Nathan … Read Full Bio ↴Nathan Carter (born 28 May 1990) is an Irish country singer.
Nathan was born in Liverpool to parents from Northern Ireland. He began playing the accordion at age 4 and at age 10, he won the title for All Ireland Title for Traditional Singing. At 18 he moved from Liverpool to live in Ireland.
His debut album, Starting Out, was released in 2007 and from then on he has been known for reviving the genre of Country and Irish in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. Nathan released his latest album Where I Wanna Be in August 2013. His cover of the single "Wagon Wheel" has topped the main Irish Singles Chart.
Long Time Gone
Nathan Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking out on a vacant field
Used to be filled with burley t'bacca
Now he knows it never will
My Brothers found work in Indiana
M' Sisters a nurse at the old folks home
Mama still cooking too much for supper
And me I've been a long time gone
I've been a long time gone
No, I ain't hoed a row since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't coming back again
Deliah plays that ol' church piano
Sitting out on her daddy's farm
She always thought that we'd be together
Lord I never meant to do her harm
Said she could hear me singin' in the choir
Me, I heard another song
I caught wind and hit the road runnin'
And Lord, I've been a long time gone
I've been a long time gone
Lord, I ain't had a prayer since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back again
Now me, I went to Nashville,
Tryin' to beat the big deal
Playin' down on Broadway
Gettin' there the hard way
Living from a tip jar
Sleeping in my carHocking my guitar
Yeah I'm gonna be a star
Now, me and Deliah singing every Sunday
Watching the children and the garden grow
We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin'
But the music ain't got no soul
Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard
They've got money but they don't have Cash
They got Junior but they don't have Hank
I think, I think, I think the rest is
A long time gone
No, I ain't hit the roof since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't coming back
I said a long time gone
No, I ain't honked the horn since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't coming back again
Yeah
The song "Long Time Gone" by Nathan Carter is a melancholic reflection on the changes that time brings into people's lives. The lyrics describe the singer's family and friends who have all moved on to different places and roles in life, leaving him behind as he pursued his dream. The song paints a picture of a rural world where people work hard and are surrounded by traditions, but it also shows the dark side of such a life, where dreams can die and opportunities are scarce.
The first verse describes the singer's father sitting on the front porch, looking out on a field that used to be filled with tobacco, a symbol of the hard work and persistence that characterized life in rural America. However, the field is now empty, and the singer's brothers have gone off to find work elsewhere, leaving the family home behind. The second verse introduces Deliah, a woman the singer used to be with before he left to pursue his musical career. She plays the church piano while he sings in the choir, but he hears another song and hits the road, leaving her alone. The third verse describes the singer's own journey to Nashville to try and make it in the country music industry, living out of his car and playing in bars for tips.
The chorus repeats the phrase "long time gone," emphasizing the sense of distance and separation that the singer feels from the people and places he used to know. The last verse reflects on the state of country music, with its lack of soul and its worship of money over authenticity. The singer sees that the genre has changed, and it can never go back to the way things used to be.
Overall, "Long Time Gone" is a song about the sacrifices people make when they pursue their dreams, the nostalgia that comes when those dreams become reality, and the regret that often follows when one realizes what was lost in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy sits on a' front porch swinging
The father is sitting quietly and rocking back and forth on his front porch.
Looking out on a vacant field
The father is staring out at an empty field that used to be filled with tobacco plants.
Used to be filled with burley t'bacca
The field was once filled with burley tobacco plants.
Now he knows it never will
The father is aware that the field will never again be filled with tobacco plants.
My Brothers found work in Indiana
The artist's brothers have found work in Indiana.
M' Sisters a nurse at the old folks home
The singer's sister is working as a nurse at a nursing home.
Mama still cooking too much for supper
The singer's mother is still cooking more food than necessary for meals.
And me I've been a long time gone
The artist has been away for a long time.
I've been a long time gone
The artist has been gone for a significant amount of time.
No, I ain't hoed a row since I don't know when
The artist has not done any hard work in a long time.
Long time gone
The singer has been gone for a while.
And it ain't coming back again
Things will never be the same again.
Deliah plays that ol' church piano
Deliah plays an old piano in church.
Sitting out on her daddy's farm
The piano is located on Deliah's father's farm.
She always thought that we'd be together
Deliah believed that the singer and her would be romantically involved.
Lord I never meant to do her harm
The artist never intended to hurt Deliah.
Said she could hear me singin' in the choir
Deliah claimed to have heard the artist singing in the church choir.
Me, I heard another song
The singer heard a different song than the one Deliah heard.
I caught wind and hit the road runnin'
The singer learned of an opportunity and immediately left.
Lord, I've been a long time gone
The artist has been away for a long time.
Lord, I ain't had a prayer since I don't know when
The artist has not had a chance to pray in a long time.
Now me, I went to Nashville,
The artist went to Nashville.
Tryin' to beat the big deal
The singer attempted to outdo the competition.
Playin' down on Broadway
The artist performed music on Broadway.
Gettin' there the hard way
The singer achieved their goal through perseverance and determination.
Living from a tip jar
The singer's earnings came from tips left by audience members.
Sleeping in my car
The singer slept in their car instead of a hotel or apartment.
Hocking my guitar
The artist sold their guitar to make ends meet.
Yeah I'm gonna be a star
The artist is confident and believes they will become famous.
Now, me and Deliah singing every Sunday
The singer and Deliah sing together every Sunday.
Watching the children and the garden grow
The pair watch the children and garden on Deliah's father's farm grow.
We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin'
The artist and Deliah listen to the radio to hear new songs.
But the music ain't got no soul
The artist does not believe the new songs played on the radio have any true emotion or feeling.
Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard
The new songs played on the radio sound uninspired and lackluster.
They've got money but they don't have Cash
The new artists have wealth but do not possess the same level of talent as Johnny Cash.
They got Junior but they don't have Hank
The new artists have a similar style to Hank Williams Jr. but are not as great as Hank Williams Sr.
I think, I think, I think the rest is
The singer is unsure what else there is to say.
No, I ain't hit the roof since I don't know when
The singer has not been incredibly happy or excited in a long time.
No, I ain't honked the horn since I don't know when
The singer has not expressed their emotions, frustration, or excitement strongly in a long time.
Contributed by Camden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.