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".
That Year
Brandi Carlile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I must have been drinking
I haven't been dreaming about you for years
There was a sharp turn and a sunburn
I was too cool for high school that year
That year
It must have have been new years
You took things too far
But I missed you and your antics
You were lonesome and blue eyed
And so special to us
You should have taken a long break
Instead of a long drop from a high place
Ten years I never spoke your name
Now it feels good to say it
Your my friend again
Said, he forgave you, I said, I hated you
He was the bigger man, I was sixteen
All the innocence it took for
You to finally made the year book that year
That year
You could have taken some time away
Instead of a long drop, instead of a leap of faith
Ten years I never spoke your name
Now it feels good to say that
Your my friend again
Your my friend again
I was angry, I was a Baptist
I was a daughter, I was wrong
The lyrics to Brandi Carlile's "That Year" encompass a range of emotions, memories and reflections on a past friendship. The opening lines suggest a disconnection from a past love interest, that no longer occupies her thoughts. The lyrics "I must have been sleeping, I must have been drinking, I haven't been dreaming about you for years" indicate how she has disconnected herself from this past lover. The lyrics then explore a past friendship that now feels like it was a missed opportunity. She looks back to when she was "too cool for high school", and remembers a time when she didn't include a friend in New Year's festivities. She acknowledges how she took things too far, however, missed the friend and their unique qualities. Carlile phrases the line "you were lonesome and blue-eyed and so special to us" in a nostalgic tone, conveying the significance of the friend to her.
However, the song's tone changes drastically with the line "You could have taken a long break instead of a long drop from a high place." Here, Carlile reveals that this friend had committed suicide, therefore, indicating a great sadness that still lingers within her. She implies her regret in not having kept in touch with them, stating "Ten years I never spoke your name. Now it feels good to say it. You're my friend again." She has come to terms with the guilt she feels and wishes she had reached out when she had the chance.
Throughout the song, Brandi Carlile's lyrics explore the theme of self-reflection; She uses the structure of the song to chart the course of her relationship from its early joyous moments to its tragic end. The lyrics are poignant and insightful, and she explores complex emotions and feelings. She wrestles with her guilt and regret but finds comfort in reconnecting with the past and reconciling with what she could not control. Ultimately, "That Year" is a heartfelt and emotional piece that explores some of the more challenging aspects of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I must have been sleeping, I must have been drinking,
I don't remember much about that time, but I know I wasn't fully aware of what was happening.
I haven't been dreaming about you for years. there was a sharp
Turn and a sunburn I was too cool for high school that year.
It's been a long time since I've thought about you. I recall a particular moment that summer when I was too self-involved to pay attention to anything else.
Must have have been new years. no one invited you,
Took things too far but I missed you and your antics.
You were lonesome and blue-eyed and so special to us.
I think it was New Year's Eve when we had that huge fight. I went too far in my reaction, but looking back now, I realize how much I missed you and how much you meant to our friend group.
You could have taken a long break
Instead of a long drop from a high place.
Ten years I never spoke your name.
Now it feels good to say it. your my friend again.
You didn't have to disappear completely. The last time we spoke, you were in a bad place emotionally and later, we found out what happened to you. For a long time, I couldn't bring myself to say your name, but now that we've reconnected, it feels like old times again.
Said he forgave you, I said I hated you,
He was the bigger man, I was sixteen.
All the innocence it took well I guess
You finally made the year book.
That year.
That year.
When you came back into our lives, I held onto my anger towards you while our other friend forgave you. Looking back, I realize that I was just a naive teenager who didn't understand the complexities of life. Regardless, you made quite an impression on us that year.
You should have taken a long break instead of a long drop,
Instead of a leap of faith, ten years I never spoke your name.
Now it feels good to say that your my friend again.
Your my friend again.
I wish you had just taken some time away to heal instead of doing what you did. But after years of silence, it's nice to be able to call you my friend once more.
I was angry, I was a baptist, I was a daughter, I was wrong.
At the time, I was blinded by my own emotions and beliefs, but now I can see that I made mistakes too.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brandi M. Carlile, Phillip John Hanseroth, Timothy Jay Hanseroth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dickmcdickerson3059
Man, after knowing what it was about, couldn't help but cry while listening to it. So sad. Thanks for explaining it, I didn't listen carefully the first time, but it all made sense the second time. :(
It's also sad to see the comments from some that are supposed to be Christians. A follower of Jesus should know that we are to love one another just as He loved all of us.
John 4:20-21 "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."
Some people enjoy spouting off about immorality and sinners. EVERYONE sins!!!! No one is above it. We are not saved by our actions, but by one act alone, Jesus dying on the cross.
In my opinion, the most important lesson to take away from the Bible is that we need to love each other, everyone. Love everyone! Simple as that.
You can't love others when you spout hatred, point fingers, judge others and call names.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
And to be perfectly honest, I'm not gay and I find the sexual act to be gross, and I don't mean that in a hurtful way, it's kind of like how I think Chocolate is disgusting. Maybe homosexuals find a man and woman engaging in sexual relations to be disgusting, the point is it's not our place to judge. We should love each other regardless of any of that. Even different religions. If someone else wants to believe something completely different than me, that is fine, love them anyway. Because if you truly believe in Jesus, He loves them, so you're supposed to love them too.
So sorry to write so much, but it saddens me to see hate passed off as religion.
Like Kenny Chesney's song says..."Spread the Love"
@jbg0216
"10 years I never spoke your name, now it feels good to say that, your my friend again, your my friend again." That line speaks to me more than anyone could know.
@MISNM0
🫂🤍🕊
@torien10
She's one of the rare singers who are even better live than they are on record. I just saw this live at the Borders music site, and her performance was stunning. I am madly in love, and this song touches me deeply.
@annieg82191
One of her close friends committed suicide when he was sixteen and it took her ten years to wake up from the shock of. So, when she woke up she wrote this song as an apology for hating him for so long. She is an amazing and compassionate individual.
@MoonChild-jq2dm
"I was wrong" kills! Her admission is real and raw. This woman is a beautiful, talented songwriter. I love her.
@theebigguy
A few years back I heard "The Story" and I fell in love with this voice... So I was lucky to go to see Brandi perform.. I was sitting with a female friend (I'm Male) and after about 30 minutes I said to her.."You know this audience is mostly female, I don't get it"...My friend laughed and said she's gay...It meant nothing then and means nothing now...Brandi Carlile is a beautiful singer and a great song writer...And this song "That Year" is gorgeous....
@tallonrk1
For those that don't understand the lyrics, she's singing about a friend who committed suicide when she was sixteen, and this song is an apology for being angry at them for committing suicide. That should help with understanding the song :)
@dickmcdickerson3059
Man, after knowing what it was about, couldn't help but cry while listening to it. So sad. Thanks for explaining it, I didn't listen carefully the first time, but it all made sense the second time. :(
It's also sad to see the comments from some that are supposed to be Christians. A follower of Jesus should know that we are to love one another just as He loved all of us.
John 4:20-21 "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."
Some people enjoy spouting off about immorality and sinners. EVERYONE sins!!!! No one is above it. We are not saved by our actions, but by one act alone, Jesus dying on the cross.
In my opinion, the most important lesson to take away from the Bible is that we need to love each other, everyone. Love everyone! Simple as that.
You can't love others when you spout hatred, point fingers, judge others and call names.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
And to be perfectly honest, I'm not gay and I find the sexual act to be gross, and I don't mean that in a hurtful way, it's kind of like how I think Chocolate is disgusting. Maybe homosexuals find a man and woman engaging in sexual relations to be disgusting, the point is it's not our place to judge. We should love each other regardless of any of that. Even different religions. If someone else wants to believe something completely different than me, that is fine, love them anyway. Because if you truly believe in Jesus, He loves them, so you're supposed to love them too.
So sorry to write so much, but it saddens me to see hate passed off as religion.
Like Kenny Chesney's song says..."Spread the Love"
@cul2cat
oh how sad
@elstotzo5643
Well...I actually thought that it´s quite clear what the Song was about...hm