Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Rosetta, Luana, and Brianna. Her mother left the family when Vonda was ten, and her father raised the four girls by himself.
After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled 'Can't We Try'. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, Don't Cry Ilene, a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-RnB flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.
After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.
Shepard is married to music producer Mitchell Froom and they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006.
Long Term Boyfriend
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
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I'm gonna lose my mind if I can't have you
The brake lights are on and nobody's home
I can hear you talking on the telephone
And my baby has the blues again
Somehow they just seem to hit him
And I'm breaking up again with another long term boyfriend
And I believe you're already gone
You're already gone
If you can't find love, you've gotta find a method
Of learning to live in the world today
I don't know what it was that I expected
I guess I'm a fool to want perfection
And I'm breaking up again with another long term boyfriend
I believe that you're leaving
And I believe you're already gone
I better believe what I'm seeing
'Cause I believe that it's so long
It's so long (as in "see ya")
I try so hard I don't know what to do
It's obvious I won't end up with you
The brake lights are on and it's so clear
You can't pretend you want to be here
This train of thought has arrived at the station
We don't need anymore contemplation
And I'm breaking up again with another long term boyfriend
The lyrics of Vonda Shepard's song “Long Term Boyfriend” describe the feelings of a woman who is breaking up with her boyfriend once again. The song begins with the woman expressing her frustration and desperation to be with her boyfriend. She tries so hard but she does not know what to do. She feels like she is losing her mind if she can’t have him. The boyfriend seems to be distant as the brake lights are on and nobody is home. She hears him talking on the phone and realizes that he is still dealing with the blues. She attributes to the fact that he’s unable to cope with his emotions. She then admits that she’s breaking up with another long term boyfriend.
As the song progresses, she is resigned to the fact that her boyfriend is leaving her. She believes that he’s already gone and she has to find a way to live with it. She acknowledges that finding love is difficult in today’s world but she’s naïve enough to want perfection. She then sings the chorus “I believe you’re leaving and I believe you’re already gone”. Finally, the woman accepts the fact that her relationship has reached its end. She realizes that there is no point in trying so hard as it’s obvious she won’t end up with him. She then decides to cut him loose and let him go.
In summary, Vonda Shepard’s “Long Term Boyfriend” expresses the emotions of a woman who’s trying to hold on to a fading relationship. She tries hard to keep their love alive but realizes that the relationship has run its course. The song is a relatable representation of the emotions felt during a break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
I try so hard I don't know what to do
I'm exerting so much effort to try to make this relationship work, but I'm still at a loss on what to do.
I'm gonna lose my mind if I can't have you
I feel like I'm going crazy thinking about not being with you.
The brake lights are on and nobody's home
You're physically there, but emotionally, you're not here with me.
I can hear you talking on the telephone
I can hear you talking to someone else, and it's making me feel even more alone.
And my baby has the blues again
My partner is feeling down and sad again, and I don't know how to make them feel better.
Somehow they just seem to hit him
Things that shouldn't affect him too much are causing him to feel even worse.
And I'm breaking up again with another long term boyfriend
This isn't the first time this has happened - I keep ending up single after being in a long-term relationship.
If you can't find love, you've gotta find a method
If you can't find romantic love, you need to find a way to cope with being by yourself.
Of learning to live in the world today
It's hard to navigate modern society when you don't have a partner.
I don't know what it was that I expected
I had high hopes for this relationship, but now I feel disillusioned about it.
I guess I'm a fool to want perfection
I realize now that wanting a perfect relationship is unrealistic, and maybe even foolish.
It's obvious I won't end up with you
I can see now that we're not meant to be together, no matter how hard I try.
You can't pretend you want to be here
I can tell that you're not really invested in our relationship anymore.
This train of thought has arrived at the station
I've come to a conclusion about us - it's time for me to move on.
We don't need anymore contemplation
There's no need to think about this further - we both know what needs to happen.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL LANDAU, VONDA SHEPARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind