Veirs was raised in Colorado, studied geology and Mandarin Chinese at Carleton College, worked as a translator for a geological expedition in China, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Veirs has said that she didn't seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment. She listened to folk / country / classical / pop, around the house & on the radio, during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an all-female punk band called "Rair Kx!". Veirs studied geology and Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
She put out her own self-titled album Laura Veirs, recorded live and featuring just her and guitar, in 1999. She has since made five highly acclaimed records with producer Tucker Martine. 2003 saw the release of Troubled by the Fire, a full-band effort that found the artist sharing the studio with such luminaries as Bill Frisell and violist Eyvind Kang. She signed to Nonesuch Records the following year with the atmospheric follow-up Carbon Glacier. Year of Meteors followed in August of 2005. She collaborated with The Decemberists on "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)", from their 2006 album The Crane Wife. Her sixth record, Saltbreakers, was released worldwide on Nonesuch Records in April 2007. Her seventh album July Flame was released in January 2010.
In November 2011, Veirs released the album Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs For Children. The album presents mostly traditional songs, and features an array of guest musicians, including Colin Meloy, Jim James, and Bela Fleck. The album won a Parents' Choice Award in 2012.
In September 2012 her first feature film soundtrack was released: Hello I Must Be Going.
Veirs tours frequently in Europe, the US and Australia both solo and with her backing band Saltbreakers, consisting of Karl Blau on bass, guitar, and backing vocals, keyboardist Steve Moore, and Tucker Martine on drums.
Bedroom Eyes
Laura Veirs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the love in me's grown stronger than this steel rail
That I ride back to your bedroom eyes
Been gone so long baby I wrote you this love song
My heart the engineer now she's running strong
Taking me back to your bedroom eyes
Brighter than this starlit summer sky
My cheek against this blackened boxcar dear
It's dirty and it's cold but the coast is clear
I'm coming home back to your bedroom eyes
Bedroom eyes, bedroom eyes
Brighter than this starlit summer sky
The lyrics to Laura Veirs's song Bedroom Eyes depict a man who has been away from his lover on a journey that has been long and arduous. He expresses in the song that although he has been away for too long, the love he feels for his partner has only grown stronger. He yearns to be reunited with the one he loves and refers to her eyes as 'bedroom eyes' which are brighter than the starlit summer sky. The song seems to indicate that he is on his way back to her, and that the thought of her and her eyes is what has given him the strength to carry on his journey.
The artist uses beautiful imagery and metaphors throughout the lyrics of this song to reflect the strength of the love that has kept him going. The imagery of the steel railway and the boxcar are used to represent the long journey that he has undertaken both physically and emotionally, while the bedroom eyes are symbolic of the love that he has been yearning for. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and a desire for homecoming, which is something that most people can relate to in some way.
Line by Line Meaning
Been traveling all too long this bear-cat trail
I have been traveling and journeying for too long on this dangerous bear-cat trail.
But the love in me's grown stronger than this steel rail
Despite the challenges and difficulties I faced, my love has grown unbreakable like a steel rail.
That I ride back to your bedroom eyes
I will return to your embrace, to the beauty that is in your shining bedroom eyes.
Been gone so long baby I wrote you this love song
I have been away from you for a long while, and hence, I wrote you this love song to express my deep affection.
My heart the engineer now she's running strong
My passionate heart now serves as the guiding force and source of energy that drives me forward.
Taking me back to your bedroom eyes
It is my heart filled with love that takes me back to you, back to the beauty that reflects in your eyes.
Bedroom eyes, bedroom eyes
The eyes that radiate such warmth and love, the eyes that I long to see, your bedroom eyes.
Brighter than this starlit summer sky
The brilliance and sparkle that emanate from your eyes outshine and surpass the beauty of the summer sky, even in the light of the brightest stars.
My cheek against this blackened boxcar dear
Even though I am on this moving train, the thought of having my cheek against yours is what brings me joy.
It's dirty and it's cold but the coast is clear
The train is unpleasant with its filth and coldness, but at least it's clear for me to return home to you.
I'm coming home back to your bedroom eyes
I am coming back to be with you, to see the love and beauty in your eyes once more.
Bedroom eyes, bedroom eyes
The eyes that brighten my world and that are a home to me- your bedroom eyes.
Brighter than this starlit summer sky
There is no starlit sky that outshines the bright and sunny beauty of your eyes.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID MALLOY, EDDIE RABBITT*, EVEN STEVENS*, STEVE DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind