Simmons released his debut studio album, Last Call, in 2004. “Lay On The Tracks”, a standout track from Last Call, was a winner at the prestigious MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Competition. Last Call was praised by critics on both sides of the Atlantic, picked up and released by Rounder Europe Records; followed by three more Rounder Europe releases and extensive touring in Europe. As a Songwriter with Television credits (Sons of Anarchy) and as a steady road act (over 700 shows in past decade in ten countries) Simmon’s continues to evolve as an artist. His most recent albums have been released by USA indie label Lower 40 Records and in Europe on Germany’s premiere roots label; Blue Rose Records.
Quotes-
"a singer-songwriter of marked depth and commitment, (he) recalls a more subdued Steve Earle, a more grounded Ryan Adams and any aggregation of three-named Texas troubadours you'd care to recall."
- -- Bill Friskics-Warren, THE NASHVILLE SCENE
"...not many singers achieve such a confident, full-bodied sound while delivering conversational confessions."
- — Geoffrey Himes , THE WASHINGTON POST
"Vivid, intelligent and soulful."
- Rob Hughes, UNCUT (UK)
"...he's a Bible Belt barstool philosopher singing of sin and redemption. Intelligent, intense, and easy to like."
- – Sylvie Simmons, MOJO Music Magazine (UK)
Long Road
Stephen Simmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's tired of us and she can't see
Why we just don't agree
She felt this way don't know how long
All I can say is she's already gone
No matter when she leaves
Chorus:
On which we walk
And it's a long crawl
To find our way home
But the fire below
Is a short waltz
It's Easy on your feet to fall
But it's hard on your soul
There's poison in the blood
Of the people in this neighborhood
So don't get too close
And there's poison in the words
Of the people who came before us
And had the gall to Speak of Love and let it show
Chorus
Before the night is gone
Before the day comes along
She'll be waltzing on
And I'll be left to crawl on my own
I've thought about it all night long
But I can't see where we went wrong
Don't wanna believe she's gone
If I loved you and you loved me
How'd something come in between
So strong, so real, so wrong
Chorus
In Stephen Simmons's song Long Road, he talks about a relationship that has fallen apart. The opening lines suggest that the singer's partner has expressed her dissatisfaction with the relationship, and that she has left or is about to leave. The lyrics are filled with regret and longing, with the singer trying to understand where the relationship went wrong. The refrain speaks of the long and difficult journey of life, with the fire below representing the passion or desire that can sometimes lead us astray. The final lines suggest that the singer is unable to accept the end of the relationship, despite its apparent inevitability.
The lyrics of Long Road are evocative and poignant, exploring the complexities of romantic relationships and the human condition more broadly. The imagery of poison in the blood and words of the people in the neighborhood is particularly striking, suggesting that the singer feels surrounded by darker forces that are corrupting his world. The song speaks to the hopelessness and despair that often accompanies the end of a relationship, but also to the resilience and determination to keep moving forward, despite the obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby says she's tired of me
My partner expressed that they are exhausted by our relationship and can't understand why we can't see eye-to-eye.
She's tired of us and she can't see
She is tired of our relationship altogether and can't envision a future where we can reconcile our differences.
Why we just don't agree
She doesn't understand why we can't just find a way to agree and move forward together.
She felt this way don't know how long
She has been feeling this way for a while, and I don't know how long this has been going on for.
All I can say is she's already gone
It seems like she has already emotionally checked out of the relationship.
No matter when she leaves
It doesn't matter when she decides to physically leave, because she has already mentally left.
It's a long road
Life is a journey that we all walk.
On which we walk
We are all on this journey of life together.
And it's a long crawl
Sometimes it can be difficult and feel like we are crawling along this journey.
To find our way home
Our ultimate goal is to find a place where we belong and feel at home.
But the fire below
However, there are obstacles and temptations along this journey that can make it difficult.
Is a short waltz
These obstacles can seem easy at first, like a short waltz.
It's Easy on your feet to fall
It can be easy to stumble and fall into these temptations.
But it's hard on your soul
However, giving into these temptations can be damaging to our values and beliefs.
There's poison in the blood
This world can be toxic and dangerous.
Of the people in this neighborhood
The people around us can contribute to this toxicity and danger.
So don't get too close
We need to be careful and mindful of who we let into our lives and how close we allow them to get.
And there's poison in the words
Words can be just as harmful as physical poison.
Of the people who came before us
The people who came before us and their actions can influence the present and future.
And had the gall to Speak of Love and let it show
Even those who claim to love can be toxic and cause harm.
Before the night is gone
Before the day arrives and time passes.
Before the day comes along
Before another day begins.
She'll be waltzing on
She will move on and continue with her life.
And I'll be left to crawl on my own
I will be left alone on this journey.
I've thought about it all night long
I have been reflecting and thinking about the situation.
But I can't see where we went wrong
However, I can't pinpoint what went wrong in our relationship.
Don't wanna believe she's gone
I am struggling to accept that she has left me.
If I loved you and you loved me
If we truly loved each other.
How'd something come in between
How could something have caused a rift in our relationship?
So strong, so real, so wrong
It is heartbreaking to see our once strong and real relationship dissolve into something that is so wrong.
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.