The Wagoneers' debut album, Stout and High, was released by Herb Alpert's A&M Records in 1988; a follow-up album, Good Fortune, was released in 1989. Although the band appeared on Austin City Limits and Nashville Now, their popularity never took off and they band broke up in 1990.
"There were a lot of reasons why the Wags didn't happen on a bigger scale," said Monte Warden in a 1995 interview, when he was pursuing a solo career. "Number one, we were on a pop label (A&M) that had never attempted to get in the country market before. Two, even though it was just four or five years ago, that was light years in regards to country's popularity and we were a different group, a bit unique at that time. That, and maybe country radio wasn't just ready for those songs. It doesn't matter what the success level was, for me; I was just pleased to get to make records."
The Wagoneers still have their fans; a MySpace page dedicated to the band contains audio clips from their two albums and the CMT blog dubbed them "best rockabilly band that ever was”
I Can't Stay
The Wagoneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my troubled mind has really tried
It's so hard, oh I can't decide
Well I can't stay, I can't leave
My heart keeps askin' which will it be
Either way it's all wrong for me
My love is tender but it ain't strong
How can it be so right and so wrong
Well I can't stay and I can't leave
My heart keeps askin' which will it be
Either way it's all wrong for me
Take it Sleepy
(Guitar)
Do it Katon
(Steel)
(Instumental)
Well I can't stay and I can't leave
My heart keeps askin' which will it be
Either way it's all wrong for me
The lyrics of The Wagoneers' song, "I Can't Stay," depict a narrative of a person who is torn between staying or leaving a relationship. The singer of the song is overwhelmed with emotions and cannot decide whether to stay or go. The first verse describes how the singer is constantly crying and struggling with their thoughts. The chorus repeats the dilemma of staying or leaving, acknowledging that both options are wrong for them.
In the second verse, the singer reveals that they have been feeling this way for a long time. They love their significant other tenderly, but there is a lack of strength in that love. The singer questions how something can feel so right and wrong at the same time. The song ends with an instrumental section before repeating the chorus again, emphasizing the continued struggle of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
So many nights I have cried
I have spent countless nights crying about my situation
And my troubled mind has really tried
My mind has struggled to find a solution
It's so hard, oh I can't decide
I find it incredibly difficult to make a decision
Well I can't stay, I can't leave
I feel like I cannot make a decision about staying or leaving
My heart keeps askin' which will it be
I am torn between two options and my heart cannot choose
Either way it's all wrong for me
No matter what I choose, it will not be the right decision for me
Well I've felt this way for so very long
I have been feeling this way for an extended period of time
My love is tender but it ain't strong
Although I have love, it is not strong enough to sustain me
How can it be so right and so wrong
My situation has both good and bad aspects which makes it difficult to decide what to do
Take it Sleepy
This is a cue for Sleepy to begin playing guitar
Do it Katon
This is a cue for Katon to begin playing the steel guitar
(Instumental)
This is an instrumental break in the song
Well I can't stay and I can't leave
I am struggling to make a decision about staying or leaving
My heart keeps askin' which will it be
My heart is torn between two options
Either way it's all wrong for me
No matter what I choose, it will not be the right decision for me
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.