After recording and self-releasing two EPs in 2002, Newsom was signed to the independent label Drag City. Her debut album, The Milk-Eyed Mender, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim and garnered Newsom an underground following. Read Full BioJoanna Caroline Newsom is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisco-based indie band The Pleased.
After recording and self-releasing two EPs in 2002, Newsom was signed to the independent label Drag City. Her debut album, The Milk-Eyed Mender, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim and garnered Newsom an underground following. She would receive wider exposure with the release of Ys (2006), which charted at number 134 on the Billboard 200.
She released two further albums: Have One on Me (2010) and Divers (2015), the latter of which outsold all of her previous albums. Newsom has been noted by critics for her unique musical style, sometimes characterized as psychedelic folk, and for her prominent use of harp instrumentation. She has also appeared as an actress with roles in the television series Portlandia and in the 2014 film Inherent Vice.
Sprout and the Bean
Joanna Newsom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
I woke with distaste
And I railed
And I raved
That the difference between
The sprout and the bean
It is a golden ring
It is a twisted string
And you can ask the counselor
You can ask the king
And they'll say the same thing
And it's a funny thing:
Should we go outside?
Should we go outside?
Should we break some bread?
Are y'interested?
And as I said
I slept as though dead
Dreaming seamless dreams of lead
When you go away
I am big-boned and fey
In the dust of the day
And in the dirt of the day
And the danger, danger, drawing near them was a white coat
And the danger, danger, drawing near them was a broad boat
And the water, water, running clear beneath a white throat
And the hollow chatter of the talking of the tadpoles
Who know th'outside
Should we go outside?
Should we break some bread?
Are y'interested?
In Joanna Newsom's song "Sprout and the Bean," the lyrics describe the singer's inner turmoil and indecisiveness about whether or not to go outside and engage with the world around her. The first stanza portrays the singer as having slept all day and waking up feeling dissatisfied and agitated. She is fixated on the difference between a sprout and a bean, symbolizing a golden ring and a twisted string that might evoke different things depending on who you ask. The next stanza poses the question of whether or not to leave the house, and also implies the singer feels disconnected or alienated from others who might have a stake in her decision.
The third stanza introduces a sense of danger, drawing near the singer in the form of a white coat and a broad boat. The mention of a "white throat" and "talking of tadpoles" conjures up images of a serene, natural setting disrupted by the presence of humans. The fourth and final stanza repeats the question of whether or not to go outside, with the added sense of urgency underscored by the repeated mention of danger. Throughout the song, the singer seems to grapple with the idea of taking action, oscillating between restlessness and the comfort of inertia.
Line by Line Meaning
I slept all day
I spent my entire day sleeping
I woke with distaste
I woke up feeling negatively
And I railed
I complained and expressed anger
And I raved
I spoke intensely and excitedly
That the difference between
The dissimilarity among
The sprout and the bean
The distinction between a young plant and a seed
It is a golden ring
It is a precious ring, as if worth its weight in gold
It is a twisted string
It is a tangled string, with no clear distinction
And you can ask the counselor
Even a professional can't offer a clear answer
You can ask the king
Even royalty can't offer a clear answer
And they'll say the same thing
They'll admit their confusion
And it's a funny thing:
It's ironic and amusing
Should we go outside?
Shall we venture outdoors?
Should we go outside?
Shall we venture outdoors?
Should we break some bread?
Shall we share a meal together?
Are y'interested?
Are you interested?
And as I said
As I previously mentioned
I slept as though dead
I slept so soundly that I felt like a lifeless corpse
Dreaming seamless dreams of lead
Dreaming hopeless and heavy dreams
When you go away
When you depart
I am big-boned and fey
I become plump and whimsical
In the dust of the day
In the midst of the day's chaos
And in the dirt of the day
And within the unpleasantness of the day
And the danger, danger, drawing near them was a white coat
And a threat, a danger, came in the form of a white coat
And the danger, danger, drawing near them was a broad boat
And a danger approached in the form of a large boat
And the water, water, running clear beneath a white throat
And the water flowed transparently beneath a white neck
And the hollow chatter of the talking of the tadpoles
And the meaningless chatter of young, immature speakers
Who know th'outside
Those who are aware of what the outside world is really like
Should we go outside?
Shall we venture outdoors?
Should we break some bread?
Shall we share a meal together?
Are y'interested?
Are you interested?
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joanna Newsom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
slint69
I slept all day
Awoke with distaste
And I railed
And I raved
That the difference between
The sprout and the bean
Is a golden ring
It is a twisted string
And you can ask the counselor;
You can ask the king;
And they'll say the same thing;
And it's a funny thing:
Should we go outside?
Should we go outside?
Should we break some bread?
Are y'interested?
And as I said
I slept as though dead
Dreaming seamless dreams of lead
When you go away
I am big-boned and fey
In the dust of the day
In the dirt of the day
And Danger! Danger! Drawing near them was a white coat
And Danger! Danger! drawing near them was a broad boat
And the water! water! running clear beneath a white throat
And the hollow chatter of the talking of the Tadpoles
Who know th'outside!
Should we go outside?
Should we break some bread?
Are y'interested?
daydrmnation
My dad, when i lived with him as a twenty something but didn't quite connect, used to sing along to this when I'd play it... I remember him singing along outside my closed door where he sat in his living room, as a way to try to connect with me. Makes me miss him.
Henry Smith
rest in peace
daydrmnation
thank you all for your kind words. i didn't realize this would reach so many people😊
sumac
i’m glad i’m the only one that was brought to tears by this one
oh my
sorry for ur loss xoxo
Jessica
I haven't listened to this song in years and today I just had to hear it.
Your story made me cry, of the sweet sadness that is life. Your father gave you a gift of love in a way that he knew how.
That is so beautiful!
spook dog
SharkTank you must be fun at parties. You seem like a reeeaalll catch.
Nathan Hulsey
Heard this on The Strangers movie. Haven't stopped listening to it since 2008. Always will be an unknown legend. Played it to my 2 year old with our nice headphones. Her eyes got huge and she reached out and grabbed my thumb and held on tight for the whole song. Now she keeps singing "Should we go outside?" The lyric "The difference between the sprout and the bean is a golden ring, it is a twisted string" will always make me think of me (the bean) and her ( the sprout).
Brad Miller
Beautiful story. 😭
Petra Anna Berger
Es sind Stromkabel aus denen ich Ringe drehe. WELCOME TO MY WORLD. HALO
Ann Hitchcock
That’s beautiful. I began putting headphones on my belly when I was pregnant with my first son. Today, they are 29 and 30. They are both accomplished musicians. Music and music education will do a LOT for a child in every way. Please get your baby some piano lessons! It’s expensive and time consuming, but I don’t regret sacrificing anything for what they have now. Good luck and I hope God blesses you both.