Stuck Between Stations

Album: Boys and Girls in America (2006)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • During the writing and recording of Boys and Girls in America, Hold Steady songwriter Craig Finn told Rolling Stone magazine that he had been "thinking a lot about depression, and the relationship between depression and creativity. Certainly there's been any number of artists that have done both."
    This song came from Finn's awareness of getting out of a darker place and starting to take better care of himself. He explained: "There was this transition period, where I wondered, 'Wait a minute! This is going to be awful if I get in shape and lose my creativity."
  • This was ranked #11 on Pitchfork's list of the top 100 songs of 2006.
  • Boys and Girls in America took its title from part of a line from Jack Kerouac's 1957 beat generation novel On The Road. Finn explained to Billboard magazine: "The line goes, 'Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.' Basically, the songs are about guys and girls, and love. It's not a concept-type record like the last one - it's more of a theme record."
  • The album title is sung during the opening lines of this song:

    "There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right.
    Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together."

    Sal Paradise is the narrator in Kerouac's On the Road novel.
  • The Boys and Girls in America album was written by Craig Finn when he was getting a divorce. He told Spin magazine: "There's huge amounts of failure that I felt at that time."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)Songwriter Interviews

The co-writer/guitarist on many Alice Cooper hits, Dick was also Lou Reed's axeman on the Rock n' Roll Animal album.

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.