Brett Dennen (born October 28, 1979) is a folk/pop singer-songwriter from O… Read Full Bio ↴Brett Dennen (born October 28, 1979) is a folk/pop singer-songwriter from Oakdale, California, United States. He has been compared to Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, Jack Johnson, James Taylor, and Wynonna Judd.

In 2004, Dennen released his first self-titled album, Brett Dennen. His second album was So Much More, which includes the singles "Ain't No Reason", "She's Mine", and "Darlin' Do Not Fear". A few songs charted as iTunes top downloads in the days following the album's release in November 2006. [1] Dennen also contributed a cover of "Private Life" to the 2006 tribute album Drink To Bones That Turn To Dust: A Toast To Oingo Boingo.

Dennen's music has been featured in several television shows, including"Roadtrip Nation" on PBS, Grey's Anatomy, the House episode "Family", The Unit episode "Freefall", and the Scrubs episode "My No Good Reason". In addition to television series, Dennen's music has also been used in national advertising campaigns for companies such as Hilton Hotels.

He has toured extensively across the U.S. with his band (including drummer Randy Schwartz), supporting such musicians as John Mayer and guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. As of fall 2007, he is currently touring with Guster and singer-songwriters Meiko and Joshua James.

Dennen has been a part of The Mosaic Project, San Francisco Bay Area based nonprofit, since its inception. The Mosaic Project works towards a peaceful future by uniting young children of diverse backgrounds, providing them with essential skills to thrive in an increasingly diverse society, and empowering them to strive for peace. As The Mosaic Project's Resident Rock Star, Dennen created an original musical curriculum for the program, which they released as an album called Children's Songs for Peace and a Better World, in 2003. It won a Children's Music Web 2004 Award and a Parent's Choice 2004 Approved Award.

In November, 2007, Dennen was named as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's "10 Artists To Watch."

Discography

* Children's Songs for Peace and a Better World (2003)
* Brett Dennen (2004)
* So Much More (2006)
* Hope for the Hopeless (2008)

By & By
Brett Dennen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

listen close, as close as I am to you
like the bell of liberty, I'll ring a sound that's true
and days go by and seasons too
in time our love may digress with the words we can renew

oh, i'll tell you that I
I love you by and by
I don't know if I'd survive

without a friend like you in my life

and I know words can be the worst to pervey
how it is I feel for you, it's hard for me to say
but if we keep it simple, I think it's better that way
tingled words tend to lead my messages astray

oh, i'll tell you that I
I love you by and by
I don't know if I'd survive
without a friend like you in my life

this web we weave
holds us hand in hand
and if we loosen our grips
we may weaken these strands
so lets reinforce our love and let it echo through the land
and if we don't we may find ourselves washed up with the sand

oh, i'll tell you that I
I love you by and by

I don't know if I'd survive
without a friend like you in my life

Overall Meaning

In the opening lines of Brett Dennen's "By & By," he's speaking directly to his loved one letting them know that he's going to express himself so honestly and transparently that it would almost be as if they were within arms reach of each other. He then draws an allusion to the "bell of liberty," which itself is a symbol of truth and freedom. He's saying that he's going to speak the truth so clearly and resolutely that it echoes like the bell of liberty. Dennen then speaks to the ever-changing nature of life, "days go by and seasons too" and how love can sometimes drift apart, but with communication, they can always find a way to reconnect.

Dennen is acknowledging that words in and of themselves can sometimes fail to convey the true depth of emotions. It's hard to always say what one is feeling, but he believes that as long as he keeps it simple and honest, it's better than trying to use tangled and convoluted language. There's a sense of urgency in the song; he's effectively saying that he loves the other person and needs them as a friend in his life. They're the kind of person who helps to anchor him and keep him grounded.

Line by Line Meaning

listen close, as close as I am to you
Pay attention to me, just as how close we are physically.

like the bell of liberty, I'll ring a sound that's true
I'll speak honestly like the Liberty Bell rings true.

and days go by and seasons too
Time passes by with days and seasons.

in time our love may digress with the words we can renew
Our love may weaken over time, but we can strengthen it through communication.

oh, i'll tell you that I
I want you to know that

I love you by and by
I love you now and in the future.

I don't know if I'd survive
I don't think I could make it

without a friend like you in my life
Without you as my friend.

and I know words can be the worst to pervey
I know words can be inadequate to convey emotions.

how it is I feel for you, it's hard for me to say
I find it difficult to express my feelings for you.

but if we keep it simple, I think it's better that way
If we communicate simply, our message will be clearer.