They then landed opening slots on shows for Broken Social Scene, DFA 1979, and Hot Hot Heat, and received the honor of Best Unsigned Band at the 2002 North by Northeast music conference (Canada's version of SXSW in the U.S.). Soon after, Pilate inked a deal with indie MapleMusic Recordings, which then released their full-length debut, Caught by the Window, in 2003. The album produced two hits on national radio and MuchMusic, as the guys toured North America, Australia, and Japan. Their follow-up, Sell Control for Life's Speed, appeared back at home in mid-2006, after which the band changed its name to Pilot Speed. The quartet had signed with Wind-Up earlier that same year following the completion of its third album overall (and first as Pilot Speed), Into the West; the label released the record that September.
The Travel Song
Pilate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's cold, so cold
Cold enough to feel your sigh
My face up against the window now
Don't you know it's cold outside?
Pick up your life as I pass by
Can't you see I'm cold inside
We were poor but we had something
What wasn't poor was poisoned by your fear
You wanted more, I gave you nothing
I may be blind
Each town, each town it seems the same my dear
It's loud tonight, your heart is ringing in my ear
Walk out the door across the street
Don't you know it's cold outside?
Pick up the phone my signal's weak
Can't you see I'm cold inside?
I think you know
We were poor but we had something
What wasn't torn was poisoned by your fear
You wanted more, I gave you nothing
I may be blind for I never saw your tears
I think you know
In Pilate’s song “The Travel Song,” the lyrics use the metaphor of the cold and the coldness of the world around us, to describe the emotional distance that exists between the two lovers as they travel through different towns. The singer feels alone and isolated, as if nobody around him understands the pain he feels. The singer describes the coldness of the external world, using the visual of the road seen beneath the vehicle’s headlights. With each town, for him, the scenery remains the same, he can see that poverty has taken its toll on their relationship, and somehow they are no longer on the same wavelength.
The song’s lyrics are structured with two distinct parts, each addressing the same subject. The first half of the song is more distant, describing the external world and the coldness present in it. In contrast, the second half is more internal, describing the singer’s own emotional state, and how cold the notion of being rejected can make a person feel. One perspective is simply the channel for the other. It is as if they cannot be separated; both are part of the same concept.
The chorus repeats the idea that both the external and inner worlds are cold, encapsulating a sense of loneliness and rejection. Pilate’s song “The Travel Song” displays the sense of being adrift in a world that is just passing by. The lyrics explore how it feels to watch life pass-by, to feel so different from the people around, and to be left standing alone.
Line by Line Meaning
The road seen beneath the van's headlights
I'm driving down the road in my van, and I can see the path ahead illuminated by the van's headlights.
It's cold, so cold
It's really cold outside, and the chill has seeped into my bones.
Cold enough to feel your sigh
The cold is so intense that I can feel you exhaling, even though you're not actually here.
My face up against the window now
I'm so cold that I'm pressing my face against the window of the van, hoping to get a tiny bit of warmth from the glass.
Don't you know it's cold outside?
I'm talking to someone who's inside a warm building, and I'm incredulous that they don't realize how cold it is out here.
Pick up your life as I pass by
I'm driving by your house, and I'm urging you to grab your belongings and come with me on this journey.
Can't you see I'm cold inside
I might look tough on the outside, but the coldness of the world has made me feel empty and numb on the inside.
We were poor but we had something
Even though we didn't have much money, we still had love and companionship.
What wasn't poor was poisoned by your fear
The things we had that were valuable were ruined by your fear and anxiety, which seeped into everything we did.
You wanted more, I gave you nothing
You demanded more from me than I could give, and I ultimately failed to fulfill your expectations.
I may be blind
I don't have all the answers, and there are things I can't see or understand.
Each town, each town it seems the same my dear
As I travel from place to place, I'm struck by how similar they all seem to be.
It's loud tonight, your heart is ringing in my ear
Even though you're not here, I can still feel the reverberations of our connection, as if your heart is beating right next to me.
Walk out the door across the street
I'm giving you simple instructions on where to meet me so we can continue our journey.
Pick up the phone my signal's weak
I'm having trouble reaching you because the cell signal is bad, and I need you to answer the phone.
I think you know
You might not be saying it out loud, but I think you understand what I'm trying to communicate.
What wasn't torn was poisoned by your fear
The things we had that remained intact were still marred by your fear and paranoia.
I may be blind for I never saw your tears
Even though we might have been close at times, there were still things about you that I didn't fully understand or appreciate.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Chris Ryan Greenough, Clark Todd Sherman, Mandeep Ruby Bumrah, William G. L. Keeley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind