1994 finds its protagonist taking a nostalgic look into a glorified past while struggling to find a place in the tumultuous present. “It’s been so long since I felt that way. I don’t belong, somebody’s going to come take me away,” sings Ian Alexy before being blasted by Ben Peterson’s descending saxophone hook.
The lyric and the spirit of the song reflect the writer’s upbringing on the Jersey Shore, while Ian’s band The Deserters bring a funk/rock sensibility that comes from their native city of Minneapolis, where the track was recorded. The song was written just after the passing of two of Ian’s favorite artists, Tom Petty and Prince.
“I’ll always be searching because I need a little more. I want to feel the way I felt in 1994.”