Composition
The song features a memorable opening guitar riff, containing a sound very reminiscent of the alternative music scene of the time. The riff has also been said to bear a striking resemblance to a riff in Jim Croce's famous 1970s hit, "I Got a Name". Overall, the song has a notably country-western or Southern rock feel to it, reflective of the "leaving on a Southern train" lyrics.
According to Weiland, the song dealt lyrically with a number of themes, particularly "honesty, lack of honesty, my new relationship with heroin." At the time he was having relationship troubles with his girlfriend, as he was using heroin while recording Purple but told her he no longer was.
Read more about this topic: Interstate Love Song
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