Landing their first record deal with Twin/Tone in 1984, Soul Asylum recorded a total of four albums for the local label: Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984 (later reissued as Say What You Will, Clarence... Karl Sold the Truck), Made To Be Broken in 1986, While You Were Out in 1986, and the EP Clam Dip and Other Delights in 1988. The band then switched to A&M, releasing Hang Time in 1988 and And the Horse They Rode In On in 1990 under that label. Although they enjoyed some success as a live band, Soul Asylum suffered from low album sales and considered disbanding.
In 1992, they signed with Columbia Records to produce Grave Dancers Union, a record that would come to transform them from underground college rockers to international superstars. The first two singles off the album, Somebody To Shove and Black Gold, both came in at high positions at the Modern Rock and Album Rock charts, but it was the album's third track and it's video of missing teens that led them to their major breakthrough. Runaway Train peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, raised album sales to double-platinum level, and won Soul Asylum the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994.
In 1995, Soul Asylum followed up the success of Grave Dancers Union with Let Your Dim Light Shine, which climbed to #6 on the Billboard 200 and featured the #1 Modern Rock track Misery. After releasing Candy From A Stranger in 1998, the band members took a break from recording and didn't release a new studio album for the better part of seven years. During the interim singer Dave Pirner released a solo album and Dan Murphy toured and recorded with Golden Smog.
They reunited in 2004 to record their ninth full-length album, The Silver Lining, brought together by the news of Mueller being diagnosed with throat cancer. Up until this point, Soul Asylum had always included Murphy, Mueller, and Pirner, despite several line-up changes. This changed on June 17th, 2005, when Mueller passed away after finishing his work on several tracks on the new album. The Silver Lining was released in 2006 and dedicated to Karl Mueller's life and memory, with Murphy expressing that, "For me, this record is Karl."
In late 2005, ex-Replacements bassist (and current Guns N' Roses bassist) Tommy Stinson and former Prince drummer Michael Bland joined Soul Asylum in tribute to the late Karl Mueller. They completed their American tour in support of The Silver Lining in late 2006. In November and December 2006 they opened for Cheap Trick on their American tour. On March 10th, 2007, Soul Asylum joined Cyndi Lauper, Mint Condition, and Lifehouse to hold a concert to benefit Wain McFarlane, the leader of the legendary reggae band Ipso Facto, to help pay for the expenses of a kidney transplant.
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Walking
Soul Asylum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Works all right, party's fine, but sleeping is my scene
The traffic inside your head is tearing you apart
Stick your fingers down my throat and grab on to my heart
And I'm walking a little closer
Gonna rise up, take you away,
Her eyes shine like oceans, her skin is like the earth
Suck the life out of her, you better take her for what she's worth
No free ride, this bus is going charter
So get up off you ass and try a little harder, try a little harder
Walkin' a little closer
In these lyrics from the song "Walking," Soul Asylum lead singer Dave Pirner is exploring themes of disillusionment and displacement. The opening lines describe a feeling of disappointment and frustration with the way things are going - the sun is "stomping on my dreams," suggesting a loss of hope, while work and parties are just distractions from the real issue: the singer can't sleep, can't find peace. The second line of the first verse, "the traffic inside your head is tearing you apart," is a metaphor for anxiety and stress eating away at a person from the inside.
The second verse seems to shift focus to someone else - possibly a romantic interest. The description of her eyes shining "like oceans" and her skin being "like the earth" is romantic and dreamy, but it's contrasted with the darker imagery of "sucking the life out of her" and "taking her for what she's worth." These lines suggest that the woman is being used or drained for her energy, and she may not be aware of it.
The chorus, "and I'm walking a little closer, gonna rise up, take you away, Sunday's just another day," is perhaps the most optimistic part of the song. It suggests that the singer is willing to make a change, to be more proactive and take control of his life. The idea of "walking a little closer" could indicate a newfound intimacy with someone else, or simply a closer connection to his own goals and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun's creeping up and stomping on my dreams
The start of a new day is ruining my optimistic outlook
Works all right, party's fine, but sleeping is my scene
Socializing is fine, but rest and relaxation is what I truly enjoy
The traffic inside your head is tearing you apart
Overthinking is causing you emotional distress
Stick your fingers down my throat and grab on to my heart
I'm so vulnerable that you can easily manipulate me
And I'm walking a little closer
I'm slowly getting closer to you, emotionally or physically
Gonna rise up, take you away
I'm going to rescue you from your problems and show you a better way of life
Sunday's just another day
There's nothing special about Sundays, it's just like any other day
Her eyes shine like oceans, her skin is like the earth
She's beautiful, with sparkling eyes and smooth skin
Suck the life out of her, you better take her for what she's worth
If you're going to be with her, make sure you appreciate and treasure her
No free ride, this bus is going charter
You need to put in effort to achieve your goals, there's no easy way out
So get up off you ass and try a little harder, try a little harder
Stop being lazy and put in more effort towards your ambitions
Walkin' a little closer
Repeating the desire to get closer to someone, with anticipation and hope
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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