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)
Nothing Lasts Forever
Brett Dennen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw you spiraling
I saw you spinning back in time
Through all your memories
Such a quiet disease
But I'll always remember you dancing
Across the kitchen in your orange hankerchief
Such a quiet disease
I pray that when you dream
You would remember everything
You know it all comes back to you
In one conscious stream
Maybe you'd sing
And put words to all the things
That you think of in a day
But forgotten how to say
Nothing lasts forever
Not even the mountains
Someday they will be swept away and swallowed by the sea
We all shall be blessedly released
Life is so precious
It's as fragile as a dream
And in a moment
We all grow our wings
I wish to sing as if no one's listening
I wish to dance as if no one is watching
I wish to dance as if no one is watching
And I give thanks for my dreams
You can rob me of my sight
And you can poison my blood stream
But as long as I can dream
Then life is worth living
Nothing lasts forever
Not even the mountains
Some day they will be swept away and swallowed by the sea
We all shall be blessedly released
Nothing lasts forever
Not even the sun
For all we know it could have burned out light years ago
Darkness remains the hardest thing for us to outrun
The lyrics of Brett Dennen's song, Nothing Lasts Forever, are insightful and contemplative, delving into ideas of memory, the transience of life, and the importance of dreams in finding meaning and purpose. The song is about watching someone you care about falling into the depths of dementia and trying to reach out to them even as they begin to forget everything and everyone around them. The opening lines of the song, "I saw you spiraling, I saw you spinning back in time, through all your memories," establish this theme, drawing attention to the way that the disease can cause people to be caught up in their own memories, forgetting the present moment and the people they love.
The line "such a quiet disease" is a poignant observation that highlights how little we understand about the complexity of the human brain and the devastation that diseases such as dementia can wreak on a person's life. The song then moves towards a hopeful message, with the singer wishing that the person he has lost to the disease will find a way to remember everything through their dreams, and that perhaps they will even sing and put words to their thoughts once again. The final lines of the song underscore the idea that life is precious and fleeting, and that finding meaning through our dreams is what makes it worth living.
Overall, Nothing Lasts Forever is a powerful and uplifting song that touches on themes that many people can relate to, including the fear of losing ourselves or those we love to illness and the importance of finding hope and meaning in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you spiraling
I witnessed you spiraling out of control
I saw you spinning back in time
I saw you getting lost in your memories
Through all your memories
You were reliving every moment of your past
Such a quiet disease
Mental illness can be silent and difficult to identify
You had forgotten me
You didn't recognize me anymore
But I'll always remember you dancing
I will always cherish the joy you brought me
Across the kitchen in your orange handkerchief
I remember the specific moment when you were at your happiest
I pray that when you dream
I hope that in your sleep, you'll find peace
You would remember everything
I hope you'll remember everything you've forgotten when you wake up
You know it all comes back to you
In the end, all memories will resurface
In one conscious stream
In a single flood of consciousness
Maybe you'd sing
Perhaps you will express yourself through song
And put words to all the things
And put words to all the emotions you are feeling
That you think of in a day
Emotions and thoughts that you have during the day
But forgotten how to say
Feelings that you have forgotten how to vocalize
Nothing lasts forever
All things come to an end eventually
Not even the mountains
Even the most solid things on earth will eventually end
Someday they will be swept away and swallowed by the sea
The unstoppable force of nature will claim everything
We all shall be blessedly released
We will all be free from this physical world eventually
Life is so precious
Life is valuable and should be cherished
It's as fragile as a dream
Life is fleeting and can slip away just as easily
And in a moment
In the blink of an eye
We all grow our wings
We all eventually leave this world behind
I wish to sing as if no one's listening
I want to express myself without fear or hesitation
I wish to dance as if no one is watching
I want to freely express myself without inhibition
And I give thanks for my dreams
I am grateful for the escape and freedom of my dreams
You can rob me of my sight
You may take away my ability to see
And you can poison my blood stream
You may cause physical harm to me
But as long as I can dream
As long as I have my dreams, I have hope
Then life is worth living
Life has value as long as there is hope
Not even the sun
Not even the biggest thing in our known world is eternal
For all we know it could have burned out light years ago
Even things that are thought to be eternal may already be gone
Darkness remains the hardest thing for us to outrun
Our anxieties and fears are the most difficult to escape from
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.