Ode to LRC

Finally found out what the song is about straight from the horse's mouth (no pun intended):

Actually, LRC stands for Little Red Caboose, which is a train car that's been turned into a getaway resort in the state of Washington. Ben stayed there and wrote the song based on the "logbook" at the LRC, which I also mistook as "lobby" when I first listened to the song...So the logbook had stories about a dog who kept showing up for food but stopped showing up in 1993, etc...I thought it was about the library as well, until Ben set me straight at a show...

CASE CLOSED

LRC is indeed "Little Red Caboose" as others have stated. It is explained by Ben here:

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/11672/Band-of-Horses-Running-Deep/2

"Bridwell has carried his simple yet deep songwriting from the debut into Cease. His songs are never crystal clear. They're shaded in reverb and left open to interpretation, capable of meaning all things to all men. Take "Ode to LRC," the second track on the album. "LRC" stands for "Little Red Caboose," a lodge of sorts that Bridwell stayed at by the beach in the middle of nowhere with no light, no cell reception and not much of anything. "I found these journal books that had documented people staying in there for maybe 20, 25 years or something like that of people coming to this caboose and going through personal hardships and why they came to the caboose. It's almost like a pilgrimage that some people took with this place. [Some] would come multiple times to just get out in nature or some of them had been going through hard times in their life, whether it was people with diseases who were dying or families breaking up and shit like that," says Bridwell. "I got a personal glimpse into what these people were going through while they stayed at this Little Red Caboose." What's so interesting is the refrain that Bridwell came up with for the song. Instead of dark sadness he sings, "The world is such a wonderful place," and the beauty is we believe him. And it's not in some hippie-dippie rainbow way. It's with the understanding that even with the pains and struggles and death we live with, they're all beautiful and it's all part of our shared experience as people right here, right now. "

Thanks for demonstrating how conspiracy theories are made, Nates. ;)

Wow, I'm no genius by any means but I'm the only person who figured this out.. and had it confirmed by being at their show in Tampa. He says "IF the world is such a wonderful place".... I picked it up every so faintly like the 3rd or 4th time I listened to the song, and realized that wow, if he's saying "IF" the world is such a wonderful place it COMPLETELY changes the outlook of the song. It's funny I've seen several reviewers talk about the optimistic viewpoint when unless I'm wrong it's just the opposite. At the concert I obviously was training my ear to catch the "if" and he practically yelled it!! Then at the end when he says "la de da" he drops an "f---ing" in front of it! quite a different story

Hate to do this, but there is a big little word missing from most people's understanding of this song. I didn't like it when I fond it, but it's there (at least on this version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixEwOWY3lDA) ...

IF the world is such a wonderful place..... how can nobody look me in the eye etc.

Isn't it :

The town is so small how could anybody not look me in the eyes and wave as I drive by

Great song!

this is such a great song, it makes me love small town life. and just being alive, really.

and henneby, i think you're right about the wave as you/i drive by part.

I really love this song, my favorite from the new cd

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Loveeeeeeeeeeee

the world is such a wonderful place

i love this song. it is one of the best off band of horses. i think they make the world a much more wonderful place. i have to see them live. like NOW!