Forbert signed a recording contract with Nemperor in 1978, and they released his debut album, Alive on Arrival, that same year. His song "Romeo's Tune", although "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard" on the sleeve of Forbert's second album Jackrabbit Slim (released in 1979), is not about Supremes singer Ballard who died in 1976. "Forbert admits that Ballard became a timely connection for "Romeo's Tune", written about a girl from Meridian. "That seemed like such bad news to me and such sad news. She wasn't really taken care of by the music business, which is not a new story". At around this time critics hailed Forbert as "The new Bob Dylan" because of a similar vocal timbre and thoughtful songwriting. The front cover of Jackrabbit Slim encourages such comparisons with its simplicity: a black and white photo of Steve Forbert playing a well-worn Martin acoustic guitar with a capo on it, his shirt tinted green. The record was recorded in Nashville and produced by John Simon who had worked with The Band.
After many successful years, Forbert sought out new inspiration and found it when he relocated to Nashville in 1985. Forbert's tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time, was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the best traditional folk category. In 2006, he was inducted into the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame.
Recent albums include Strange Names & New Sensations (2007), The Place And The Time (2009), and Over With You (2012).
www.steveforbert.com
Its Been A Long Time
Steve Forbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since we stood beside the water
The sun goin' down
Was burnin' peaceful and slow
And the shadows of evening
Were creepin' around us
It's been a long time
It's been a mighty long time
It's been a long time
We used to find it all together
The new and the strange
Lotsa gambles and dares
And the road was a high road
It led to the hilltops
It's been a long time
It's been a mighty long time
Turnin' wheels, rollin' hard
Flyin' down the boulevard
Take it slow, let me breathe
I can't relate, I can't believe
Dirty snow, city lights
Tower clocks and lonely nights
Reachin' out, it's love in vain
I can't connect, I can't explain
It's been a long time
We used to laugh away the hours
The summer was kind
And we were kids in the heat
And the moon was a high moon
It rose in the twilight
It's been a long time
It's been a mighty long time
It's been a long time
I look around, I'm gettin' older
Rememberin' fun
And tryna find it again
Lookin' in through the doorways
And talkin' to strangers
It's been a long time
It's been a mighty long
time
Steve Forbert's 1980 song "It's Been A Long Time" invokes feelings of nostalgia and longing for a past that has long since passed. The lyrics speak to the rewards of backbreaking work, as well as the sense of camaraderie found among close friends. The opening verse paints a picture that could only come from personal experience: standing beside the water at sunset, feeling both peaceful and melancholic at the same time. The next verse, however, introduces some bittersweet emotions, as the memories of youth, discovery, and adventure shared among friends are juxtaposed with the experience of aging and feeling disconnected. In the final verse, Forbert laments his current state of affairs, looking back at memories of deep connections and experiences, some of which may never be repeated.
The chorus repeats the song's theme: "It's been a long time / It's been a mighty long time." Here, time is an unstoppable force, a wave that has carried the singer from his youth to his present moment. The final verse ends with the lines, "Lookin' in through the doorways / And talkin' to strangers / It's been a long time / It's been a mighty long time." Here, Forbert suggests that the search for something to fill the void left by lost experiences is as important as the experiences themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long time
It has been a significant amount of time since the singer has experienced what is being described
Since we stood beside the water
It has been a long time since the singer has been in the same physical location as the person or people being addressed
The sun goin' down
The day was coming to an end
Was burnin' peaceful and slow
The sunset was calm and unhurried
And the shadows of evening
As night approached, the darkness began to gather
Were creepin' around us
The shadows were moving closer and closer to the singer
It's been a mighty long time
The length of time since the experiences being described has been substantial
We used to find it all together
The artist and those being addressed used to enjoy these experiences as a group
The new and the strange
The experiences they shared were often unfamiliar or unusual
Lotsa gambles and dares
They took risks and challenged themselves
And the road was a high road
Their journey was ambitious and full of potential
It led to the hilltops
Their journey had the potential for greater success and fulfillment
Turnin' wheels, rollin' hard
They were moving forward quickly and with great effort
Flyin' down the boulevard
Their journey was fast-paced and exciting
Take it slow, let me breathe
The singer is feeling overwhelmed and needs a break
I can't relate, I can't believe
The artist is having trouble connecting with their current experiences
Dirty snow, city lights
The artist is in a not-so-pleasant urban environment
Tower clocks and lonely nights
The city is overwhelming and impersonal
Reachin' out, it's love in vain
The singer is seeking connection but not finding it
It's been a long time
The length of time since the experiences being described has been substantial
We used to laugh away the hours
The artist and those being addressed used to enjoy each other's company for extended periods of time
The summer was kind
The season was warm and welcoming
And we were kids in the heat
The singer and those being addressed felt youthful and carefree during the summertime
And the moon was a high moon
The moon was large and bright in the sky
It rose in the twilight
The moon was visible as the day turned to night
I look around, I'm gettin' older
The singer is aware that time has passed and they are aging
Rememberin' fun
The singer is reminiscing about enjoyable experiences
And tryna find it again
The artist is attempting to recreate those enjoyable experiences
Lookin' in through the doorways
The artist is peering into other people's experiences, hoping to find something similar to what they once had
And talkin' to strangers
The singer is expanding their social circle, trying to make new connections
It's been a mighty long time
The length of time since the experiences being described has been substantial
Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: STEVE FORBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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