2004 found Jason meeting Brian Skulski and Colin Leaman at a local church in Philadelphia. Several gig opportunities immediately confirmed for the three guys a chemistry in their sound and a compatibility in their understanding of music. Before any serious band initiative was launched, however, Jason moved away from Philadelphia to pursue his graduate work at Harvard University. The love for music and for the band thankfully never departed from Jason's mind, and it was only a matter of time before he called the band back together. Soon thereafter, Miss Vintage recruited Joe Chai, whose creative songwriting and guitar work has helped craft and solidify the band's innovative sound.
But why the name "Miss Vintage"? The word itself evokes a very particular landscape of grainy pictures and vintage tees. Vintage recalls things that are tried and true, having withstood the test of time and still remaining classic to this day. The band's vision is to see music return to that original state: raw and real and moving. But even above that, perhaps, the band seeks to use their music to demonstrate just how delicate life is in its jaded brokenness, and that there just might be hope in the ashes of life after all. There is something so incredible about second chances, something so captivating about redemption. And there's something so wonderfully romantic about the idea of a sacrificial lamb overwhelming the karma of this life.
Words speak volumes. Welcome Miss Vintage.
(Credits: Miss Vintage Myspace)
Trains
Miss Vintage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From what I can see, it's clear
But we don't have much time
So draw the blinds and hide your clocks
Twelve becomes one too quickly
These tracks are not bare for long
If we cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
The panic makes us nervous
The room is shaking, it never stops
And in the midst of all this
We forgot to fall in love
We'll sit away the silence
And use these seconds the best we can
If we cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
Then maybe we can make it through the night
Let's stop waiting for the next train to pass
I know it's not that easy
So let's cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
Then maybe we can make it through the night
So let's cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
Then maybe we can make it through the night
In "Trains," Miss Vintage is describing a tense situation where time is running out and perhaps there is a sense of impending doom. The opening lines, "The sound is distant for now / From what I can see, it's clear," hint at the feeling of being on the edge of a crisis, but not quite in it yet. However, the urgency is quickly conveyed with the line, "But we don't have much time / So draw the blinds and hide your clocks." There is a sense that the characters in the song are trying to protect themselves from whatever is coming, and are hyper-aware of the passage of time. The lyric "Twelve becomes one too quickly" illustrates this idea, that the moments are rapidly slipping away.
The theme of denial and avoidance is further explored in the second verse when Miss Vintage writes, "If we cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them / Then maybe we can make it through the night." The repeated refrain of this idea reinforces the idea that the situation is one that cannot be fully understood or controlled, hence the need to distract oneself from the fear. It's interesting that Miss Vintage chooses the metaphor of a passing train to describe this feeling, as trains often evoke feelings of motion and progress. However, in this song, the trains are a negative force that must be blocked out.
The final verse brings a sense of resignation and acceptance, with the lines "Let's stop waiting for the next train to pass / I know it's not that easy." It seems that the characters have come to understand that there is no escaping the situation and that they must simply endure it. Overall, "Trains" is a well-written and evocative song that captures the tension of a moment on the brink.
Line by Line Meaning
The sound is distant for now
The danger seems far away for the moment
From what I can see, it's clear
The situation is visible and apparent
But we don't have much time
There's limited time to act
So draw the blinds and hide your clocks
Take precautions and manage time wisely
Twelve becomes one too quickly
Time passes too fast to delay action
These tracks are not bare for long
There's always danger or obstacles ahead
The panic makes us nervous
Fear causes stress and anxiety
The room is shaking, it never stops
The situation is unstable and persistent
And in the midst of all this
Despite the chaos
We forgot to fall in love
We neglected our personal life and relationships
We'll sit away the silence
We'll wait calmly for the danger to pass
And use these seconds the best we can
We'll make the most of our limited time
Let's stop waiting for the next train to pass
We shouldn't wait for things to happen on their own
I know it's not that easy
It's difficult to take action or make changes
So let's cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
Let's avoid listening to the danger ahead
Then maybe we can make it through the night
We can survive the challenge if we stay strong
So let's cover our ears and pretend we don't hear them
Let's avoid listening to the danger ahead
Then maybe we can make it through the night
We can survive the challenge if we stay strong
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.