The first incarnation of what would later become the Nields came together in 1987 in McLean, Virginia, when Nerissa Nields met David Jones, a theater student, and the two of them started a band with Nerissa's sister Katryna. David changed his last name to Nields after marrying Nerissa.
1994 proved to be a watershed year for the Nields, with the band changing from a three-piece folk group to a five-piece rock band. The new members of the band were Dave Chalfant (bass), who Katryna had met in college, and Dave Hower (drums), a friend of Dave Chalfant's. Dave Chalfant also produced the band's album released that year, Bob on the Ceiling, which was named for a friend of Katryna's. This album featured a mix of the acoustic material that the Nields had previously specialized in and a more rock-oriented sound that would become their trademark. With their new sound, the Nields received critical acclaim, and quit their day jobs to become full-time musicians.
Their 1995 EP Abigail, named for Katryna and Nerissa's sister, would be the last self-released Nields album. In 1996, they released Gotta Get Over Greta on the independent Razor & Tie record label. The album was re-released in 1997 with three bonus tracks on Guardian, a division of Elektra Records. The group felt that with a major-label deal, they were on the brink of superstardom: they had a considerable grassroots following, and a mailing list that had tens of thousands of names and was growing continuously.
Unfortunately, the group suffered a number of setbacks the next year. Guardian folded, leaving them without a record label, and their tour van (nicknamed Moby) was growing increasingly unreliable. While they needed a new van urgently, their financial situation made it impossible for them to afford one. To raise money for the van, they self-released an album called Mousse (the nickname for Dave Chalfant's sister Andromache) and held a special 'Jam for the Van' concert where they debuted that album. As a result of that concert, the Nields were able to purchase a new van, which they nicknamed Nessie. They were also able to secure a new label, Zoë, a division of Rounder Records. All Nields records released since, except one, have been released on that label. Over the next three years, the Nields released two more records (Play and If You Lived Here You'd Be Home Now), and in 1999 Katryna Nields and Dave Chalfant got married, becoming the second married couple in the band after Nerissa and David Nields.
Although the band enjoyed a moderate degree of success, they remained in the red fiscally due to the high expenses they incurred (salaries for the band members, salaries for their manager, maintaining their van, lodging, etc.). Furthermore, the group was getting older, and people wanted to settle down and start families. The limits of what could been done in a 3-minute pop song also rankled some, who wanted to explore deeper themes. The combination of these factors led to the band's breakup in 2001. Their 2001 album, released that same year, was a two-disc album titled Live From Northampton. Like their 1993 album, it was recorded at the Iron Horse Music Hall, and was self-released by the band. The band ceased in 2001.
During the mid-2000s, the band occasionally performed shows, and, from 2006, went on the release a series of albums.
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The Nields Lyrics
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Maybe there never was one but the tracks are everywhere
And my pale imagination makes me think there'll be one soon
Maybe it's desperation or the shadows on the moon
Chorus
No no, I will still believe
It's hard when we have been deceived
But if that train ever does come back, then I will be on board
And when I go to sleep at night I hear someone else's song
Sung by some Canadian and thousands sing along
And everyone is dancing but I don't know the words
Mystery and chimera and a million flying birds
Chorus
And everything gets quiet and the sea has a frozen tide
And night has started to descend but my eyes are open wide
And far off in the distance the sun looks like a train
Maybe my imagination is fooling me again
Chorus
The Nields's song "Train" seems to be about believing in something despite the odds. The opening lines discuss the idea that something may not have existed for a long time or perhaps never existed, but the idea of it persists. The imagery of train tracks, regardless of if there is still a train, represents this. The singer's imagination is the source of this idea and the hope that the train will come soon is only based on desperation or the shadows on the moon. The chorus emphasizes the persistence of this belief despite the possibility of being wrong. The last verse discusses the idea of feeling left out, hearing a song that everyone else knows the words to, but feeling lost in the mystery of it all. The final lines bring the song back to the idea of imagination and the possibility of seeing things that may not be real.
Line by Line Meaning
There hasn't been a train here for about two thousand years
It's been a long time since a train has been around this area
Maybe there never was one but the tracks are everywhere
Although there are no trains, the tracks suggest that there might have been one before
And my pale imagination makes me think there'll be one soon
My imagination makes me believe that a train will come soon
Maybe it's desperation or the shadows on the moon
Not sure if it's actual hope or just a fleeting thought caused by desperation or the surroundings
No no, I will still believe
Despite doubts, I will continue to believe in the possibility of the train
It's hard when we have been deceived
It's difficult to trust in something when we've been misled before
And maybe I'm mistaken and maybe I'm not sure
I acknowledge the possibility that I may be wrong or uncertain
But if that train ever does come back, then I will be on board
Regardless, if a train does arrive, I will not hesitate to get on it
And when I go to sleep at night I hear someone else's song
At night, I hear music that's not my own
Sung by some Canadian and thousands sing along
It's a Canadian artist's song that's popular among many people
And everyone is dancing but I don't know the words
People are enjoying themselves, but I don't understand the meaning of the song
Mystery and chimera and a million flying birds
The lyrics are complex and surreal, evoking a sense of wonder and imagination
And everything gets quiet and the sea has a frozen tide
A serene moment occurs where everything goes silent and the ocean appears still
And night has started to descend but my eyes are open wide
Although it's dark outside, I am still alert and aware
And far off in the distance the sun looks like a train
The sun appears far away and resembles a train, causing optimism to surface
Maybe my imagination is fooling me again
Admitting the possibility of being misled by an overactive imagination
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind