The band began when two friends, Jack Antonoff and Scott Irby-Ranniar, sharing a common love of music, began playing together. They busked in subways and alleyways in New York, and in 1999/2000 recorded a demo that garnered a large degree of record label interest. Despite the array of offers, the guys, now called Steel Train (after lyric in a Sublime song) eventually chose to sign with Drive Thru Records particularly drawn by the support but also artistic freedom the label offered.
In 2002, the band recorded their debut ep entitled 'For You My Dear,' recruiting Evan Winiker (formerly of NJ emo band Random Task) and Matthias Gruber to help with recording and touring. The two later became full members of the band, first Winiker (who was presented as a full member in the promotional pieces for that same ep, released in January 2003) and later Gruber, who joined with second guitarist Matthew Goldman to complete the band and create Steel Train.
Together the band went on to record the '1969' ep (a CD of cover versions of songs from that year that inspired the band and their sound), and their debut album 'Twilight Tales From The Prairies Of The Sun,' dropped a year later in 2005. In December of 2006 the band announced that they would be departing ways with Matthias Gruber (drums) and Matt Goldman (guitar) who chose to pursue other interests. The positions were filled by tour manager Daniel Silbert on guitar and Jon Shiffman on drums.
In 2009, the band left the Drive Thru label and in June of 2010 independently released their eponymously-titled third LP. Included in that release was a companion album, 'Terrible Thrills: Vol. I', consisting of covers and re-imaginings of each 'Steel Train' track by female artists, including Scarlett Johansson, Tegan and Sara, Holly Miranda, Alia Shawkat, Amanda Palmer, and Jack's sister Rachel Antonoff.
The band often polarizes opinions, mainly based around the fact that the style of rock they play is more 'classic' (Jack often jokes the band was "30 years too late"), yet people see them as very much a part of the emo/pop-punk scene (mainly due to their Drive Thru Records connections). They are well noted for their impressive live shows and 'jamming' ability.
The lead singer, Jack, also used to date Scarlett Johansson and the song Better Love off of Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun is about/makes reference to her [1] [2]. Though Better Love is a song strictly about her, he also references her in "2 O'clock'" and "Dig". "Josie smiles and laughs, while me and Scarlett will smoke our hash." [3]and "oh, my scarlet you had a real friend in me."Lyrics
[edit] Current Members
* Jack Antonoff - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
* Evan Winiker - Bass, Backing Vocals
* Daniel Silbert - Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Jon Shiffman - Drums, Percussion
* Justin Huey - Keys
[edit] Past Members
* Matthias Gruber - Drums, Percussion
* Matthew Goldman - Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Scott Irby-Ranniar - Vocals, Percussion
[edit]
A Magazine
Steel Train Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See themselves pretty in a magazine
So when my life did read just like a book
Out of corners and cracks they came to look
And that's the story from the years that came
Everyone wants to be part of the shame
What a tragedy, what a glamorous scene
Open up to read about a murder
Look at the pretty lipstick shades
And that's just how you met your Frank Sinatra
On the paper thin walls of a magazine
Picked up and paid for, yeah, but
Who knows what you're really bound to be
You put the pages on your mirror
Another sob story, yeah, but
It will never fill you up just like the way
You always hoped it bound to be
Who are you?
Dream a dream, she looks like Madonna
Or find a Jesus of your own
Or something different, just made for your cover
No religion is fit for a magazine
Picked up and paid for, yeah, but
Who knows what you're really bound to be
You put the pages on your mirror
You'll never measure up to that
Another sob story, yeah, but
It will never fill you up just like the way
You always hoped it bound to be
Who are you?
So you read it in a magazine
And I had seen the things I'd never dream
Read it in a book or a magazine, a magazine, a magazine
The song "A Magazine" by Steel Train talks about the allure of fame and how people yearn to be a part of it. The opening lines "Everyone wants to be part of the scene, See themselves pretty in a magazine" highlight the desire to be seen and recognized by people through various mediums, but the song later questions whether fame is worth the cost. The line, "What a tragedy, what a glamorous scene, Write it in a book or a magazine, a magazine, a magazine" suggests that the dream of fame and the reality of it may not necessarily match up.
The song also highlights the power of media to influence people's perception of reality. The lines, "Open up to read about a murder, Look at the pretty lipstick shades" suggest the obsession with tragedy and glamour in mainstream media. The song also questions whether the representation of individuals in magazines or media is genuine or fabricated for the sake of selling.
The line, "You'll never measure up to that, Another sob story, yeah, but It will never fill you up just like the way You always hoped it bound to be" suggests that fame is not fulfilling and is potentially damaging to an individual's psyche. The repetition of the line "Who are you?" suggests that the obsession with fame leads to a loss of self-identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone wants to be part of the scene
Everyone desires to be part of the popular group.
See themselves pretty in a magazine
People want to see their good-looking faces published in a magazine.
So when my life did read just like a book
When my life seemed predictable like a written story.
Out of corners and cracks they came to look
People read my story with curiosity, coming up from unexpected places.
And that's the story from the years that came
That's the essence of the events from the past years.
Everyone wants to be part of the shame
People want to be part of even the dishonorable side of things.
What a tragedy, what a glamorous scene
Even tragic events can be presented as glamorous in a magazine.
Write it in a book or a magazine, a magazine, a magazine
Publish it in a book or magazine multiple times.
Open up to read about a murder
Start reading an article in a magazine about a murder.
Look at the pretty lipstick shades
Also view the colorful lipstick shades picture in the magazine.
And that's just how you met your Frank Sinatra
And that's exactly how you became aware of Frank Sinatra's story.
On the paper thin walls of a magazine
On the thin pages of a magazine.
Picked up and paid for, yeah, but
Bought and paid for, yeah, but
Who knows what you're really bound to be
Who knows your true destiny?
You put the pages on your mirror
You stick the magazine pages to your mirror to remind you of your aspirations.
Another sob story, yeah, but
Another sad story, but
It will never fill you up just like the way
Reading that story will never satisfy you in the way you hope.
You always hoped it bound to be
What you hoped to be.
Who are you?
An introspective question about your true self.
Dream a dream, she looks like Madonna
Imagining a girl that resembles Madonna.
Or find a Jesus of your own
Or invent your own version of Jesus.
Or something different, just made for your cover
Or choose something unique that fits your magazine cover.
No religion is fit for a magazine
Religion cannot be fully represented in a magazine.
You'll never measure up to that
You'll never be able to achieve the standards set by the magazine.
So you read it in a magazine
So you end up reading and believing what the magazine says.
And I had seen the things I'd never dream
And I had witnessed things beyond my imagination.
Read it in a book or a magazine, a magazine, a magazine
Repeatedly read it in a book or magazine.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: JACK ANTONOFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind