following lines, where the singer characterizes their relationship as a marathon that was turned into a sprint by the other person. He acknowledges that, even though things may have ended disastrously, there's something exciting about watching things crash. The singer confesses that he finds it difficult to look away, even from a distance. The song's title, Lorelei, serves as a metaphor for the other person's hypnotic, irresistible pull.
The second verse offers an explanation for why the singer continues to be attracted to this person. He admits that they are his weakness, that he cannot resist their hold on him. However, he has learned to accept and even embrace this weakness, choosing not to fight against it to become stronger. In the chorus, the singer uses the name "Lorelei" as a shorthand for this irresistible person. He acknowledges that others may be drawn to her too, but for him, being near her is dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
After all the things you did, and after all the things you said
Despite your past actions and words towards me
And how you tried to make me think that it was all in my head, I still like you
Even though you attempted to manipulate my perception of reality, I still have feelings for you
And even though you hurt me, when you gave me back my shirt, the one you used to wear, I still like you
Despite causing me emotional pain, I still have feelings for you
I thought it was a marathon, you made it a dash
I expected our relationship to be a slow and steady journey, but you turned it into a quick sprint
But every guy will tell you that it's fun to watch things crash, so, I still like you
Despite the relationship not going as planned, I still have an attraction to you
And even from a distance, I find it hard to turn my eyes away, I still like you
Even when not interacting with you directly, I still find myself drawn to you
I can't help that you're my weakness, I can do no wron
I am drawn to you despite acknowledging that it may not be the wisest decision
I have learned to love my weakness, why should I be strong?
I have accepted my feelings for you, so why fight them?
Lorelei, my Lorelei, I've crashed upon your rocks
I have fallen hard for you, even if it has caused pain
I know they come to hear you sing, but I would only die if you would only talk to me
While others may be content with your performances, I am only satisfied with your attention
And with name like Lorelei, does anybody still wonder, Why I still like you?
Your name, Lorelei, has a charm to it that enhances my feelings for you
I still like you... repeat 2x
My attraction to you persists, despite any obstacles or doubts
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.