Cousins Steven Delopoulos and John Philippidis were performing in a New Jersey coffeehouse when they were "discovered" by manager Jamison Ernest. The Brooklyn based cousins then assembled a larger band under the name "Burlap to Cashmere", recruiting guitarist Mike Ernest, bassist Roby Guarnera, keyboardist Josh Zandman, drummer Theodore Pagano and percussionist Scott Barksdale (John Degrazio eventually joined the band on bass when Guarnera left).
The group drew on a wide range of musical styles and influences, but their signature sound was rooted in lightning-fast acoustic guitar rhythms. The band began performing in local New York-area venues, and quickly developed a cult following. In 1997, they independently released their first EP under the label Squint, Live at the Bitter End. In 1998 Burlap to Cashmere signed with A&M Records and released the full-length recording Anybody Out There?, followed by an A&M re-release of Live at the Bitter End.
Divorce
Burlap To Cashmere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never learned to give
Now I have seen the better days
And I am through
See the people loving
As they're walking down the street
But you were never much like that
Love must go both ways
But now the only way was me
So I must leave before I fall
Into your twisted misery
You never learned to give
You never learned to live
Now I am sick of all your lies
And I am through
See the people loving
As they're walking down the street
But you were never much like that
And now it's time for me to leave
Love must go both ways
But now the only way was me
So I must leave before I fall
Into your twisted misery
See the people loving
As they're walking down the street
But you were never much like that
And now it's time for me to leave
Love must go both ways
But now the only way was me
So I must leave before I fall
Into your twisted misery
See the people loving
As they're walking down the street
But you were never much like that
And now it's time for me to leave
Love must go both ways
But now the only way was me
So I must leave before I fall
Into your misery
The lyrics of Burlap to Cashmere's song Divorce express a leaving partner's frustration and disappointment in a relationship where their significant other could not reciprocate love and generosity. The first two lines of the song state outright this underlying issue, “You never learned to love / You never learned to give.” The singer longs for a more equitable relationship, “Love must go both ways,” but acknowledges that it is simply not the case in this scenario. The repeated phrase throughout the song, “See the people loving / As they're walking down the street / But you were never much like that / And now it's time for me to leave,” amplify this dissatisfaction with a partner who cannot meet the needs and wants of the singer.
The acceptance of the reality of the relationship is an essential theme in the song, with lines such as “Love must go both ways / But now the only way was me,” and “Now I have seen the better days / And I am through” conveying this message. The singer recognizes that they cannot change the other person nor the nature of their dynamic. In the end, the singer chooses to leave, “So I must leave before I fall / Into your twisted misery,” indicating they do not want to suffer this one-way affection and passive-aggressive hostility.
Line by Line Meaning
You never learned to love
You never understood how to truly love someone
You never learned to give
You were not willing to give your time, attention, and affection to your partner
Now I have seen the better days
I have experienced love in a better way than what you were able to offer
And I am through
I am done with this relationship
See the people loving
I observe other people expressing affection and care towards their partners
As they're walking down the street
This is something that is visible and common in society
But you were never much like that
However, you were not the kind of partner who would show love and affection in public
And now it's time for me to leave
This realization has made me decide to end the relationship
Love must go both ways
A healthy relationship requires both partners to show love and care for each other
But now the only way was me
Unfortunately, in our relationship, I was the only one who was truly invested in making it work
So I must leave before I fall
I need to leave before I get hurt any further
Into your twisted misery
I cannot continue to be a part of your unhappy and dysfunctional life
Now I am sick of all your lies
Your dishonesty and lack of transparency have caused me to lose trust in you
You never learned to live
You never understood how to create a fulfilling life for yourself or with a partner
And now it's time for me to leave
I have to move on and find a partner who is capable of true love and a healthy relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMISON ERNEST, JOHNNY PHILIPPIDIS, STEVEN SOCRATES DELOPOULOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
karelatsea
after so many years being a Christian, I still really love this music after I saw them at the flevo Festival in 1997 . Today many years later I have tears in my eyes listining to their songs again so beautiful.
Alison Watson
Amen to our lord jesus
J Parks
Musicianship on this entire album is off the charts. This song is a perfect example - challenging lyrics, odd time signature, amazing playing, passion... fantastic!
Nate Stein
Totally agreed. I've loved the song for years for the same reasons, and it's nice to know that their music makes a similar impact on other listeners.
Alison Watson
Love this song it’s classic
D.D. Van Zile
I really miss Burlap to Cashmere too, but love this albumn!!!
neejanou
wow this really is a great song!
Peter Loveson
I love that North African, middle eastern, Mediterranean sound!! 😍😍
Jeanne Rundles
Listened to them on the PA while shopping at my Christian Book Store at Washington Square mall in 1998
Ritchie Armer
Hi I'm Ritchie from the UK. I'm a host on a podcast called 'You haven't heard this music podcast' in our podcast we look for lesser known music by lesser known artists that are as good if not better than that in the mainstream. This song by burlap to cashmere will be featured on our next podcast and this link will be used... thanks for sharing.