Travelling Band
cary l Lyrics
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I picked up from an ad
Playing for the people who are told
What's good or bad
Playing cards and drink too hard
And smiling when I'm sad
That I could of had
Instead of choosing love
I went off with the travelling band
Nervous trips down motorways
In overloaded vans
Dressing rooms like icy tombs
And greasy frying pans,
Endless nights on endless flights
And aimless one night stands
Then I think about the life
That I could of had
Instead of choosing love
I went off with the travelling band
Scan the racks for new paperbacks
To while away the days
Check in rooms not fit for use
And wasting time away
Hotel phones and no-one home
But now all that has changed
When I think about the life
That I might have had
Had I chosen love and didn't go
With the travelling band
Now I think about the life that I finally have
When I chose love and I didn't go
With the Travelling band
The song "Travelling Band" by Cary L gives an insight into the life of a musician who had to choose between love and the life on the road. The lyrics talk about the struggles of being a musician, from wearing a public persona to playing for people who are told what's good or bad, to the mundane things that happen in a musician's life. The first verse, "Every night I wear the face I picked up from an ad, Playing for the people who are told what's good or bad," suggests that the musician is not allowed to be themselves, and they have to pretend to be someone they are not to impress their audience. The verse, "Playing cards and drink too hard, And smiling when I'm sad," signifies how the musician has to hide their emotions and pretend to be happy even when they are sad.
The second verse talks about the musician's life on the road. They travel in overloaded vans, perform in dressing rooms that are like icy tombs, and eat greasy food. The verse, "Endless nights on endless flights and aimless one night stands," suggests that the life of a musician is chaotic, and they have to constantly move from one place to another, which leaves little time for stable relationships.
However, towards the end of the song, the musician begins to think about the life they could have had if they had chosen love instead of going with the travelling band. The last verse, "When I think about the life that I might have had, Had I chosen love and didn't go With the travelling band," suggests that the musician has come to realise that they missed out on something special in their pursuit of a career in music.
Overall, the lyrics of "Travelling Band" reflect the tough and gruelling life of a musician on the road. It shows the sacrifices they make to pursue their passion and how they have to choose between love and their career.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night I wear the face
Every night, I put on a fake persona, a mask.
I picked up from an ad
I got this fake persona from an advertisement.
Playing for the people who are told
I play music for people who are told what to like and what not to like.
What's good or bad
People are conditioned to have a certain idea of what's good or bad.
Playing cards and drink too hard
I spend time playing cards and drinking excessively.
And smiling when I'm sad
Despite being sad, I put on a happy face for others.
Then I think about the life
At times, I reflect on the alternate life I could have had.
That I could of had
The life that I could have had.
Instead of choosing love
I made a different choice than choosing love.
I went off with the travelling band
I left with the travelling band.
Nervous trips down motorways
Travelling on motorways made me anxious.
In overloaded vans
The vans were overloaded with people and equipment.
Dressing rooms like icy tombs
Dressing rooms were cold and unwelcoming.
And greasy frying pans
Food was often prepared in unclean frying pans.
Endless nights on endless flights
Traveling seemed endless, with no breaks in between.
And aimless one night stands
Having one night stands with no real purpose or meaning.
Scan the racks for new paperbacks
Searching for new books to read to pass the time.
To while away the days
To pass the time during the day.
Check in rooms not fit for use
Checking into hotel rooms that are subpar or unsuitable.
And wasting time away
Wasting time, not doing anything productive.
Hotel phones and no-one home
Making phone calls from hotels and not having anyone to talk to.
But now all that has changed
Things are different now than they used to be.
When I think about the life
Now, I think about my current life.
That I might have had
The alternate life that I could have had.
Had I chosen love and didn't go
If I had chosen love and not gone with the travelling band.
With the travelling band
Having not gone with the travelling band.
Now I think about the life that I finally have
Now, I think about the life I currently have.
When I chose love and I didn't go
I chose love instead of going with the travelling band.
With the Travelling band
Not going with the travelling band.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: Cary Lord, Graham Wale, John Lord
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind