Pat Monahan Reflects on the Magic of ‘Drops of Jupiter’ 25 Years Later

Twenty five years after its release, Drops of Jupiter is still as powerful as ever. Fans got a closer look at why during a recent chat with PEOPLE when Train frontman Pat Monahan opened up about the song’s lasting impact and his bond to its inspiration — his late mother.

Monahan spoke with PEOPLE at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Friday, Sept. 19, where Train performed for the very first time. Even though decades have passed since the track was born, Monahan explained he still feels deeply connected to the heart of the song.

While "Drops of Jupiter" officially came out on January 29, 2001, its beginnings trace back to a difficult time. In December 1998, Monahan’s mother, Patricia Ann Monahan, died from lung cancer while Train was on tour. Within a year, the band faced pressure from their record label to deliver a new project.

“We didn’t have a single at the time, and that’s what the pressure was about. We had an album that Columbia Records liked, but they were like, ‘We don’t have a song to start with.’ And so it was months of me just grinding away,” Monahan recalled.

Then inspiration arrived in a way that felt bigger than himself. “It felt like my mom wrote that song with me,” he shared. “And we were kind of talking back and forth about [it]. She was basically telling me, ‘It’s okay, I’m gone, but I can swim through the planets and come back with drops of Jupiter in my hair. There are things out here that I can do that I couldn’t do before.’ ”

He added, “I guess the one line that means the most to me is I was singing to her, ‘Are you lonely looking for yourself out there?’ But I think after time, I realized maybe it was her singing that to me.”

Train first formed over thirty years ago, and the group has continued to release music that sticks with fans. Their catalog includes "Meet Virginia," "Hey Soul Sister," "Marry Me," "Drive By," and of course, "Drops of Jupiter." This summer, the band wrapped its 2025 tour and is finally taking a breather after months of traveling.

Before their break, though, Train squeezed in one more performance — and it was history-making.

On the Opry’s 100th anniversary, Train took the stage for the first time in the legendary venue’s history. Monahan told Forbes backstage, “It’s the Opry’s 100th anniversary. And I think they’ve opened it up to some artists who may not fit the genre of country. But they know our music well enough to know that on every album there is something reflective to what Nashville, Texas, and all of these southern states do, and how much I admire southern rock and country artists.”

Nashville is not unfamiliar to Monahan. He has written songs with Vince Gill and befriended many artists who call the Opry home. He explained just how important the moment was not only to him, but to people around the country who recognized the milestone.

“I write songs with Vince Gill, he’s a friend. And many of the people who are members here and have performed countless times are friends of mine. But it’s such a universally important place that friends from San Francisco, New York, and Seattle have also been congratulating me because they know we’re performing here for the first time.”

For Monahan, "Drops of Jupiter" is more than a hit. It is a way to keep talking with his mother and a reminder that music can hold memories as vividly as any photograph.

Even after 25 years, the song still orbits around the same truth: some connections never fade.