A graduate of St. Andrew's School, Wainwright is best known for a 1972 novelty song hit Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road), with pianist Teddy Wender and for playing Captain Spalding (the "singing surgeon") on three episodes of the American television show M*A*S*H in its third season (1974-1975), but his musical reputation is much deeper. Using a witty, self-mocking style, Wainwright has recorded over twenty albums on eleven different labels. Two of his albums have been nominated for Grammy awards.
He is also a regular actor in Judd Apatow movies. His biggest role was playing the father on Judd's show, Undeclared.
In 2012 his latest offering Older Than My Old Man Now was released.
Official website : http://www.lwiii.com/
Come A Long Way
Loudon Wainwright III Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still got a long way to go
We couldn't see the flowers since we last shook hands
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow
What did you do with your burden and your cross
Did you carry it yourself or did you crack
You and I know that a burden and a cross
Can only be carried on one man's back
To go to the ends of the earth
But the earth really ends where you started to roam
You and I know what a circle is worth
Let's drink a cup to what went down
There's not much left to reveal
I think I changed my mind after what went down
As to who in the end got the better deal
Give me your hand for the parting touch
Fare thee well and thanks a lot
I know that we promised we would keep in touch
But you and I know that we both forgot
We've come a long way since we last shook hands
Still got a long way to go
Couldn't see the flowers when we last shook hands
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow
The lyrics of Loudon Wainwright III's song "Come A Long Way" speak about two individuals who have not seen or spoken to each other in a long time. The first verse highlights the progress that they have made since they last met, and yet how far they still have to go. The line "Couldn't see the flowers since we last shook hands, Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow" is a metaphor for how they were not able to appreciate the finer things in life due to their own struggles.
The following verse speaks about the burdens that we all carry in life. Loudon Wainwright III asks his partner whether they carried their burden and cross on their own or if they broke under the weight of it. He implies that carrying one's own cross is a necessary part of life, and choosing to ignore it is not the solution. He then acknowledges that he had always wanted to explore the world, but eventually realized that the world ends where we started. In other words, what we seek is not out there, but within us.
In the final verse, Loudon Wainwright III bids farewell to his partner, recognizing that they promised to stay in touch but failed to do so. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the acknowledgement that no matter how far they have come, they still have a long way to go.
Line by Line Meaning
We've come a long way since we last shook hands
We've made progress in our personal journeys since we last saw each other
Still got a long way to go
Despite the progress, we still have a lot of personal growth to achieve
We couldn't see the flowers since we last shook hands
We couldn't appreciate the beauty around us due to life's challenges
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow
The snow here could symbolize hardships or negative emotions that made it difficult to appreciate beauty
What did you do with your burden and your cross
Did you handle your emotional and spiritual struggles on your own, or did you break under the weight?
Did you carry it yourself or did you crack
Did you manage to maintain inner strength and perseverance or did you give up?
You and I know that a burden and a cross
We understand that personal or spiritual problems are heavy burdens that can cause suffering
Can only be carried on one man's back
No one else can carry our emotional burdens for us - we have to bear them alone
All my life I wanted to roam
I've always had a desire to explore new places and seek adventure
To go to the ends of the earth
I wanted to be able to say I traveled to every part of the world
But the earth really ends where you started to roam
We always end up back where we began, life has a circular nature to it.
You and I know what a circle is worth
We understand that life has a cyclical nature and that its process is valuable.
Let's drink a cup to what went down
Let's acknowlege and commerate what happened in our past
There's not much left to reveal
Our pasts are a finite thing and eventually all will be known
I think I changed my mind after what went down
After reflecting on our past meeting and coming together again I now hold a different opinion
As to who in the end got the better deal
Regarding the outcome of our meeting in the past, who prevailed and was more succesful
Give me your hand for the parting touch
I want one last physical connection with you before you leave
Fare thee well and thanks a lot
Goodbye and I am grateful for the time that we had.
I know that we promised we would keep in touch
We had a plan to maintain communication but no action was taken
But you and I know that we both forgot
Both of us failed to uphold our end of the promise we made to each other.
We've come a long way since we last shook hands
We've made progress in life since our last meeting
Still got a long way to go
Despite the progress, there is a lot more ahead of us in our own personal journies.
Couldn't see the flowers when we last shook hands
We missed out on the joy and good experiences, due to the hardships we were going through during that difficult time
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow
Given snow's association with winter or darkness, our inability to see the beauty around us is a direct result of our emotional or psychological struggles.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KATE MCGARRIGLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind