I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I took time out to write to my old friend
I walked across that burning bridge
Mailed my letter off to Dallas
But her reply came from Anchorage, Alaska
She said:
"Hey girl, it's about time you wrote
It's been over two years you know, my old friend
Take me back to the days of the foreign telegrams
And the all-night rock and rollin'... hey Shell
We was wild then
Hey Shell, you know it's kind of funny
Texas always seemed so big
But you know you're in the largest state in the union
When you're anchored down in Anchorage
Hey Girl, I think the last time I saw you
Was on me and Leroy's wedding day
What was the name of that love song they played?
I forgot how it goes
I don't recall how it goes
Anchorage
Anchored down in Anchorage
Leroy got a better job so we moved
Kevin lost a tooth now he's started school
I got a brand new eight month old baby girl
I sound like a housewife
Hey Shell, I think I'm a housewife
Hey Girl, what's it like to be in New York?
New York City - imagine that!
Tell me, what's it like to be a skateboard punk rocker?
Leroy says "Send a picture"
Leroy says "Hello"
Leroy says "Oh, keep on rocking, girl"
"yeah, keep on rocking"
Hey Shell, you know it's kind of funny
Texas always seemed so big
But you know you're in the largest state in the union
When you're anchored down in Anchorage
Oh, Anchorage
Anchored down in Anchorage
Oh, Anchorage
I walked across that burning bridge
Mailed my letter off to Dallas
But her reply came from Anchorage, Alaska
She said:
"Hey girl, it's about time you wrote
It's been over two years you know, my old friend
Take me back to the days of the foreign telegrams
And the all-night rock and rollin'... hey Shell
We was wild then
Hey Shell, you know it's kind of funny
Texas always seemed so big
But you know you're in the largest state in the union
When you're anchored down in Anchorage
Hey Girl, I think the last time I saw you
Was on me and Leroy's wedding day
What was the name of that love song they played?
I forgot how it goes
I don't recall how it goes
Anchorage
Anchored down in Anchorage
Leroy got a better job so we moved
Kevin lost a tooth now he's started school
I got a brand new eight month old baby girl
I sound like a housewife
Hey Shell, I think I'm a housewife
Hey Girl, what's it like to be in New York?
New York City - imagine that!
Tell me, what's it like to be a skateboard punk rocker?
Leroy says "Send a picture"
Leroy says "Hello"
Leroy says "Oh, keep on rocking, girl"
"yeah, keep on rocking"
Hey Shell, you know it's kind of funny
Texas always seemed so big
But you know you're in the largest state in the union
When you're anchored down in Anchorage
Oh, Anchorage
Anchored down in Anchorage
Oh, Anchorage
Lyrics submitted by bladet
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To ringfingers,
I'm not saying you are wrong, but I don't think that's what this song is about at all. To me, it's simply a song about someone who really misses an old friend, that's it.
To Island Myk--It's also possible that Leroy isn't overbearing at all. Perhaps he doesn't know the protagonist well enough, but still wants to say "hello". But I think you might be right about a couple of friends who "used to be wild and free" and now one of them is married with kids.
I know the feeling, in a way. I'm married and in my early 30s and play bass in a bar band with my sibling and my cousins. We used to play four or five gigs every weekend. It's getting harder and harder to do now because everyone has family and work obligations now. At most we do 2 or 3 gigs a month now.
This song rocks.
Great song, love the lyrics and the background. One question - where is the 'burning bridge'?
@glenman It's idiomatic. A burned bridge refers to a destroyed relationship. I'm guessing that in this case, so much time had passed that the relationship was in danger, but it was burning, not burned, as in, still salvageable.
@glenman it's just a good rhyme for "Anchorage", and a great image to describe a relationship that might have had a little argument or something when they broke up. Good songwriters like words or phrases that excite you and leave you open to speculation. Michelle doesn't know what it means any more than us!
This is a rocking song and I can't believe it's the only one of hers this site sports. I shall be donating some lyrics to more.
Glenman, there's no actual "burning bridge." She's singing about getting back in touch with a relationship she had been neglecting. It's the old metaphor about "burning your bridges," cutting off connections to your past. Her connection to this friend was in danger of disappearing.
@Kyomara You said it better than me...but mainly, she needed a rhyme for anchorage.
What a great song and artist one of my favourite's
I love the "what's it like to be skateboard punk rocker." Also, a brand new eight-month old baby girl. But the best part of the song to me is when she sings "Leroy says hello" and her voice goes high on the first syllable.
The meaning is pretty obvious; she mailed a letter to an old friend in Texas but found out she'd moved to Alaska.
To add to iluomo's entry...I think the song's about a couple of friends who used to be wild and free, but one of them got married, had some kids, and found herself kind of stuck in Alaska as a housewife while the other is still out there, living the musician's life.
Sounds like Leroy might be a little overbearing, since it seems like she can't even write a letter to an old friend without him butting in and adding his two cents.
So, maybe the song is about the peril of settling down at the expense of your dreams.
@IslandMyk You are projecting that on to poor Leroy. She probably said, "Hey Leroy! Guess who sent us a letter? Michelle!" And Leroy replied, "Oh, cool. Tell her that I said hello!"
I am honestly really surprised at how little understanding there is of this song - obviously she has been fawning over this old female friend of hers for some time, and there are multiple suggestions that they might have hooked up at some previous time; her ex-crush is now "anchored down in Anchorage", whereas she would prefer her to be available, now that, as the letter to her seems to suggest, she realizes her entrapment in Alaska/heterosexuality, etc.
@ringfingers your making that up. There's no hint of it in the song. It's not bad to be anchored, you know, especially when you have kids. She and Leroy seem to be doing fine. She did say, "i'll cross that burning bridge." Probably because it sounded cool and she neede a rhyme for "Anchorage"
Even though that old friend is reminiscing, fondly, about the all night rock-n-roll days... I think she's the happier of the two.
At least, that's my take on it, as a mom who sometimes remembers those days of the foreign telegrams, but who couldn't be happier that those days & the lessons that I learned then lead me to these days, now.
@pinkthing EXACTLY. They both are have what they wanted.<br />