Indiana
Sean Kelly & Tom Askin of The Samples Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I remember the first time
I drove through Indiana
Watching fences in the distance
Fade away

Once there was a girl I knew there
And she was pretty
We kept in touch until we just
Went our own ways

I remember the first time I drove
Through Indiana
Waving goodbye to the towns
That we drove through

Far away I know they're deep
Inside a city
Running back and forth wanting
Only to get home

Once I was there in a dream
Meeting people
Without names and without
Faces they lived

I remember the first time I drove
Through Indiana
Watching semis hauling grain
To the west

They're gonna make it all the
Way to Colorado
Where the mountains touch
The sky and rivers bend

I remember the first time I drove
Through Indiana
Thinking to myself how big
This land really is

Amber waves of grain, from a highway
Who lives in that house so far away?
I remember the first time I drove
Though Indiana

Watching fences in the distance
Fade away
I remember the first time I drove
Though Indiana





I remember the first time I drove
Though Indiana

Overall Meaning

The Samples’ song “Indiana” is a beautiful ode to the memories and experiences of driving through Indiana for the first time. The song reminisces about the past and contemplates the present, creating a sense of nostalgia and longing in the music. The first verse describes driving through Indiana and watching the fences in the distance fade away. This image offers a sense of hope, suggesting that things are always moving and changing, even when it may not seem like it. The verse also mentions a girl that the singer used to know, who he once kept in touch with before they both went their separate ways. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's own journey, and how sometimes we must let go of things or people that we love in order to move forward.


The second verse continues with the same theme of memory and longing, mentioning the semis hauling grain to the west and the mountains of Colorado. These images evoke a sense of wanderlust and adventure, highlighting the endless possibilities and beauty of the world beyond Indiana. The final verse brings the song back to the present, with the singer pondering who lives in the houses he passes on the highway. This verse creates a sense of curiosity and wonder, suggesting that even as we move forward in life, we must never lose our sense of optimism and open-mindedness.


Line by Line Meaning

I remember the first time
The singer recalls a specific moment in their past


I drove through Indiana
The singer traveled through the state of Indiana


Watching fences in the distance
The singer noticed fences in the distance


Fade away
The fences became less and less visible as the artist drove further away


Once there was a girl I knew there
The artist had a past acquaintance with a girl from Indiana


And she was pretty
The singer found the girl to be physically attractive


We kept in touch until we just
The singer and the girl maintained contact until a certain point in time


Went our own ways
The artist and the girl stopped communicating and went separate directions


Waving goodbye to the towns
The artist bid farewell to the towns they passed through


That we drove through
The artist and someone else who is driving together drove through those towns


Far away I know they're deep
The singer believes the people in the towns are deeply rooted where they live


Inside a city
The town's residents are likely located within city limits


Running back and forth wanting
The towns' people appear to be restless and desiring something


Only to get home
The towns' people are possibly running errands or working day jobs, just to return home


Once I was there in a dream
The singer describes a dream where they were present in Indiana


Meeting people
The artist interacted with people within the dream


Without names and without
The dream characters lacked identifying characteristics


Faces they lived
The people in the dream had no facial features


Watching semis hauling grain
The singer observed semi-trucks transporting harvested grain


To the west
The grain is being transported in a westerly direction


They're gonna make it all the
The semi-trucks are anticipated to complete their journey


Way to Colorado
The narrative follows the trucks to the state of Colorado


Where the mountains touch
Colorado has high elevations and visible mountain ranges


The sky and rivers bend
The geography of Colorado has noticeable bends in its rivers and unobstructed sight of the sky


Thinking to myself how big
The singer ponders about the vastness of the land they're passing through


This land really is
The singer acknowledges the expansiveness of the region they're driving through


Amber waves of grain, from a highway
The singer views fields of ripening grain from the viewpoint of a highway


Who lives in that house so far away?
The artist observes a house at a distance and wonders who lives there


Watching fences in the distance
The artist again comments on the visibility of fences in the distance


Fade away
The fences recede from view as the singer continues to drive away


I remember the first time I drove
The singer reiterates their memory of driving through Indiana


Though Indiana
Referring to the state of Indiana




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SEAN C. KELLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions