Brandi Carlile (b. June 1, 1981, in Ravensdale, Washington) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Brandi Carlile (b. June 1, 1981, in Ravensdale, Washington) is an American singer-songwriter, perhaps best known for her 2007 single "The Story". Carlile's music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, and folk. She released her first album, 'Brandi Carlile', on July 12, 2005.

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".

Over You
Brandi Carlile Lyrics

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I heard the news today I guess that's what I thought you'd say
I guess you thought I'd care but guess what I don't so you can go to hell
I wore your shirt to bed again but that was way back when
And I don't want to touch you like I did as stupid as I've been

I'm overjoyed, I'm overwhelmed
Please understand
I am over you

I used to need you in my bones I used to need you in my bed
I used to need you just to breathe but I think that was in my head
I used to call you on the phone hoping you were all alone
So you might put me in your car but just look at how i've grown

I'm overjoyed, I'm overwhelmed
Please understand
I am over you

But if you bat your eyes and whisper pretty please
I might go there again cause you were always such a tease
But I don't need you and I don't want you here tonight
I just wanna know that I will wake up confident my head is screwed on tight

I'm overjoyed, I'm overwhelmed

Please understand
I am over you

Overall Meaning

The song "Over You" by Brandi Carlile speaks of being free from the clutches of an abusive and controlling relationship. The singer is finally free from her partner and, despite having once been under their spell, she now has the strength to move on. The opening verse sees the singer acknowledging that she's heard the news, that her ex is moving on, but rather than caring, she simply tells them to go to hell. In the past, she used to wear their shirt to bed, but she now sees that as an act of stupidity. From here, the song shifts as the singer begins to talk about her newfound freedom, claiming that she is "overjoyed" and "overwhelmed," making it clear she is finally over her ex.

The second verse provides insight into just how controlling her ex was. She admits to having needed them in her bones, bed, and even to breathe. She used to call them, hoping to hang out, but as the song goes on, it becomes clear she was just hoping they would take her for a ride. The chorus repeats, with Brandi Carlile singing about how happy she is to be over her ex. She's overwhelmed and overjoyed, and she wants them to understand this. The final verse sees the singer address her ex directly. They could bat their eyes and whisper pretty please, but she won't fall for it. The singer just wants to be confident that she's in control of her own life again, free from the shackles of an abusive relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I heard the news today I guess that's what I thought you'd say
I received news today that you probably think I care about, but I don't

I guess you thought I'd care but guess what I don't so you can go to hell
You assumed that I would care about what you did, but I don't, so you can leave and go to hell

I wore your shirt to bed again but that was way back when
I used to wear your shirt to bed, but that was in the past and I no longer do it anymore

And I don't want to touch you like I did as stupid as I've been
I regret having touched you in the way I did and I have no desire to do it again

I'm overjoyed, I'm overwhelmed Please understand I am over you
I am very happy and relieved to have moved on from you and I want you to understand that I am over you

I used to need you in my bones I used to need you in my bed
I used to feel a deep need for you in my life, both physically and emotionally

I used to need you just to breathe but I think that was in my head
I used to believe that I couldn't live without you, but now I realize that it was all in my head

I used to call you on the phone hoping you were all alone So you might put me in your car but just look at how i've grown
I used to call you hoping to be with you, but now I see how much I have grown and how little I need you

But if you bat your eyes and whisper pretty please I might go there again cause you were always such a tease
Although I have moved on, if you attempt to beguile me, I might give in because you were always good at teasing me

But I don't need you and I don't want you here tonight I just wanna know that I will wake up confident my head is screwed on tight
I don't need or want you here with me tonight; I just want to feel confident that I have moved on and that my head is on straight

Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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