Bruises

Album: California 37 (2012)
Charted: 79
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song tells of an encounter between two high school classmates a decade later. The two friends bring each other up to date and share with each other the hard life lessons they've learnt along the way.
  • Pat Monahan trades vocals with the country singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe on this song. The songstress takes the part as a single mom whilst Train's frontman sings of maybe wanting to be more than friends with her after their chance encounter. Monroe is best known for being a member of the all-female trio Pistol Annies as well as co-penning several of Miranda Lambert's cuts.
  • The song is Pat Monahan's second hookup with a Nashville female vocalist following their collaboration on Martina McBride's version of "Marry Me."
  • The song was re-recorded with French-Canadian singer Marilou in both English and French for its Canadian single release.
  • Monahan explained to Radio.com how he teamed up with Ashley Monroe. "Ashley's been a friend of mine for a long time," he explained. "I met her when she was 19. The guy that used to run Columbia Records introduced her to me because she wanted to write with me. When I met her I realized that I was the lucky one to be in the room with her. She's a great writer."
  • Monahan told Radio.com the story behind the song. "I wrote the song in New York," he said. "It was just real easy. I run into people I went to high school with and realize how much older we are, and how much more we've been through and a lot of it isn't all that fun and it makes us more beautiful if you can see it that way. That song was really easy to write because it is a very true story and Ashley was the perfect girl to sing on it."

Comments: 1

  • Mia from Texas during the song I felt like " WOW I LOVE SUMMER AND Its great to be alive" so I LOVE this SONG!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.