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.
Wait
Two Cow Garage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's never been like this before
I never needed anything girl
Till you came through the door
Your eyes they stood me up again
And your smile knocked me down
I spent the rest of the night
Picking my heart up off the ground
Got no lines to bring you home
But I smile as you walk away
And I spend the night alone
And then doors came swinging open
And the lights came shining through
You know that I'd do anything
Anything to be with you
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
You touched my hand
I closed my eyes
This is how it feels
I've never been in love before
Only this time is for real
Cause if you took away those little things
That meant so much to you
Take 'em now and leave 'em here
Now there's nothing left to do
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
Well girl, you really done me in
It's never been like this before
I never needed anything girl
Till you came through the door
And then doors came swinging open
And the lights came shining through
You know that I'd do anything
Anything to be with you
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
Take the long way around
The lyrics to Two Cow Garage's "Wait" describe being struck by love and the confusion and uncertainty that can come with it. The singer is initially knocked off their feet by the object of their affection, unable to articulate their feelings with any smooth or clever lines. As the night goes on, they are left alone with their thoughts and unable to shake their feelings for this person. But even as they struggle with their emotions, they make it clear that they are willing to do anything to be with this person, even if it means taking the long way around.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion. The lines "Your eyes they stood me up again / And your smile knocked me down" capture the overwhelming feeling of being overcome by someone's beauty or charm. The singer is so struck by this person that they are unable to hide their emotions or play it cool. Later, when they sing "You touched my hand / I closed my eyes / This is how it feels," it suggests that this might be the first time they've ever experienced such intense feelings for someone.
The chorus, where the singer repeats "Take the long way around" three times, seems to speak to the idea that love is often a journey, not a straightforward path. It might take longer or be more complicated than expected, but the singer is willing to endure it all just to be with this person. As the song ends with "You know that I'd do anything / Anything to be with you," it's clear that this love is all-consuming and impossible to ignore.
Line by Line Meaning
Well girl, you really done me in
You've completely caught me off guard, I'm out of my depth with you
It's never been like this before
I've never felt this way about anyone else
I never needed anything girl
I was content with what I had before I met you
Till you came through the door
But then you walked into my life and changed everything
Your eyes they stood me up again
Your gaze lifted me up, but I wasn't prepared for the emotional impact of your attention
And your smile knocked me down
Your smile completed the shock and made me feel dizzy with happiness
I spent the rest of the night
I couldn't stop reeling from the shock of meeting you
Picking my heart up off the ground
I had to try to recover from falling so hard for you
With nothing I could say to you
I didn't know how to express my feelings to you, they were too strong to put into words
Got no lines to bring you home
I didn't have any pre-prepared lines to seduce or allure you
But I smile as you walk away
I'm so taken aback by you that all I can do is smile awkwardly as you depart
And I spend the night alone
I am consumed by thoughts of you, alone and unable to shake them off
And then doors came swinging open
And then fate, or something like it, intervened
And the lights came shining through
And I suddenly saw a path towards seizing my chance with you
You know that I'd do anything
I want you badly enough that I would go to considerable lengths for you
Anything to be with you
I am ready to make considerable sacrifices for your love
Take the long way around
Why rush such a good thing? Let's take our time and enjoy the journey
You touched my hand
You are so physically and emotionally present when you touch me
I closed my eyes
Closing my eyes to feel the moment wholly, my heart is full of love for you
This is how it feels
I am realizing what true love and devotion feels like for the first time in my life
I've never been in love before
I've never felt this way before
Only this time is for real
This time I know that this is real love and not just infatuations
Cause if you took away those little things
I recognize that there are many small gestures that you do that I appreciate
That meant so much to you
And I know that these small things are not insignificant to you, they are the stuff that makes a loving relationship stronger
Take 'em now and leave 'em here
If I had to let go of you and these small, significant things it will hurt me deeply
Now there's nothing left to do
Now I know that I have to let go of everything including you
Take the long way around
The only thing left that I can handle is the long way to fix it
Take the long way around
I don't want to lose my time with you so let's savor every moment carefully
Take the long way around
It will be a long journey to put things right between us
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marc Maghran
this is incredible.