The Gaslight Anthem’s music embraces many elements of blues, classic rock, and punk rock. The band has described their sound as “Bruce Springsteen singing for a Cure cover band, with a tinge more aggression.” The group’s fondness for Springsteen, a significant influence on their music, is celebrated by fans and critics alike. Representative of such views, one critic wrote, “The Gaslight Anthem are like something out of speculative fiction: this is what pop music would be if Springsteen hadn’t listened to his producer, let the Ramones record ‘Hungry Heart,’ and launched the C.B.G.B.’ers into megastardom.”
The band released its first LP, Sink or Swim, in 2007 through XOXO Records, and toured with many reputable bands, including Against Me!, The Draft, Dead to Me, and Fake Problems.
The Gaslight Anthem’s second release, a 4-song EP entitled Señor and the Queen, was released on January 29th, 2008 by Sabot Productions.
Their second full-length, The ‘59 Sound, was released on August 19, 2008 on Side One Dummy Records. The album debuted at #70 on the Billboard top 200. It was produced by Ted Hutt, who has produced albums for The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and MxPx.
On August 6, 2008 they became the first band to ever appear on the cover of Kerrang! magazine without the publication having previously written a single word about them.
In Fall 2008, the band toured with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, and Thrice.
On December 9, 2008, the Gaslight Anthem made their television debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, performing the song the “The ‘59 Sound.” On January 30, 2009, they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, again playing “The ‘59 Sound.”
Their third full-length, American Slang, was released on June 15, 2010, on Side One Dummy Records. The Bring It On Songfacts reports that it finds the band moving away from the fictional lyrics and '50s-inspired sound of their previous records.
In 2010 they appeared on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK along with Arcade Fire, The Libertines and Modest Mouse.
Their fourth full-length, Handwritten was released on July 23, 2012 in the UK, and on July 24 in the US. The lead single, "45", was aired for the first time worldwide as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on April 30, 2012 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on iTunes on May 8, 2012. Handwritten was called by The Rolling Stone their "biggest sounding, most straightforward album"
High Lonesom
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They took your pulse and packed up your things
And the papers read
Some boys forget what the heartache brings
And the pounding in the street
Was your heart in 4/4 time
And the taste of defeat
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
And in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
So gravity came
And stole the temple that the schoolboys praised
And the crowd shuffled in
You're getting drinks for the same boys who once bought you everything
And the powder on the bar was just this one time
The patter on the bar was just this one night
And only to get by
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
And in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
There was "Southern Accents" on the radio as I drove home
And at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
It's a pretty good song, baby you know the rest
Baby, you know the rest
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
Always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
And in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
When our boots they hit the ground
They made a high and lonesome sound
When our boots they hit the ground
They made a high and lonesome sound
When our boots they hit the ground
They made a high and lonesome sound
When our boots they hit the ground
Down from the clouds
They made a high and lonesome sound
The Gaslight Anthem's song "High Lonesome" tells a tale of heartache, regret, and the yearning to be someone else. The opening verses describe the aftermath of a breakup, where the ambulances come and take away the singer's ex-lover's belongings. The pain of the heartache hits hard and is compared to the pounding of a 4/4 beat. The taste of defeat is always present in his mind, reminding him of his failure in the relationship.
In the second verse, we see the singer drinking at a bar, reminiscing on the past. He feels the weight of gravity stealing what he once held at a high value. The same boys who previously bought him everything now only buy him drinks. He hopes to get by with just one night of powder and patter at the bar. The repetition of the chorus, with Maria from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand, highlights the singer's desire to be someone else, to look like Elvis, and to be part of classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands.
The final lines of the song express the singer's longing for a better life, symbolized by the "high and lonesome" sound made by their boots when they hit the ground. "High Lonesome" may be seen as an anthem of desire for a different life, one that is free from remorse and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
So the ambulances came
Emergency services arrived to tend to the singer's loved one
They took your pulse and packed up your things
The responders assessed the situation and prepared for transport to a medical facility
And the papers read
News outlets reported on the incident
Some boys forget what the heartache brings
Some people don't fully comprehend the emotional pain associated with tragic events
And the pounding in the street
The artist is using a metaphor to describe the sound of their own heart beating rapidly
Was your heart in 4/4 time
The singer's heart was beating in a steady rhythm
And the taste of defeat
The feeling of failure or disappointment lingered in the singer's mind
Was never too far from your mind
The thought of defeat was constantly present in the artist's thoughts
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
The artist recalls a person named Maria who came from Nashville with luggage
I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
The artist desires to have the physical resemblance of the legendary musician Elvis Presley
And in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands
The singer has an idealized vision of a classic American lifestyle
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
The artist longs to be anyone other than themselves
So gravity came
The inevitability of the situation occurred
And stole the temple that the schoolboys praised
Something of great importance was taken away
And the crowd shuffled in
A group of people entered the scene
You're getting drinks for the same boys who once bought you everything
The artist is serving drinks to people who used to provide them with everything they wanted
And the powder on the bar was just this one time
The substance on the bar was only present for a single occasion
The patter on the bar was just this one night
The pattern on the bar was only visible for one evening
And only to get by
The substance or pattern was used as an escape from reality
There was "Southern Accents" on the radio as I drove home
The artist remembers a specific song playing on the radio during a drive home
And at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
The artist experiences night sweats during intense emotional situations
It's a pretty good song, baby you know the rest
The artist's romantic partner knows how the artist feels about the song mentioned earlier
When our boots they hit the ground
The singer and someone else arrive somewhere
They made a high and lonesome sound
The artist uses a metaphor to describe the sound of their boots
Down from the clouds
The singer's arrival feels like a descent from a higher place
Contributed by Carter O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kevo3985
This song never gets old
@NickyLaurienzo
This is my new favorite song 👌🏻
@scottsoykin1304
I always kind of sort of wish I was someone else
@kathyjacques2688
Outlaw cowboy bands what's not to love?
@willettabiggins9838
im new to the songe
@fubarusdilligaficus3096
Does anyone else think it sounds like he says "outlaw cowboy pants"? So far, my niece and my boyfriend can hear it too..
@kimsmith2593
Does Adam Duritz know that they borrowed his line Maria came from Nashville....??
@storrnwalker
thanks. didn't know Counting Crows 'till now :)
@jkh350
Also, "At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet" is a line from Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire. And "Southern Accents" is a Tom Petty song/album.
@janwillems666
Hey should feel honored...