Westbound Train released their first album, Searching for A Melody, in 2003. The band self-released their second album, Five to Two, in 2005, which featured guest appearances from Alex Desert of Hepcat and King Django. The album was re-released by Stomp Records on March 14, 2006.
Westbound Train were featured on the Hellcat Records compilation Give 'Em the Boot IV in November 2004. In January 2006, Hellcat announced that they had signed the band. A third full-length, titled Transitions, was released in September of 2006.
Westbound Train played the Summer of Ska tour in the summer of 2006, along with Suburban Legends, Big D and the Kids Table, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and Catch 22. Westbound Train also played the Fall of Ska tour in the fall of 2006, along with Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, and Suburban Legends.
Lynval Golding, the former guitarist of The Specials, is a big Westbound Train fan. Golding can often be seen at Westbound Train concerts in the Seattle, Washington area, even once playing on stage with them and calling them "the next ska sensation."
Their fourth album, "Come and Get It," was released on Hellcat Records on April 21, 2009
Official Website: www.westboundsound.com
When I Die
Westbound Train Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I start breathing, and beleiving
That I can find the strength to carry on
Oh God I'm needing, too numb for feelings
Oh please don't kick me when I'm down
Or I'll drown, in my self loathing
Oh please, forget this in the morning
And I wont be mourning when I die.
Anchors on my ankles, and I sunk
Into depression, or is this some lession?
And it's cold and grey and no white light is guiding
Searching for insight, into my own life
Oh please, don't kick me when I'm down
Or I'll drown, in my self loathing
Oh please, forget this in the morning
And I wont be mourning when I die.
And oh please, don't kick me when I'm down
Or I'll drown, in my self loathing
And please, forget this in the morning
And I wont be mourning when I...
Mouring when I, mourning when I die.
The lyrics to Westbound Train's "When I Die" explore themes of feeling lost, alone, and depressed in a seemingly endless journey away from home. The first few lines of the song express the singer's detachment from home, indicating that they are a great distance away, and emphasize the difficulty in continuing onward. The singer seems to be searching for a way to cope with their feelings of self-loathing and numbness, pleading with an unseen force not to kick them when they are down, lest they drown in despair.
As the song goes on, the singer describes themselves as feeling anchored by their depression, perhaps trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that they can't escape. They long for insight into their own life, to perhaps gain a better understanding of why they're feeling this way. The final lines of the song reiterate the singer's plea not to kick them when they're down and their hope to be free from mourning when they die.
Overall, "When I Die" conveys a sense of hopelessness and desperation, but also a longing for freedom from those feelings. It's a powerful depiction of the struggle with depression and the overwhelming nature of feeling lost and disconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
Fifteen million miles away from home
I feel incredibly distant and isolated from the place where I belong
And I start breathing, and beleiving
Despite my struggles, I'm hopeful that things will get better
That I can find the strength to carry on
I'm encouraged by the possibility that I can overcome my difficulties
Oh God I'm needing, too numb for feelings
I feel a desperate need for help, but I'm also emotionally shut down
Oh please don't kick me when I'm down
I'm already in a vulnerable state, so please don't make things worse for me
Or I'll drown, in my self loathing
I'm struggling with self-hatred and fear that I'll be overwhelmed by it
Oh please, forget this in the morning
I hope that whatever pain I'm experiencing now will be lessened or forgotten by morning
And I wont be mourning when I die.
I don't want to spend my whole life in pain, nor do I want to be remembered that way after I'm gone
Anchors on my ankles, and I sunk
I feel weighed down and unable to move forward
Into depression, or is this some lession?
I'm unsure if what I'm experiencing is just depression or if there's a bigger lesson to be learned
And it's cold and grey and no white light is guiding
I feel lost and alone, with no clear path forward
Searching for insight, into my own life
I'm trying to find meaning and purpose in my struggles
And please, forget this in the morning
Once again, I hope that my pain will be lessened or forgotten by morning
And I wont be mourning when I...
I don't want to live a life spent in mourning or regret
Mouring when I, mourning when I die.
I want to be remembered and celebrated for a life lived with purpose and passion, not one spent in sadness
Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.