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]
Bullet
Steel Train Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The road was shorter than it looked
Like ten years and two more
And I held my girl closer than was safe
Take what you want from me
I'm not afraid to turn around
To see you by my side
I felt pretty when they turned out the lights
When all my guts were telling me to run
I stuck around when I should have been
There with you
Now after all that we lost
I swear I'll never let go
You and I both are nothing but thieves
We take what we want when we need
I had a chance for a better life
But all that I've known is to
Run, run, run, from a devil in disguise
Like a bullet, a bullet, a bullet into the night
We are the last generation of hope
And I wouldn't mind if
Together we died alone
I was 21 when I lost control
I took my hands off the wheel
Wheel it spun on its own
And I lost so much of what I loved
Take what you want from me
I'm not afraid to turn around
To see you by my side
I felt pretty when they turned out the lights
I didn't know just what was going on
When all my guts were telling me to run
I stuck around when I should have been
There with you
Now after all that we lost
I swear I'll never let go
You and I both are nothing but thieves
We take what we want when we need
I had a chance for a better life
But all that I've known is to
Run, run, run, from a devil in disguise
Like a bullet, a bullet, a bullet into the night
We are the last generation of hope
And I wouldn't mind if
Together we died alone
I said, As long as you're here then, together I can die alone.
The lyrics to Steel Train's song "Bullet" are haunting and bittersweet, telling the story of a tumultuous relationship that began in the back seat of a car. The line "I fell in love in the back seat of your car" sets the stage for a romance that was both intense and dangerous. Despite all of the warning signs, the singer was unable to resist the pull of this person and stayed with them, even as their life spiraled out of control. The lyrics "I was 21 when I lost control, I took my hands off the wheel, wheel it spun on its own, and I lost so much of what I loved" suggest that the relationship was a major factor in the singer's decline.
Throughout the song, the idea of running away is present, both literally and metaphorically. The singer acknowledges that they are nothing but thieves, taking what they want from life regardless of the consequences. The line "Run, run, run, from a devil in disguise like a bullet, a bullet, a bullet into the night" reinforces the theme of escape and the idea that the only way to survive is to keep moving forward. Despite all of this, the singer is still in love with this person and is willing to die with them, saying "As long as you're here then, together I can die alone."
Overall, "Bullet" is a tragic and beautiful song filled with longing and heartache. The relationship at the center of it is complex and fraught with danger, but it is clear that the singer still cares deeply for the other person, even as they acknowledge the harm that this relationship has caused them.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell in love in the back seat of your car
I fell in love with you in a very unconventional place, the car's back seat.
The road was shorter than it looked
The journey was shorter than expected, because I was enjoying your company.
Like ten years and two more
The time felt like it passed by very quickly, as if it were 10 years plus 2 more years.
And I held my girl closer than was safe
I held you tightly even though it wasn't safe or advised to do so.
Take what you want from me
I'm not afraid to turn around
To see you by my side
You can take anything you want from me, as I'm not afraid to turn around and see you always there beside me.
I felt pretty when they turned out the lights
I didn't know just what was going on
When all my guts were telling me to run
I felt in control and beautiful when the lights were turned off, but couldn't help feeling like I should run from the situation.
I stuck around when I should have been
There with you
Now after all that we lost
I swear I'll never let go
I should have been more involved and supportive of you, but I wasn't; I'll make it up to you and never let you down again.
You and I both are nothing but thieves
We take what we want when we need
We're not afraid to take what belongs to us when we're in need - which can make us seem like thieves.
I had a chance for a better life
But all that I've known is to
Run, run, run, from a devil in disguise
I had opportunities to have a better life, but I was so focused on running away from my inner demons that I couldn't see them for what they were.
Like a bullet, a bullet, a bullet into the night
We are the last generation of hope
We're like bullets, shooting out into the night sky with the chance to make a real difference; but we also represent the last hope of our generation.
And I wouldn't mind if
Together we died alone
I said, 'As long as you're here then, together I can die alone.'
I wouldn't mind if we ended up alone, because as long as we have each other until the end, we'll never really be alone.
Contributed by Zoe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MaX
Genuinely, how was this not popular? It could’ve been a great pop hit!
Amanda Fernandes
I want this to be on spotify so bad
Maura Schauerman
It is
Osman E.
@Maura Schauerman Only at North America.
Began
I wish this album was on Spotify so I could listen to it more.
It’s one of my all time favourite albums. I have it on vinyl but my record player is broken ðŸ˜
turdfacesaywhaaaa
This song makes me feel nostalgic about a life that i've never had. That's intense.
Jennifer Whiting
Everything Jack touches is gold.
Carl Webber
No it's steel
Brando H
I suppose if you’re 14 or a 28 year old woman in the suburbs, he sure does. This is kiddie stuff.
Jennifer Whiting
@Brando H I mean, I found him when I was 20, and this song is several years old now, sooo... You can still be a cynical old trout and appreciate a talented musician.