While Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson are proud of their successful first effort, they are excited to have teamed with producer Josh Leo (Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) on their RCA effort. "We love performing" says Stephen. "The way we are recording now is the way our influences made records: live with a band. It's a lot more organic.".”
Eric’s earthy voice is the perfect complement to Stephen’s high-altitude tenor. The guys happily share lead vocals, harmonize like a church choir, and bolster their band with their own guitar work. “Stephen and I have always been on the same page as far as the vision for Love and Theft and what we want it to be,” says Eric. “We feel like we have made the record we’ve always wanted to make.”
The result is a nod to the duo’s varied influences. “She’s Amazing” evokes the brilliant harmonies of the Eagles. The seductive “Amen” channels all the yearning of Roy Orbison. And the rollicking first single “Angel Eyes” brings to mind Elvis Presley’s “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise.”
While Johnny Cash and Orbison are both enormous influences, it might surprise fans to learn who the duo’s favorite artist is. “Hands-down, Elvis,” says Stephen. “My dad was really into him, so I got into him. I was all over Elvis growing up.”
Coincidentally, both Stephen and Eric—who didn’t meet until they were in their early 20s—were raised as pastors’ kids, and their respective fathers fed them a steady diet of gospel, oldies and country. “Our parents didn’t want us listening to secular music that much. But they’d let us listen to Elvis, Roy, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band…,” says Eric. “It was cool to grow up that way, and that’s still my favorite kind of music.”
It isn’t lost on the guys that they’re now recording for the very label that released some of their hero’s biggest hits. “We’re excited to be on RCA, the same label Elvis was on,” Stephen says with a smile.
Perhaps it was some divine intervention that led the friends to this point in their career. Eric and Stephen, after all, will be the first to tell you that their shared spirituality is a cornerstone of Love and Theft. In fact, both used to lead worship at their churches.
“That’s how we got our start playing music. Our faith is a huge part of our lives,” says Eric, pondering the fate of it all. “I feel like it was meant to be this way from the beginning. Our journey over the past four years was preparing us for where we’re at now.”
Which is squarely at the doorstop of a prosperous career in country music. With a young, vibrant sound, a captivating live show, and a passionate fan base, Love and Theft are poised to become the genre’s next great duo.
http://www.loveandtheft.com/
Can't Go Back
Love and Theft Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunset, paints a path across the southern sky.
Headin' down the dusty highway, there he was in the middle of the road.
And I said "Old man let me help you, I can take you home"
And he said,
"Son you can't imagine the trouble that you been,
We want peace and understandin', and harmony again,
But you can't, can't go back,
To where you've never been."
I'm still runnin' from the shadows and the flames.
Searchin' for a place where someone knows my name
On my way through Arizona, I let a fortuneteller read my hand.
Told me she could see things I'd never understand
And she said,
"Son you can't imagine the trouble that you been,
This whole world's gone crazy, livin' in sin
We want peace and understandin', and harmony again,
But you can't, can't go back,
To where you've never been."
I hear, in the desert wind a distant voice,
Singin'
"Son you can't imagine the trouble that you been,
This whole world's gone crazy, livin' in sin
We want peace and understandin', and harmony again,
But you can't, can't go back,
No you can't, can't go back,
To where you've never been.
Can't go back to where you've never been.
Can't go back to where you've never been.
The song "Can't Go Back" by Love and Theft speaks of a journey, both physical and emotional. The opening lines describe a picturesque setting of mountains and a sunset against the southern sky. The singer is on the road, perhaps trying to escape something or in search of something. He encounters an old man in need of assistance and offers to take him home, to which the old man responds with a warning that the world is in chaos, filled with sin, and all we want is to go back to a time of peace and harmony.
The journey continues, and the singer is still struggling with his inner demons, trying to find a place where he belongs. He meets a fortune teller who, after reading his palm, tells him that there are things he will never understand. She echoes the old man's words that the world is in chaos and what we all want is peace and harmony. The singer continues on his journey, and in the desert wind, he hears a distant voice singing the same words, reminding him that he can't go back to where he's never been.
In essence, the song is a commentary on the state of the world, the longing for a simpler time when things were more peaceful and harmonious. It also speaks on the idea that sometimes we need to let go of the past, to move forward and embrace the present and the future. It is a reminder that we can't go back to a time that only exists in our memories, and we need to focus on creating a better world in the here and now.
Line by Line Meaning
Mountains, staring at me as they're rollin' by.
The singer is on a journey and is passing by mountains that seem to be watching him.
Sunset, paints a path across the southern sky.
The setting sun creates a beautiful and colorful path across the sky.
Headin' down the dusty highway, there he was in the middle of the road.
While on the highway, the singer comes across an old man in the middle of the road.
And I said "Old man let me help you, I can take you home"
The artist offers to help the old man and take him home.
"Son you can't imagine the trouble that you been,
The old man warns the artist that he cannot comprehend the difficulties that await him.
This whole world's gone crazy, livin' in sin
The old man believes that the world has gone mad and is living in a state of sin.
We want peace and understandin', and harmony again,
The old man desires peace, understanding, and harmony to return to the world.
But you can't, can't go back,
The old man tells the artist that he cannot turn back time and undo the mistakes of the past.
To where you've never been."
The old man emphasizes that the past cannot be changed and one cannot go back to a time that they have never experienced.
I'm still runnin' from the shadows and the flames.
The artist is trying to escape from something that haunts him.
Searchin' for a place where someone knows my name
The singer wants to find a place where he is known and appreciated.
On my way through Arizona, I let a fortuneteller read my hand.
While traveling through Arizona, the artist consults a fortuneteller to gain insight into his future.
Told me she could see things I'd never understand
The fortuneteller reveals to the singer that there are things he cannot comprehend about his future.
"Son you can't imagine the trouble that you been,
The fortuneteller echoes the words of the old man, warning the singer of the difficulties ahead.
I hear, in the desert wind a distant voice,
The singer hears a mysterious, far-off voice on the wind.
"No you can't, can't go back,
The voice repeats the warning that one cannot go back to the past and change things.
To where you've never been.
The voice emphasizes that the past is unchangeable and cannot be visited by someone who has not lived it.
Can't go back to where you've never been.
The repeated line solidifies the message that it is impossible to revisit the past and undo mistakes.
Lyrics © ORRALL FIXATION MUSIC, ROCKAPOP MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: ERIC GUNDERSON, JEFF COPLAN, ROBERT ORRALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind