With "Speaking in Cursive", Two Cow Garage has brought on a permanent keyboard player with Andy Schell, helping the band expand on their guitar-bass-drum assault, adding depth and richer melodies to the heartbreak-on-the-sleeve lyrical bite and rock attack that Two Cow Garage is already known for.
From the opener of "Your Humble Narrator", starting out with Schnabel's tattered, smoke-filled voice, the song builds, from a toned-down guitar-bass-drum attack that turns into something melodic and poignant with the addition of keys, before quickly busting into the chorus and ripping through you with pure adrenaline.
Through the all-out classic-rock-gone-punk vigor of "Brass Ring", ringing with the line, "don't ever be second stage, apathetic melancholy is all the rage, there was never any brass ring to be found", as the band comes to grips with the fact they do music for the love of it, not for the "Brass Ring" or any other reason.
To "Bastards and Bridesmaids", a song that questions youth and wasted youth with plenty of guitar noise buzzing as the rhythm section pounds it out, before quickly sliding into an unforgettable hook, and "Swingset Assassin", a haunting acoustic number that is anything but soft and pretty: abrasive and cutting, Two Cow Garage can rock out and bring you to tears with nothing more but voices and an acoustic guitar:
The album's "Sadie Mae" really shows off the beauty of keys in a melancholy rock song, reeling you in while the lyrics and the story line bring you to your knees in tears as you wrap yourself up in the story of "Sadie Mae", and when the line "If the love doesn't kill me, the loneliness will. And if these drugs don't thrill me, then nothing else will".
Ending with "Swallowed By the Sea", one of two songs bassist Sweeney sings lead on, the band gets more roots-y and ends with a heart-wrenching, alt. country song to put others to shame.
Yes, Two Cow Garage have done it again, delivering a record that surpassed their last ("III"), while moving forward, expanding their trademark sound, but still making it sound wholly Two Cow Garage.
Been so long
Two Cow Garage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you stay here for awhile?
Now it's been so long since I've seen you smile
Now there's trouble at work
Some things we just can't get around
Now the same way I'm out there
The sooner I fall down
And nineteen never felt so good
And I know just where I'm standing
She says it's done for good
For good
She sails across the river
If the river was just tonight
Well what's so wrong, if it feels so right?
Soon becoming morning
And I don't know her wrong
By tomorrow's sun miles from home
She says "This town is gonna do me in"
And nineteen never felt so good
And I know just where I'm standing
She says it's done for good
For good
Broken hopes, broken dreams
All forgotten in between
Somehow we can all get lost
And never change the scene
These days turn into years
And those hours go rushing on
Been awhile since I've thought about you
But here now it's been so long
The lyrics of Two Cow Garage's song "Been So Long" express a bittersweet reminiscence of a past lover. The singer of the song imagines rekindling a relationship with a girl who promised to leave her old partner, yet shows no signs of fulfilling her promise. The themes of youth and recklessness are recurrent, as the girl is only nineteen, and there is a strong sense of urgency and impatience to the singer's desire. The lyrics are full of vivid images about the passage of time and the transience of life. The singer realizes that they may have missed their chance with the girl, and that the world can be tough and unforgiving.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of melancholy and regret, and the lyrics evoke the mood of a country ballad. However, the song also has a catchy and upbeat rhythm that balances out the sadness of the lyrics. The chorus of "This town is gonna do me in" is particularly memorable, and it conveys a sense of claustrophobia and hopelessness. The lyrics of "Been So Long" are open to interpretation, but they can be seen as a comment on the fleeting nature of love and the struggle to find meaning and connection in a world that can seem indifferent to our desires.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you'd leave him
You told me you were going to end your previous relationship
Would you stay here for awhile?
Would you be willing to take some time to be with me?
Now it's been so long since I've seen you smile
It's been a while since I've seen you happy
Now there's trouble at work
Work is causing me problems
Some things we just can't get around
Some issues are unavoidable
Now the same way I'm out there
I am also dealing with my own problems
The sooner I fall down
The sooner I will encounter difficulties
She says 'This town is gonna do me in'
She believes that this place is going to be the end of her
And nineteen never felt so good
Being young feels great
And I know just where I'm standing
I am aware of my position and situation
She says it's done for good
She says that things are permanently over
For good
Permanently
She sails across the river
She figuratively crosses into unknown territory
If the river was just tonight
If the opportunity only exists in this moment
Well what's so wrong, if it feels so right?
What is the harm in doing something that feels good?
Soon becoming morning
Morning is approaching
And I don't know her wrong
I cannot criticize or judge her for her actions
By tomorrow's sun miles from home
Tomorrow she will be far away from here
Broken hopes, broken dreams
Ideas and aspirations that have been shattered
All forgotten in between
Over time, these things have been lost and forgotten
Somehow we can all get lost
It is easy for us to lose our way
And never change the scene
And never break free from our current situation
These days turn into years
Time seems to slip away quickly
And those hours go rushing on
Moments continue to pass quickly
Been awhile since I've thought about you
I haven't thought about you in some time
But here now it's been so long
Now, however, it has been an even longer time
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.