In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Outbound Plane
Tom Russell Lyrics
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With this ticket for this outbound plane
Cause I've been here before
And somehow this doesn't feel the same
Talk is cheap so we could talk all night long
We may never figure out just where your love went wrong
And I ain't gonna want to be talking here
And I ain't gonna really care who's to blame
If love won't fly out on its own free will
It's going to catch that outbound plane
The old folks say that love's not forever any more
Because these young people walk away from love alone to pace the floor
Young or old guys say that love is still the same
And you may walk away from love but you'll fall head and heels again
Two lonely hearts in this airport knowing
Neither cares where that other heart is going
That frown your wearing's just your halo turned upside down
Where is the laughter we once shared back in the lost and found?
These broken wings are gonna leave me here to stand my ground
And you can have this ticket to that lonely plane that's flying outside
In Tom Russell's song Outbound Plane, the singer expresses his feelings of apprehension about leaving on a flight with a heavy heart. He has been in a similar situation before, and he knows that it won't feel the same. He doesn't want to stand there with the ticket and doesn't want to talk either because talk is cheap, and they might never be able to figure out what went wrong. He doesn't care who is to blame, and if love won't fly out on its own, it's bound to catch that outbound plane.
The song talks about the old folks' idea that love is not forever anymore because young people walk away from it alone to pace the floor. However, the singer believes that love is still the same, no matter how young or old one is, and that one will eventually fall head over heels for it. He describes two lonely hearts at the airport, neither caring where the other heart is going, and the frown worn by one is just their halo turned upside down. The broken wings will leave the singer to stand his ground, and the other person can have the ticket to the lonely plane flying outside.
Overall, the song talks about heartbreak, lost love, and the feeling of apprehension associated with moving on with a heavy heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't want to be standing here
I don't want to be in this emotional spot
With this ticket for this outbound plane
Having this ticket for the outgoing flight feels like a burden
Cause I've been here before
This situation feels familiar
And somehow this doesn't feel the same
This situation has changed from the last time I was here
Talk is cheap so we could talk all night long
Words can be meaningless, so talking won't necessarily help us find the truth
We may never figure out just where your love went wrong
We might not be able to determine what caused your love to fail
And I ain't gonna want to be talking here
I won't want to keep discussing this
And I ain't gonna really care who's to blame
It doesn't matter to me who is responsible
If love won't fly out on its own free will
If love can't thrive naturally
It's going to catch that outbound plane
It will leave, just like this plane will depart without anyone forcing it
The old folks say that love's not forever any more
Some older people believe love doesn't last forever in modern times
Because these young people walk away from love alone to pace the floor
They think younger generations are more likely to leave love behind and suffer alone
Young or old guys say that love is still the same
But some people, regardless of age, insist that love remains constant
And you may walk away from love but you'll fall head and heels again
Even if you leave love, you'll likely fall head over heels in love again
Two lonely hearts in this airport knowing
Two people who feel alone in the world experiencing the same emotions in this airport
Neither cares where that other heart is going
Neither one is concerned with where the other's heart is headed
That frown your wearing's just your halo turned upside down
The sad expression on your face is your aura inverted
Where is the laughter we once shared back in the lost and found?
What happened to the joy we used to experience, which appears to be missing now?
These broken wings are gonna leave me here to stand my ground
These damaged wings, which can no longer fly, will force me to stay put
And you can have this ticket to that lonely plane that's flying outside
You can take the ticket for a flight to wherever, but the plane will ultimately be lonely and unfulfilling
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NANCI GRIFFITH, TOM RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind