Break Mirrors is Mills’ debut solo album and the latest step in a remarkable musical career that has seen everyone from Kid Rock to Cass McCombs solicit his services as a guitarist. Mills’ trip began with Simon Dawes, the young L.A. rock outfit he formed with his childhood pal Taylor Goldsmith. They made an album, Carnivore, and eventually shared stages with some of the biggest bands in America, cranking out a fresh yet classic sound the Los Angeles Times called “exhilarating.”
After his collaboration with Goldsmith ran its course, Mills moved into the next phase of his career, as sideman to the stars. He moved quickly, too: In only a few short years Mills has become one of the most in-demand session guitarists in all of Los Angeles, touring with Cass McCombs, Jenny Lewis, Band of Horses and Julian Casablancas and recording with Weezer, Kid Rock, Jakob Dylan , Andrew Bird, and Jesca Hoop, among others.
“When it comes to playing guitar for other people,” he says, “...a lot of my dreams have already come true.”
Now Mills is taking center stage with a set of tunes that reflect that extraordinary wealth of experience. Recorded in casual bursts between other gigs over the course of much of 2009, Break Mirrors strikes a perfect balance between talent and tastefulness: You won’t miss Mills’ impressive playing—check out the fuzzy slide guitar solo on “Hiroshima,” for starters—but what sticks with you is his songwriting, which hits a bittersweet coming-of-age note.
In “It’ll All Work Out” he analyzes his parents’ marriage and comes to some surprising conclusions, and “History of My Life” ponders the best way to celebrate one’s privileges. (“It’s about a humility that comes with the transition into adulthood,” Mills says with typical thoughtfulness.) Elsewhere, “Cheers” documents a painful breakup, while “Hey Lover” celebrates the healthy relationship Mills is in right now.
“I wrote that song while I was on a tour and showed it to her when I got back home,” he says. “And then we actually ended up singing it together on this record.” With a laugh Mills describes the track as “my first song of having someone after one too many songs of longing.”
“Hey Lover” may only be rivaled by the album's artwork, for which Mills sought the help of acclaimed artist Sage Vaughn; together, the two collaborated in creating a collage that represents each song.
The music on Break Mirrors comes out of a long tradition of mellow Southern California rock. Yet, perhaps thanks to Mills’ work for other artists, the songs also reveal traces of something entirely different.
There’s also a sly sense of humor in much of the material that Mills credits to his time with Ben Bridwell and Ryan Monroe (Band of Horses). “There's a humor in some people's music that is not kitschy,” he explains. “And in some of those cases it ends up uncovering a certain kind of despair.”
The result is a record that feels as expansive as it does intimate, as forward-looking as it is nostalgic. Blake Mills is much more than the session guy, the band member, or the solo artist. Break Mirrors is the proof.
History of My Life
Blake Mills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swimming garbage and sifting over disappointing gifts Friends
Oh, good, Couldn't i just change
The history of my life sometimes?
The history of my life sometimes?
I'm growing' my hair out
Gonna try, really hard
To keep from speaking very loud
Oh good, Couldn't i just change
The history of my life sometimes?
The history of my life sometimes?
Some feel the rains never fell
The sky owes the ground a wishing well
I'm living in a dry spell, throwing ashes into flames
Oh good, Couldn't i just change
The history of my life sometimes?
The history of my life sometimes?
I've been smiling so hard that i couldn't hardly see
My parents weren't in love, they were still taking care of me
I've taken much more some people ever see in their lifetime
And maybe i know something that's turning the sea around
In the sun that's sproutin' seeds from undergroung and someone is coming
To rely on me somehow
Oh, good, couldn't I just change
The history of my life, somehow?
The history of my life, somehow?
The history of my life, somehow?
Blake Mills's "History of My Life" is a poignant and introspective song about the desire for change and the acceptance of life's disappointments. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of a coastal scene - hot pink catamarans and the call of pelicans begging for food. The description of "swimming garbage" hints at the theme of disappointment and disillusionment that runs throughout the song. The next lines introduce the idea of friendship, but the use of the phrase "disappointing gifts" suggests that these relationships are not all they were expected to be.
The chorus of the song is where the true meaning and emotion of the lyrics shine through. Mills sings of his desire to change the history of his life, recognizing that the disappointments and struggles he has faced have shaped him into the person he is today. He acknowledges that some things are out of his control, such as the weather ("Some feel the rains never fell") and the actions of others ("The sky owes the ground a wishing well"). However, he also expresses his determination to keep trying, even in the face of adversity ("I'm living in a dry spell, throwing ashes into flames").
The final section of the song is perhaps the most personal, as Mills speaks directly about his own life. He talks about smiling so hard that he couldn't see, perhaps suggesting that he has been trying to hide his true feelings or put on a brave face. He also reveals that his parents were not in love, but they were still dedicated to caring for him. These lines are raw and honest, showing that even though Mills may want to change the history of his life, he recognizes that every experience has led him to this moment.
Overall, "History of My Life" is a powerful and reflective song about the human desire for change and the acceptance of life's disappointments. Through vivid imagery and honest lyrics, Mills captures the complexities of the human experience and the emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot pink catamarans, the food begging call of the pelicans
Describes the surreal, contrasting elements of coastal life - from playful catamarans to the stark behavior of pelicans begging for food.
Swimming garbage and sifting over disappointing gifts Friends
Depicts the unpleasant realities of life, with garbage adrift in the water and disappointments that can come from even close relationships.
Oh good, Couldn't i just change
The history of my life sometimes?
The history of my life sometimes?
Reflects the desire to rewrite life's past events and decisions, and the realization that this is not easy or always possible.
I'm growing' my hair out
On my head, and on my face right now
Gonna try, really hard
To keep from speaking very loud
Conveys the simple act of growing hair and attempting to be more reserved in behavior, perhaps as a means of achieving inner peace or self-improvement.
Some feel the rains never fell
The sky owes the ground a wishing well
I'm living in a dry spell, throwing ashes into flames
Compares the idea of longing for rain as a metaphor for wishing for good luck, while the artist feels they are in a 'dry spell' and burning the past (throwing ashes into flames) without hope of success.
I've been smiling so hard that i couldn't hardly see
My parents weren't in love, they were still taking care of me
I've taken much more some people ever see in their lifetime
And maybe i know something that's turning the sea around
In the sun that's sproutin' seeds from underground and someone is coming
To rely on me somehow
Shares the perspective of a life where the singer has faced challenges and yet is hopeful for something in the future (someone coming to rely on them), perhaps from a realization about the natural world and life cycles.
Oh, good, couldn't I just change
The history of my life, somehow?
The history of my life, somehow?
The history of my life, somehow?
Repeats the chorus, emphasizing the desire to change the past and finding a way to do so.
Contributed by Jacob K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.