His music is typically labeled as power pop, though he doesn't completely agree. His major musical influences include The Cars, David Bowie, Electric Light Orchestra, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Robyn Hitchcock, Paul McCartney, and Todd Rundgren.
His debut album, One Mississippi, was released in 1996 on Virgin Records. The album featured several contributions with Jason Falkner and gained many favourable reviews in the music press but failed to sell in sufficient numbers and Benson was dropped by Virgin.
It would be another six years until Benson issued the follow-up, Lapalco. Again the critical plaudits poured in but this time the record enjoyed a certain degree of commercial success.
While touring this record Benson played the Reading and Leeds Festivals and finished his Leeds set with a performance of the track "Jet Lag" featuring guest appearances from Meg White of The White Stripes along with members of The Datsuns and Soledad Brothers.
In 2003 Benson re-released his debut album along with bonus tracks including the unreleased six track extended player, Welfed Boy EP, featuring songs from a demo session with Falkner.
Also in 2003, Benson released an EP, Metarie, with his then band, The Wellfed Boys. The EP featured a cover of Paul McCartney's "Let Me Roll It". This was the first song written completely by another artist to be featured on a Benson release. Another cover, this time "Strong Boy", from Gram Parsons International Submarine Band's 1968 album, Safe at Home, was released as a b-side in 2005.
In 2005, Benson released his third album, The Alternative to Love, and toured extensively in the US, UK and Europe with his new touring band, The Stiff Tissues.
Benson is also a member of The Raconteurs, a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes and two members of The Greenhornes, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. The group's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, was released in the US on May 16th, 2006, with "Steady, As She Goes" the first single.
Brendan currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
He has also worked as a producer for The Greenhornes, The Nice Device, The Mood Elevator (a permutation of The Welfed Boys), and Stiff Tissues member Dean Fertita's former band, The Waxwings.
In 2008, his song "What I'm Looking For" was used in an Apple iPod Touch television ad, propelling sales of that particular song on iTunes and other online music retailers.
Benson's fourth full-length record, My Old, Familiar Friend, was released on August 18, 2009. This was followed by What Kind of World (2012), and You Were Right (2013).
No One Else But You
Brendan Benson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew I was talking about
Never had to worry
You were you
And I was me
I spent my days being lazy
Whatever made me happy Everything came easy
Now I'm her and she's me
Baby don't you know
That now I can't let go
Nothing else will do
No, no
No one else but you
No one else but you
Thought I had all figured out
I stood proud and I stood strong
Baby, before you came along
Now I haven't got the strength or the pride
Now I just can't be satisfied
Baby can't you see
Now I can break free
No one else will do
No, no
No one else but you
No one else but you
No one else
No one else but you
The lyrics to Brendan Benson's song "No One Else But You" talk about realizing that life isn't what it seems, and that all the things we've thought we knew or had figured out can change when we meet that special person. The first verse sets the stage for this realization, as the singer reflects on how comfortable and easy their life was before they met their significant other. Everything was predictable and simple, but that all changed when they met this new person. The singer becomes dependent on them, unable to let go.
The chorus reinforces this idea of dependence, of having found that one person who fills all the gaps in their life. The repetition of "no one else but you" drives home the point that the singer feels complete with their partner, and that nothing else will do. The second verse reveals that the singer used to pride themselves on their independence and strength, but now they can't be satisfied without their partner. They need them to feel whole.
Overall, the lyrics of "No One Else But You" showcase the transformative power of love, and the ways that it can change us and make us better. It speaks to the idea that we may think we have everything figured out, but in reality, life always has a way of surprising us.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I had it all figured out
I thought I knew exactly what I was doing and what I wanted in life.
I knew I was talking about
I thought I had everything under control and understood the situation completely.
Never had to worry
I did not have any concerns or issues because everything was going well for me.
You were you
You had your own personality and life, separate from mine.
And I was me
I had my own personality and life, separate from yours.
I spent my days being lazy
I was not very active and did not do much with my time.
Whatever made me happy
I only did things that made me feel good, without considering the impact it might have on others.
Everything came easy
I did not face many challenges or struggles in my life.
Now I'm her and she's me
I am now in a relationship with someone else and we have become very close, almost blending together.
Baby don't you know
My partner, please understand that...
That now I can't let go
Now that I have you in my life, I cannot imagine going back to the way things were before.
Nothing else will do
I do not want anyone or anything else now that I have you.
No one else but you
You are the only person I want to be with, now and forever.
Thought I had all figured out
I was so confident and sure of myself before, but now everything has changed.
I stood proud and I stood strong
I was very self-assured and confident in myself before, but that has changed since you came into my life.
Baby, before you came along
Before I met you...
Now I haven't got the strength or the pride
I feel weaker and less confident now that I am with you.
Now I just can't be satisfied
I am no longer content with my life the way it used to be before you came along.
Baby can't you see
I need you to understand that...
Now I can break free
Now that I have you in my life, I feel like I can truly be myself and be free.
No one else will do
Nobody else can replace you in my heart and in my life.
No one else but you
You are my one and only love, now and forever.
No one else
There is nobody else in my life who even comes close to comparing to you.
No one else but you
You are the one I want and need, forever and always.
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.