In the beginning, Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of songs she'd been recording periodically at home. Released in 2005, Brandi Carlile showcased those early songs along with several newly recorded tracks. Shortly after the release of Brandi Carlile, she left her home in Seattle and set out with the Hanseroth brothers, with whom she'd worked on her earliest recordings and independent regional tours. The tightly knit trio, which forms the core of her band today, spent the better part of two years on the road honing the songs that would later become part of her album "The Story".
In 2005, she was featured on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch in 2005" list. By the end of 2006, Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported a variety of artists including Ray LaMontagne, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.
Her second album, The Story, was released in April 2007. It was produced by T Bone Burnett and includes a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on "Cannonball." The album was recorded in an eleven-day-long session with Carlile , the twins (Tim and Phil Hanseroth) and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the raw intensity of Carlile's live performances. The crack in Carlile's vocals during the title track, "The Story", came out by accident and was a direct result of the way the album was recorded. Carlile herself describes the vocals as "technically wrong but emotionally right."
Carlile was exposed to a wider audience when ABC's Grey's Anatomy showcased three of her songs: "Tragedy," "What Can I Say," and "Throw It All Away". In April 2007, Grey's Anatomy debuted a version of the video for the single The Story interspersed with footage from the show. On May 3, 2007, a special two-hour episode of "Grey's Anatomy" featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice".
Dying Day
Brandi Carlile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a tin can for the road
With a suitcase and some songs
Chasing miles through the night time
Making tracks with no time for looking back
To the place where I belong
How these days grow long
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
When you're sad, you know I wish I could be there
To make your sorrows disappear
And set your troubles free
It's not fair for me to be this far from you
But I promise to stay true
Wherever I might be
Time keeps burning, the whels keep on turning
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long
Now I'm lost in a sea of sunken dreams
While the sound of drunken screams echoes in the night
But I know all of this will come to pass
And I'll be with you at last forever by your side
How these days grow long
But I'm on my way back home
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
Time keeps burning, the wheels keep on turning
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long
The lyrics to Brandi Carlile's song, Dying Day, express a deep yearning for home and for the presence of a loved one. The singer reflects on her journey away from home, with nothing but a few belongings and her music to keep her going. The imagery of a "tin can for the road" conveys the sense of impermanence and transience that characterizes the life of a musician on the road. The repetition of the phrase "How these days grow long" emphasizes the passage of time and the emotional toll that being away from loved ones can take.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses a deep longing for the person she loves, who is separated from her by distance. She speaks of missing the person and wanting to kiss them, promising to love them until her dying day. The use of the present tense in the phrase "I'm gonna love you" conveys a sense of immediacy and urgency, as though the singer sees herself as on a mission to return to her beloved as soon as possible.
The final verse of the song takes a dark turn, describing the singer as lost in a "sea of sunken dreams" and surrounded by the sound of "drunken screams". Despite this, however, she remains steadfast in her commitment to returning to her loved one and staying true to them, no matter what circumstances may arise. The song ends on a note of hope and determination, with the singer looking forward to the day when she can finally be reunited with her beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
I left home a long long time ago
I departed from my home many years ago
In a tin can for the road
In a small vehicle suitable for a journey
With a suitcase and some songs
Carrying a suitcase containing my belongings and songs
Chasing miles through the night time
Continually traveling long distances during the night
Making tracks with no time for looking back
Moving ahead without considering the past
To the place where I belong
Heading towards my true home
How these days grow long
Long periods of time have passed
But I'm on my way back home
Returning to the place I consider home
It's been hard to be away
Being away from home has been tough
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
I yearn for your presence and affection
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
I will love you for the remainder of my life
When you're sad, you know I wish I could be there
If you are sad, I desire to be near you
To make your sorrows disappear
To alleviate your distress
And set your troubles free
To liberate you from your difficulties
It's not fair for me to be this far from you
I feel it is unjust for us to be separated by great distances
But I promise to stay true
I assure you of my loyalty
Wherever I might be
Regardless of my location
Time keeps burning, the wheels keep on turning
Time relentlessly passes and life continues
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
Occasionally, I sense that my time is being squandered
Now I'm lost in a sea of sunken dreams
I am currently adrift in an ocean of unrealized aspirations
While the sound of drunken screams echoes in the night
Meanwhile, the noise of inebriated voices reverberates in the darkness
But I know all of this will come to pass
I trust that all of this will eventually end
And I'll be with you at last forever by your side
Finally, I will be perpetually with you, always next to you
Time keeps burning, the wheels keep on turning
Repeating the idea that time is always moving
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
Reiterating the feeling that time is being squandered
How these days grow long
The duration of a span of time increases
Time keeps burning on
The unstoppable passage of time continues
How these days grow long
Repeating the idea that time is dragging on
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRANDI M. CARLILE, PHILLIP JOHN HANSEROTH, TIMOTHY JAY HANSEROTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
marinapia
Lyrics
I left home a long long time ago
In a tin can for the road
With a suitcase and some songs
Chasing miles through the night time
Making tracks with no time for looking back
To the place where I belong
How these days grow long
But I'm on my way back home
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
When you're sad, you know I wish I could be there
To make your sorrows disappear
And set your troubles free
It's not fair for me to be this far from you
But I promise to stay true
Wherever I might be
Time keeps burning, the whels keep on turning
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long
Now I'm lost in a sea of sunken dreams
While the sound of drunken screams echoes in the night
But I know all of this will come to pass
And I'll be with you at last forever by your side
How these days grow long
But I'm on my way back home
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
Time keeps burning, the wheels keep on turning
Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my days
How I miss you and I just want to kiss you
And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long
cara æchœ
This song has gotten me through ten years of severe grief from loosing the love of my life. She was my best friend, she was beautiful and perfect and I will miss her til my dying day! Idk if you read these Brandi Carlile, but if you do thank you so much for this song . I’m a light worker and I help a lot of people. So this song getting me through the rough times since she died ten years ago has in turn helped thousands of people. The butterfly effect at its finest . I have so much love for you and your music ❤
Erin Sullivan
Her voice is ridiculously amazing.
Becky Wilson
I think I've seen her in concert four times, I've lost track. I've never seen any other artist more than once. If you like her albums, you will love her concerts. I've taken a different person with me on my dime every time I've gone, none of whom knew her music prior. Her stuff is just that good, I want to share it with everyone I care about. She is so warm and welcoming, seems happy to be there, willing to play all the songs everyone came to hear, plays with covers of songs you know but not too many. And when she, the twins, and drummer sing a cappella, well, just get yourself there to hear it. I've seen her at different venues but she had fun playing with the acoustics at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI. I only regret letting the girl next to me snag the guitar pick she threw that landed at my feet. :)
Kyra Fedetz
I too have seen Brandi at least 3 times the first was when she was an opening act for Indigo Girls and have loved her voice ever since.
gensai93
This must be one of her favorites. When I saw her perform this live a few months ago, they also played it without microphones. I was sitting far back and I heard her voice clearly, and she sounded great. It was amazing.
Anonymous Anonymous
One of the most amazing voices ever! Enchanting, beautiful, and just awesome!
Coolroonies
Love, love, love her voice & this song!
Friar Jeff
Have to keep remembering that Brandi is a band. Twins are so much a part of the music, but damn it's hard to take my eyes off her. So much power.
Kyra Fedetz
Love her voice first saw her as an opening act for Indigo Girls. Loved her voice ever since
Ezequiel Cícero da Silva Ezequiel
Estou aqui no Brasil, e hoje estava escutando a rádio country 108 e conheci essa bela música. perfeito os arranjos e a sonoridade além da bela voz.