Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American si… Read Full Bio ↴Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. His music is often (perhaps inappropriately) placed under the genre of "alt-country". Oldham has recorded under many names, including Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and Bonnie Billy. He often plays and records with other musicians, including David Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon, The Boxhead Ensemble, Tortoise, and The Sundowners as well as releasing his first solo album in 1993. Oldham has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references. These include 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie, an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer Nat King Cole. He has also appeared in several films, such as the 1987 film Matewan and most recently in Old Joy (released in late 2006). He is also the photographer of the cover image of the slint album Spiderland.

You Remind Me of Something
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

you remind me of something
a song that I am and you
sing me back into myself
when I wake, when I'm sleeping
the song is a man and a woman
and everything else

and my mother is a good one
as they go
she does not condone the actions
that I do that she don't know
she swears nightly before resting
that I give her soul a testing
when I sing this song
that does not end

you remind me of something
a song that I am and you
sing me back into myself
when I wake, when I'm sleeping
the song is a man and a woman
and everything else

it's been years since I found it
I still go where it pounded
my ears pressed to the chest
of that one womans of song
she adores me, she ignores me
and I revel on
in wonder at something
so sweet and so long

I like the places where the night
does not mean an end
where smiles break free
and surpirse is your friend
and dancging goes on in the kitchen
until dawn
to my favorite song
that has no end

you remind me of something
a song that I am and you
and you sing me back into myself
when I wake, when I'm sleeping

the song is a man and a woman
and everything else

Overall Meaning

The song "You Remind Me Of Something" by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is a complex and layered exploration of the power and beauty of music. The first few lines describe the kind of people who truly deserve glory - those who do not seek it, but who revel in their own identities, even if those identities are considered "wicked" or unconventional. The imagery of picking scabs and rolling "holy deeply in" shows a deep appreciation for the raw, real aspects of life, rather than the superficial trappings of fame or fortune. The fact that the rhythm of this "song that does not end" is what draws these people together is significant - it suggests that music is a force that can unite people regardless of their differences.

The main refrain of the song - "you remind me of something / a song that I am and you / sing me back into myself" - reinforces this idea of music as a way of reconnecting with our true selves. The singer is saying that whoever the "you" in the song refers to is like a song that he is, and that this person helps to remind him of his own identity. The line "the song is a man and a woman / and everything else" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that music transcends gender and encompasses all aspects of human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Well the glory goes to those who do not seek it reveling in midnight clothes among the wicked picking scabs from off their skin and rolling holy deeply in to the rhythm called the song that does not end
The ones who feel no need for attention, embracing their true selves by their own standards, even if it means unsettling others with a different perspective. They are doing so to the beat of a never-ending rhythm.

you remind me of something a song that I am and you sing me back into myself when I wake, when I'm sleeping the song is a man and a woman and everything else
You bring back my own song to me, reconnecting me with who I am on a deeper level, even in my dreams. This song embodies both the masculine and feminine aspects of life, as well as everything in-between.

and my mother is a good one as they go she does not condone the actions that I do that she don't know she swears nightly before resting that I give her soul a testing when I sing this song that does not end
Although my mother is a good one, she would not approve of some of my actions. Despite that, every time I sing this never-ending song, she feels challenged and tested at a spiritual level.

it's been years since I found it I still go where it pounded my ears pressed to the chest of that one womans of song she adores me, she ignores me and I revel on in wonder at something so sweet and so long
Although it's been years since I first discovered this song, I still feel its powerful beat. I relish every moment as I press my ear against the chest of the woman who made it. She both adores and ignores me, and I am awestruck by the sweet longevity of this never-ending tune.

I like the places where the night does not mean an end where smiles break free and surpirse is your friend and dancging goes on in the kitchen until dawn to my favorite song that has no end
I prefer places where the night is not the limit, where spontaneous joy outweighs precaution. In these spaces, kitchen dancing lasts until the sun rises, and my favorite never-ending song rings out.

you remind me of something a song that I am and you and you sing me back into myself when I wake, when I'm sleeping the song is a man and a woman and everything else
You bring back my own song to me, reconnecting me with who I am on a deeper level, even in my dreams. This song embodies both the masculine and feminine aspects of life, as well as everything in-between.

Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS