Mazzy Star is best known for the song "Fade Into You", which brought the band some success in the mid-1990s and was the group's biggest mainstream hit, earning extensive exposure on MTV, VH1 and radio airplay. Roback and Sandoval were the creative center of the band, with Sandoval as lyricist and Roback as composer of the majority of the band's material until his passing in Los Angeles on February 24, 2020 due to metastatic cancer.
The band's most recent studio album, Seasons of Your Day, was released in 2013, followed by the EP Still in 2018.
In the Kingdom
Mazzy Star Lyrics
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You know the one that goes under the bridge
I thought I was listening
To a band play a song that changed me
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
Walked up the stairs, the sunlight hit my face
See all the people just stand around
You know we'll play songs in this town
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
I took that train into the city
You know the one that goes under the bridge
I thought I was listening
To this band play a song that changed me
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
The lyrics to Mazzy Star's "In the Kingdom" tell the story of someone who takes a train to the city and is struck by the power of a live music experience. The train that goes "under the bridge" likely refers to the iconic New York City subway system, adding a sense of location and urbanism to the song. The singer is moved by the transformative power of music, expressing that they "thought [they] was listening to a band play a song that changed me." In the second verse, they describe the scene that they see upon emerging from the subway, noting the sunlight hitting their face and the societal conventions of people simply standing around. The chorus repeats the sentiment of being changed by music and hints at the possibility of playing songs in the town, should all be right in the kingdom that night.
The lyrics to "In the Kingdom" are rich with metaphor and create a vivid sense of place and emotion. The repeated phrase of "hey hey hey" adds a sense of urgency and drive to the song. The idea of underground subways and above-ground sunlight creates a contrast between the dark and light, adding another layer to the metaphor of music as a transformative force. The idea of the "kingdom" can be interpreted in many ways; perhaps it represents a sense of community or belonging that can be achieved through shared experiences like live music.
Line by Line Meaning
I took that train into the city
I journeyed from my world into the city, a place of busyness, activity and excitement.
You know the one that goes under the bridge
It's the train route that passes beneath the soaring bridge which spans the river, a symbol of transition and change.
I thought I was listening
As I rode the train, thoughts were passing through my mind, many of them music-related.
To a band play a song that changed me
I allowed myself to really listen and before I knew it, I heard a song that struck a deep chord, altering me irreversibly.
Walked up the stairs, the sunlight hit my face
Upon arriving in the city, I took the stairs to the top, emerging into the bright sunshine, a metaphor for a new beginning.
See all the people just stand around
As I looked around, I saw thousands of individuals, all gathered in one spot, each with their own unique story, yet each connected by the shared experience of the city.
If all is right in the kingdom tonight
If the circumstances in the universe enable it, then perhaps something special will occur in the city tonight.
You know we'll play songs in this town
Those who are open and tuned in will experience a sort of concert, with music being played by the unseen currents of life, a symphony not heard with the ears.
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
This repeated refrain brings back the feeling of the train and the band of the beginning of the song, with its nostalgic sense of longing for the transformative power of art.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID ROBACK, HOPE SANDOVAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ATruckCampbell
I took that train into the city
You know the one that goes under the bridge
I thought I was listening
To a band play the song that changed me
Hey hey hey hey hey hey
Walked up the stairs, the sunlight hit my face
See all the people just stand around
If all is right in the kingdom tonight
You know we'll play songs in this town
Hey hey hey hey hey hey
I took that train into the city
You know the one that goes under the bridge
I thought I was listening
To this band play a song that changed me
Hey hey hey hey hey hey
@johnxcondos
This is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. The guitar is sublime and unpredictable. Hope Sandoval, you changed me. :)
@rogeliolozano2399
She’s amazing !
@brandxn347
I love his music too much, it calms me down and helps me a lot to relax and sleep
@loreleimoreno1671
Funny This song is my wake up...I took the train in to the city, you know that goes under the bridge
@papa_rao
Any time of the day guys, any time of the day
@ab7dasker
This song is so bittersweet and wistful. Always makes me cry. It's the sound of regaining something you thought that you had lost — like getting a second chance with an old flame or a good party with friends you haven't seen in a while. The track is sad and nostalgic, but there's also this overriding hopefulness to it.
The nature of being human is that we lose a lot as we get older — youth, beauty, our health, friends, lovers. On the rare occasion that you recover something you thought you had lost it can be a beautiful thing. It might not be the same, but maybe in some ways it's better now. If you're lucky you'll appreciate it more the second time around.
@the2ndcoming135
Yeah, my cousin introduced me to this band way back in the hey day😎
@christopherbishop5853
Who's crying. I'm not crying. ;)
@dave93x
I can't believe this was released in 2013?!?! It sounds like it's straight from their prime. I own this and Among My Swan and just figured they were releases a few years apart.
@dave93x
@Bryan Smith ohhh ok. So what is the actual newest song they did?