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)
When You Feel It
Brett Dennen Lyrics
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Her photographs are fading, she keeps a box in the closet full of negatives
Well, I left a note on the floor in my room
I've always been stubborn and late to bloom
I had to lay down my load, my burdens are my own
It's a coming of age when you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
And I know, I know
I was longing on a short summer night when I had the urge to leave
I went out to find my muse with a eight in my pocket and a craving for some cajun blues
I was following my follies when I saw her aboard the river queen
I was courting my frail lady all the way to New Orleans
But I was swoon by a luminous tomb so I climbed the roof and gave that woman my croon
I had to tell her all I know, my business is my own
It's a coming of age when you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
And I know, I know
When you feel
When you feel it you know
When you feel
When you feel it you know
When you feel
When you feel it you know
When you feel
When you feel it
Well, mamma got to worrying she said "Now boy, I stay up late wondering where you been!
Oh, soon your gonna have to give in no you can't live forever the way that you been."
Oh, mamma I'm not trying to do not wrong I had to learn this is the way I get along
It's a life that I chose, my reasons are my own
It's a coming of age when you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
I know, I know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
When you feel it you know
The lyrics of Brett Dennen’s “When You Feel It” talk about a boy leaving home in a hurry, causing his mother to worry endlessly. The photographs in the closet and box full of negatives only add to her worry. But the boy leaves a note stating that he had to unload his burdens and that it is a coming-of-age moment that he is experiencing. The chorus of the song emphasizes the fact that when you feel it, you know it.
The boy then goes on a journey to find his muse, craving for some cajun blues. His longing causes him to follow his follies, which eventually leads him to New Orleans where he meets a lady on the River Queen. Brett Dennen describes this woman as luminous and swoon-worthy, and he climbs the roof just to give her his croon. He believes that he must tell her everything he knows because his business is his own, and that it is another coming-of-age moment that he is experiencing.
Brett Dennen’s “When You Feel It” is a song that talks about coming-of-age moments and how one must recognize them when they feel them. Life takes us down different paths and journeys, and it can be overwhelming to keep walking without purpose. But realizing that there are moments when you feel a shift in your perspective and emotions is essential to growing and maturing.
Line by Line Meaning
Momma got to worrying because her boy left home in a hurry again
The mother is concerned because her son has left home abruptly once again
Her photographs are fading, she keeps a box in the closet full of negatives
The mother is holding onto memories of her son through photographs, but they are fading and she has negative feelings about his sudden departure
Well, I left a note on the floor in my room
The son left a note behind to explain his absence
I've always been stubborn and late to bloom
The son has a history of being obstinate and slow to develop
I had to lay down my load, my burdens are my own
The son needed to relinquish his responsibilities and deal with his problems on his own
It's a coming of age when you feel it you know
The son is going through a transitional phase or rite of passage, and he knows it when he feels it
I was longing on a short summer night when I had the urge to leave
The son was feeling restless on a warm summer evening and had the desire to depart
I went out to find my muse with an eight in my pocket and a craving for some cajun blues
The son went out to seek inspiration with limited funds and an appetite for Cajun music
I was following my follies when I saw her aboard the river queen
The son was indulging in his foolish desires when he spotted a woman on a boat
I was courting my frail lady all the way to New Orleans
The son was wooing a delicate woman during his journey to New Orleans
But I was swoon by a luminous tomb so I climbed the roof and gave that woman my croon
The son was captivated by a beautiful monument and serenaded the woman he was chasing
I had to tell her all I know, my business is my own
The son felt compelled to share his thoughts and feelings with the woman, but he kept his personal affairs to himself
Well, mamma got to worrying she said "Now boy, I stay up late wondering where you been!
The mother expressed her anxiety about her son's whereabouts
Oh, soon your gonna have to give in no you can't live forever the way that you been."
The mother believes that her son cannot continue his current lifestyle indefinitely
Oh mamma, I'm not trying to do not wrong I had to learn this is the way I get along
The son explains that he is not intentionally doing anything wrong, but he has to find his own way in life
It's a life that I chose, my reasons are my own
The son has deliberately made decisions that have brought him to where he is, and he has his own motivations
When you feel it you know
The phrase 'when you feel it you know' is repeated throughout as a reminder that intuition and personal experience are key in making important decisions
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Brett Dennen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind