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]
I Want You Back
Steel Train Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you
Stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me
To take second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
I want you back
Yes I do now
I want you back
Ooh ooh baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Trying to live without your love
Is one long sleepless night
Let me show you girl
That I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on
I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl
I didn't even want around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
At first listen, Steel Train's "I Want You Back" sounds like a simple song of regret over a lost love. But upon closer examination, it's actually a nuanced exploration of jealousy, insecurity, and the all-consuming desperation of unrequited love. The song opens with the singer admitting that when he had the object of his affection to himself, he didn't appreciate her. He saw her as just another pretty face in the crowd, nothing special. But then someone else comes along and "picks" her from the bunch, and suddenly she's everything he wants. He longs for a "second look," but he knows it's too late. The chorus, with its memorable "Abuh buh buh buh" refrain, is a plea for a second chance.
The second verse reveals just how deeply the singer's love runs. He's unable to sleep, he's following the girl he didn't even want around, leaving "tear stains" behind. He's desperate to prove to her that he knows "wrong from right," that he's worthy of her love. But it's all too little, too late. The song ends with him repeating his plea for another chance, but it's clear that he's lost her for good.
Overall, "I Want You Back" is a bittersweet meditation on the pain of lost love and the longing for a second chance. It's a testament to Steel Train's songwriting skills that they take a seemingly simple topic and turn it into a complex, emotionally resonant song.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
Back when we were together and I was the only one who had you in my life
I didn't want you around
I didn't appreciate how amazing you were and took you for granted
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
Other people were attracted to you because of your physical appearance
But someone picked you from the bunch, One glance was all it took
Another person saw your true beauty and fell in love with you with just one look
Now it's much too late for me to take second look
I realize now that I should have given you more attention, but it's too late for me to change the past
Oh baby give me one more chance, To show you that I love you
Please give me another chance to prove to you how much I care about you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Please let me back into your life and into your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go, But now since I see you in his arms
I was foolish to let you go, but seeing you with someone else has made me realize how much I truly love you
I want you back, Yes I do now
I want to be with you again, more than anything else
Trying to live without your love, Is one long sleepless night
Being without you in my life is causing me a lot of pain and heartache
Let me show you girl, That I know wrong from right
I promise to treat you better and make better decisions if you give me another chance
Every street you walk on, I leave tear stains on the ground
Everywhere you go, you remind me of the pain I feel without you in my life
Following the girl, I didn't even want around
I regret not wanting to be with you when we were together and wish I had treated you better
Abuh buh buh buh, All I want!
All I want is to be with you again
Abuh buh buh buh, All I need!
All I need is for you to come back to me
Abuh buh buh buh
Repeated line expressing the artist's desperation and longing to be with their lost love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards, Berry Gordy Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind