Tesla is an American hard rock band originating from Sacramento, California… Read Full Bio ↴Tesla is an American hard rock band originating from Sacramento, California. The band formed in 1984 as City Kidd and was renamed to Tesla during the recording of their first album on the advice of their manager. According to the Love Song Songfacts, their name (and the inspiration for some songs) comes from Nikola Tesla, the legendary scientist and inventor who quite possibly is single-handedly responsible for the "mad scientist" trope. Originally, the group included Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitar), Tommy Skeoch (guitar), Brian Wheat (bass) and Troy Luccketta (drums). In 2006, Skeoch was replaced by Dave Rude, who is now an official member of the band.

Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sounds of their 80s hair metal and glam rock contemporaries. Yet it was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their t-shirt and jeans image, a 'street' look reminiscent of the Ramones (and other 70s punk groups) that was in strong contrast of the leather, spandex, and flashy-make type look of the time.

The band's early lifespan as City Kidd brought them considerable frustration, with them failing to break into the musical mainstream while also competing with another band with the same name. Their mutation into Tesla provided a clear shot at success. 'Mechanical Resonance', their debut that the boys released in 1986, became a commercial smash while also receiving significant critical praise. That album was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 5, 1989.

In total, the group has released six studio albums with original music, the latest of them being 2008's 'Forever More'. They have also created a a double-disc covers album, titled 'Real To Reel', as well as a number of compilations and live albums. Their sound has focused on a particularly melodic and accessible kind of hard rock with strong shades of classic heavy metal as well.

Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison's Medicine and Love Song.

The band derived their name, certain album and song names (e.g. The Great Radio Controversy, Mechanical Resonance, etc), and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary, modern day Croatia.

Love In Vain
Tesla Lyrics

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Well, I followed her to the station
With a suitcase in my hand
Lord, I followed her to the station
With a suitcase in my hand

Well, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell
When all your love's in vain
All my love is in vain

When the train pulled up to the station
And I looked her in her eye
When the train pulled up to the station
And I looked her in her eye

I was lonesome, I felt so lonesome
And I could not help but cry
All my love is in vain

Well, the train, it left the station
Two lights on behind
Well, the train, it left the station
With two lights on behind

Well, the blue light was my blues
The red light was my mind
All my love is in vain

Ooh, Willie Mae

Ooh, ooh, Willie Mae
All my love is in vain

Overall Meaning

The song Love In Vain by Tesla is a cover version of a country blues song originally written and performed by Robert Johnson. The lyrics speak to the pain of love and heartache, as the singer follows his love to the train station with a suitcase in hand, knowing their relationship has come to an end. The repetition of the line "all my love is in vain" reinforces the feelings of hopelessness and despair.

The opening lines say, "I followed her to the station, with a suitcase in my hand." The suitcase represents the man's belongings, perhaps indicating he is leaving town or moving on from the situation. But the sadness in the voice indicates that he is not happy about it. The train pulling up to the station and the line "all my love is in vain" again reinforce that the relationship is over. The line "the blue light was my blues, the red light was my mind" suggests that the train's lights are symbolic of the singer's emotional state - blue (or sad) and red (or angry).

In the end, the singer repeats "Ooh, Willie Mae" several times, perhaps indicating that the person he is singing about is named Willie Mae. It's possible that Willie Mae is the woman he has been singing about throughout the song, but it's also possible that she represents something else - a place, a feeling, or a memory. Regardless, the final line "all my love is in vain" leaves the listener with a sense of unresolved sadness and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, I followed her to the station
I accompanied her to the train station

With a suitcase in my hand
Carrying my own luggage

Lord, I followed her to the station
With a feeling of hopelessness, I followed her

When all your love's in vain
It's difficult to feel fulfilled when your efforts to love go unrecognized

All my love is in vain
Despite my best attempts, my love is ineffectual

When the train pulled up to the station
As the sound of the train approached

And I looked her in her eye
I stared intently into her eyes

I was lonesome, I felt so lonesome
I was unhappily alone

And I could not help but cry
Overwhelmed with sadness, I wept

Well, the train, it left the station
The train departed from the station

Two lights on behind
Two trailing lights in the back