With his suspenders and classic style, it’s easy to imagine Briar Rabbit on a stage decades ago crooning away. He is not only a musician, but also a storyteller, writing his lyrics with the intentions of having them processed by listeners and creating a dialogue with his fans. While his “thought-pop” is captivating, Briar Rabbit wants listeners to really respond to the lyrics which he carefully crafts like a story, just as his namesake would insinuate.
In 2011, Rabbit's debut release, The Company You Keep, dealt with the usual suspects of songwriting (love, loss, and self), and for 2012's Black History Month, he wrote an EP called The Great Routine, about a fictional black actor performing as a minstrel in the early 1900's.
His newest release, From Your Bones (out September 10), digs deeper while presenting a songwriter really coming into his own. Produced by Chicago jazz pianist Josh Moshier, recorded by Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case) and with contributions from Jeff Parker (Tortoise) and Quin Kirchner (Wild Belle), Briar Rabbit says the new release is quite the Chicago record.
He draws inspiration from reflecting on past situations, most notably involving love and personal growth. In the relationship-tinged “So Long,” Briar Rabbit portrays the last steps in getting over a break-up set to a pulsating folk rhythm. “Bothered No More” features a waltz that floats along on the album, while reflecting on a falling out with a former bandmate.
While he’s demonstrated his songwriting and singing talents touring the midwest, Rabbit also spent some time collecting accolades in his home base, Chicago, such as Taste of Chicago, ABC 7's Windy City Live, being featured in a full-length film, WBEZ, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Red Eye; while steadily haunting the city's staple venues.
With a commanding stage presence in tow, Briar Rabbit achieves musical complexity without pretension, combines multi-layered lyrics with infectious melody, and presents self-awareness with a strong sense of honesty. It's smart, catchy, and something we didn't even know we needed.
Indian Summer
Briar Rabbit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I made my preparations for my hibernation
I made peace with getting cold, kept things so casual
Then in you come, Indian Summer
Oh well I guess that's how this type of thing goes
Slow and steady wins a race
With a desperate athlete's faith
My love, you taught me not to leap
But you caught me talking in my sleep
My best intentions always get the best of me
I've been waiting on you like a bus in the rain
Soaked to the bone but so glad you came
As the lightening lit the room, I never felt so nude
So I pressed my lips against your flesh
to prove myself to you
Because the fact is my past was practice
and each love was a direction on a map that led to
"Oh darlin, I know. That's why I told you hold me close"
Hold me close
Then you looked into my eyes like they were crystal balls
Like they contained all there was to see
and I heard a grown man, tell the kid inside of me
it's time for you to leave
I've been waiting on you like a bus in the rain
soaked to the bone but so glad you came.
Briar Rabbit's song "Indian Summer" talks about the arrival of a new love interest in the singer's life after he had given up on finding someone special. The lyrics start by describing how the singer had already made preparations for the winter, both physically and emotionally, but then Indian summer comes along, changing his plans. The phrase "Indian summer" refers to a period of warm weather in late autumn, which is unusual for its time. The singer uses this metaphor to describe how unexpected love can come to us when we least expect it.
The second verse talks about the power of love and how it can change our lives. The singer accepts that slow and steady wins the race and that he's learning to keep pace with a "desperate athlete's faith." He talks about how his love interest has taught him to be patient and not rush into things. However, he acknowledges that his best intentions often get the best of him, emphasizing the struggle that we face when it comes to balancing our emotions and our rational thought process.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer has been waiting for this love interest to arrive. But, he's also content and grateful that they came nonetheless, despite being soaked to the bone, metaphorically referencing how it feels to be vulnerable and exposed in front of someone new.
In the third verse, the singer talks about how his past relationships have been a practice for this new love. Each love interest was like a direction on a map that eventually led him to the right person. The lyrics also convey a sense of vulnerability and intensity, as the singer describes how he pressed his lips against his love interest's flesh to show he is serious about the relationship.
The final verse is powerful, the singer describes how his love interest looked into his eyes as if he had all the answers he needed to know. The line "I heard a grown man, tell the kid inside of me it's time for you to leave" speaks to a place of growth and acceptance, how he has outgrown his previous self to become ready for this new "Indian summer" love.
Line by Line Meaning
I had given into fall, put all my shirts away
I had accepted the coming of cold weather and put away my summer clothes.
I made my preparations for my hibernation
I was mentally and physically preparing myself for a season of staying in and avoiding the cold.
I made peace with getting cold, kept things so casual
I had mentally prepared myself for the discomfort of the cold and had resigned to it.
Then in you come, Indian Summer
But then you appeared, Indian Summer, and changed my outlook on the season.
Oh well I guess that's how this type of thing goes
That's just how life works sometimes.
Slow and steady wins a race
Patience and consistency are important for success.
and I'm finally keeping pace
I'm finally starting to match that pace.
With a desperate athlete's faith
I'm putting my all into this like a desperate athlete hoping to win.
My love, you taught me not to leap
You taught me to be patient and not rush into things recklessly.
But you caught me talking in my sleep
But even with that lesson, my thoughts and desires are still yearning for more.
My best intentions always get the best of me
My good intentions often end up causing problems for me.
I've been waiting on you like a bus in the rain
I've been waiting for you for a long time, enduring discomfort, but so glad you finally arrived.
Soaked to the bone but so glad you came
I was drenched and uncomfortable, but happy that you finally showed up.
As the lightening lit the room, I never felt so nude
As the lightning illuminated the room, I felt exposed and vulnerable.
So I pressed my lips against your flesh
In response to that vulnerability, I sought comfort and connection with you physically.
to prove myself to you
To prove my desire for you and my worthiness of your affection.
Because the fact is my past was practice
I've had past relationships that have prepared me for this one.
and each love was a direction on a map that led to
Each past relationship taught me something that led me closer to finding you.
"Oh darlin, I know. That's why I told you hold me close"
I understand where you're coming from and that's why I asked you to hold me close.
Hold me close
I want to feel your comforting presence and affection.
Then you looked into my eyes like they were crystal balls
You looked at me as if you could read my thoughts and know everything there is to know about me.
Like they contained all there was to see
As if my eyes were a reflection of my entire self.
and I heard a grown man, tell the kid inside of me
I heard my own mature self telling my past, childish self something important.
"it's time for you to leave"
"It's time to leave behind childish habits and embrace maturity."
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.