Thile began recording his first solo album in 1993, with most songs of his own composition. After two more solo albums of all original material, he teamed with mandolin master Mike Marshall for a stunning album of duets called Into the Cauldron, which included forays into jazz, world music, and Bach. In 2004 Chris released Deceiver, a departure from his earlier work which contained a variety of pop/rock/folk influenced vocal numbers. In September 2006, he released a new album entitled How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, which consisted of an extensive bluegrass band, and more traditional tracks than his previous album.
In addition, an announcement was made on the website of Nickel Creek that Thile and his band-mates would be taking an extended hiatus from the band at the end of 2007. He is currently touring with the How to Grow a Band, consisting of members Greg Garrison on bass, Noam Pikelny on banjo, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, and Bryan Sutton on guitar. With the exception of Bryan Sutton, this is the same group of musicians that appear on How to Grow a Woman from the Ground; Chris Eldridge is the guitarist on the album. In 2007 at Carnegie Hall the original quintet from How to Grow a Woman From the Ground performed many songs off of the album and debuted a four movement suite entitled "The Blind Leaving the Blind" under the name of Tensions Mountain Boys. The band changed their name to the Punch Brothers.
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Chris Thile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not around shiny tops and soda pops when I
hear your lips make a sound when I hear your lips make a sound
Thirty notes in the mailbox will tell you that I'm coming home and I think I'd better sick around for a while so you're not
alone for a while so you're not alone
Soft hair and a velvet tongue I wanna give you what you give to me and every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little
gift to me
If you can hear a piano fall you can hear me coming down the hall if I could just hear your pretty voice I don't think I'd
have to see at all I don't think I'd have to see at all
I didn't feel so bad til the sun went down
I got back home no one to wrap my arms around
to wrap my arms around
to wrap my arms around
Any man with a microphone can tell you what he wants the most and you'll know why you love at all if you're thinking of the
holy ghost if you're thinking of the holy ghost
The song “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” by Chris Thile is a melancholy love song with a strong sense of longing and loneliness. The opening lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song as Thile sings, “Dead Leaves and the dirty ground when I know you’re not around shiny tops and soda pops when I hear your lips make a sound.” These lyrics convey the sense of emptiness that the singer feels when he is not with his lover - the world around him may seem shiny and full of life, but it is all meaningless without her.
The next stanza, “Thirty notes in the mailbox will tell you that I'm coming home and I think I'd better stick around for a while so you're not alone for a while so you're not alone” implies that the singer has been away for some time and is returning home to be with his lover. He wants to make sure she is not lonely while he is away, and therefore wants to stay with her longer.
The following stanzas describe the physical and emotional attraction the singer has towards his lover. He admires her “soft hair and velvet tongue” and cherishes “every breath that is in [her] lungs”. However, the most striking line is, “If you can hear a piano fall you can hear me coming down the hall if I could just hear your pretty voice I don't think I'd have to see at all”. This line conveys the depth of love the singer has towards his lover as he feels that her voice alone is enough to guide him to her, and he does not need to see her to know that she is near.
In the final stanza, Thile sings “Any man with a microphone can tell you what he wants the most and you'll know why you love at all if you're thinking of the holy ghost”. This line suggests a religious or spiritual aspect to the song, with the “holy ghost” representing a higher power or force that governs love and human connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Dead Leaves and the dirty ground when I know
You're not around shiny tops and soda pops when I
hear your lips make a sound when I hear your lips make a sound
I feel lonely and abandoned when you're not here, even things that used to bring me joy, like candy and music, just make me think of you
Thirty notes in the mailbox will tell you that I'm coming home and I think I'd better sick around for a while so you're not
alone for a while so you're not alone
I left you some love letters to let you know that I'm on my way back, and I'm going to stay with you for a while so you don't have to be by yourself
Soft hair and a velvet tongue I wanna give you what you give to me and every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little
gift to me
I love the way you look and the way you talk, and I want to give back to you as much love as you give to me, every breath you take is a precious gift to me
If you can hear a piano fall you can hear me coming down the hall if I could just hear your pretty voice I don't think I'd
have to see at all I don't think I'd have to see at all
Even if I'm creeping up on you, you can hear me due to my noisy footsteps. But, if I could just hear your voice, I could imagine exactly where you are
I didn't feel so bad til the sun went down
I got back home no one to wrap my arms around
to wrap my arms around
to wrap my arms around
I was fine until night came and I returned home to an empty house, missing the feeling of having someone to hold and be close to
Any man with a microphone can tell you what he wants the most and you'll know why you love at all if you're thinking of the
holy ghost if you're thinking of the holy ghost
Anyone can say what they want, but if you think about your faith and your beliefs, you'll understand why you love someone and what truly matters in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jack White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind