Tired Pony was formed by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol), who had a "long-term ambition" of making a country album. He revealed the project's existence in May 2009. In the interview, he expressed his love for country music, which he said he had loved for a long time: "I always thought I had a country album in me and it turns out I did." The rest of Snow Patrol expressed excitement for their band-mate, "delighted that [Lightbody was] getting to exorcise all his crazy ideas." In October 2009, Lightbody in his blog on Snow Patrol's website revealed the members of the group to be Richard Colburn (of Belle & Sebastian), Iain Archer, singer Miriam Kaufmann (Archer's wife), and Jacknife Lee. He talked about two more members whom he was very excited about, but didn't name them. He also stated that the album won't be country as was being reported, but would be "country-tinged". In January 2010, Hot Press reported Peter Buck (of R.E.M.) to be a member of the group. Lightbody described Buck as one of his "all-time heroes" and admired his talent for playing a variety of instruments. Lightbody looks at the project as something he has "wanted to get out of [his] system", and said that "[he doesn't] know whether people will dig it or not." He has expressed doubts about the commercial viability of the group's work, mainly in the United States.
Lightbody had a potential album fully written by May 2009, and had said he only needed to record it. On 13 October 2009, Lightbody debuted a Tired Pony song during Snow Patrol's tour stop in Portland. While playing an acoustic session for radio station KINK, he introduced the song which he said he had written the previous night. He said that the song was "written in Portland, inspired by Portland".
The album The Place We Ran From was released on July 12, 2010, in the United Kingdom and on September 28, 2010, in the United States. Its first single was "Dead American Writers, released one week before the album on vinyl only." It was recorded in only one week on January 2010, in Portland, Oregon, USA. It includes contributions from actress and singer Zooey Deschanel, guitarist M. Ward, and Tom Smith of the indie rock group Editors. Apart from playing on the album, Jacknife Lee is handling album production. The video for "Dead American Writers" stars British actor Joseph Gilgun and was directed by Paul Fraser (a longtime collaborator of Shane Meadows).
Tired Pony played their first live show at London's Forum venue in Kentish Town on July 14, 2010 and were joined on stage by 2009 Mercury Music Prize nominee Lisa Hannigan who stepped in for Zooey Deschanel on the song "Get On The Road". Editors singer Tom Smith also joined the group on stage.
On September 30, 2010, Tired Pony appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing "Dead American Writers" from the album. "Get on the road" was also featured on Showtime drama "Shameless" at the end of "Just Like the Pilgrims Intended" episode .
Your Way Is The Way Home
Tired Pony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These memories form a choir and they sing to me
It's years since I've been home
And I've ached for you
And I wonder how you changed
And if you know my face at all
I'm praying that you will
So gently in my two hands
The decades are stuck like glue
Like the blood soaked into the land
My stampeding heart is lost
Like the compass you always were
I can see in the thawing frost
That your way is the way home
Our ghosts fill up the room completely
So there's barely room for us
And a clumsy silence falls
These years have humbled me
And I know it's too late
Your eyes have been my guide
They've lit my Northern sky
For twenty years or more
I'll carry the thought of you
So gently in my two hands
The decades are stuck like glue
Like the blood soaked into the land
My stampeding heart is lost
Like the compass you always were
I can see in the thawing frost
That your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
I'll carry the thought of you
The decades are stuck like glue
My stampeding heart is lost
I see in the thawing frost
The lyrics of Tired Pony's song Your Way Is The Way Home depict a person who is longing to go back home after many years away. The opening line, "I can smell the redwood fires of Oregon," creates a vivid sensory image of the person's home state. Memories of home "form a choir and they sing" to the person, heightening their desire to return. This longing is exacerbated by the fact that the person wonders how their old home has changed and if they will still be recognized.
The next stanza conveys the person's humility and regret for not returning sooner. Their heart races with desire to be back in the familiar landscape that always served as their compass. The mention of blood soaked into the land is a poignant reminder of how deeply rooted the person is in their home state. The image of thawing frost suggests that despite the years away, the person's love for their home has never truly died.
The final stanza reiterates that "your way is the way home," emphasizing the importance of keeping their old home close to their heart. The repetition of "your way is the way home" suggests that the person is trying to convince themselves that this is true. The final lines imply that while the person's heart may be lost, their memories and love for their home state will never thaw.
Line by Line Meaning
I can smell the redwood fires of Oregon
The scent of the fires in Oregon reminds me of home
These memories form a choir and they sing to me
My memories come together to create a strong feeling of nostalgia
It's years since I've been home
It's been a long time since I've been able to return to my hometown
And I've ached for you
I have deeply missed my hometown and the people there
And I wonder how you changed
I'm curious about how my hometown and the people there have changed over time
And if you know my face at all
I wonder if anyone from home would even be able to recognize me now
I'm praying that you will
I hope that someone from home will be able to recognize me
I'll carry the thought of you
I will hold my memories of home and the people in my heart
So gently in my two hands
I will cherish my memories and treat them carefully
The decades are stuck like glue
Time has passed but my memories are still strong and firmly rooted in my mind
Like the blood soaked into the land
My memories of home are deeply ingrained and can never be separated from me
My stampeding heart is lost
I feel lost and overwhelmed by my longing for home
Like the compass you always were
Home has always been my guiding force, like a compass
I can see in the thawing frost
As winter melts away, I feel a glimmer of hope that I might be able to return home
That your way is the way home
I know that returning home is the right choice for me
Our ghosts fill up the room completely
Our memories and past experiences are so strong that they overwhelm us in the present
So there's barely room for us
Our memories and past experiences take up so much space that there's little room left for anything else
And a clumsy silence falls
We struggle to find the right words to say to each other because our memories are too powerful
These years have humbled me
I've learned a lot and grown as a person during the time I've been away from home
And I know it's too late
I realize that I can never fully make up for lost time and experiences
Your eyes have been my guide
The memories of my hometown and the people there have always guided me and influenced my decisions
They've lit my Northern sky
My memories of home have always been a bright spot in my life, even during dark times
For twenty years or more
My memories of home and the people there have been with me for a long time
Your way is the way home
Returning home is the right path for me to take
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PETER BUCK, GARY LIGHTBODY, JACKNIFE LEE, SCOTT MCCAUGHEY, RICHARD WILLIAM COLBURN, IAIN ARCHER, TROY STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jennifer Garrett
A sublime song from a sublime album. Deserves far more recognition.
sadghost
This is just a lovely song from a lovely CD. A unique and wonderful sound!
Cosmic Trash
Your Way Is the Way Home
Tired Pony
I can smell the redwood fires of Oregon
These memories form a choir and they sing to me
It's years since I've been home
And I've ached for you
And I wonder how you changed
And if you know my face at all
I'm praying that you will
I'll carry the thought of you
So gently in my two hands
The decades are stuck like glue
Like the blood soaked into the land
My stampeding heart is lost
Like the compass you always were
I can see in the thawing frost
That your way is the way home
Our ghosts fill up the room completely
So there's barely room for us
And a clumsy silence falls
These years have humbled me
And I know it's too late
Your eyes have been my guide
They've lit my Northern sky
For twenty years or more
I'll carry the thought of you
So gently in my two hands
The decades are stuck like glue
Like the blood soaked into the land
My stampeding heart is lost
Like the compass you always were
I can see in the thawing frost
That your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
Your way is the way home
I'll carry the thought of you
The decades are stuck like glue
My stampeding heart is lost
I see in the thawing frost
Timmay
love this song!
aguiasmany
wonderful song!!!!!!!
SaMiCla
This mans voice😍😍
darren shaw
Perfect ❄️☘️❤️
aguiasmany
uau that voice????
Shaz Murphy
Lovely song from gary in tired pony and tired pony hiya
meinfreund derbaum
Lullaby me..... More More More......