Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney,… Read Full Bio ↴Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney, New South Wales; later moving to Hobart, Tasmania[/placeform] where she began performing music in 2006 before relocating to Melbourne in 2010.

Barnett puts a lot of effort into sounding effortless. Her songs are wild and wooly and wordy, her lyrics plainspoken and delivered like she’s making them up on the spot.

Barnett was originally a part of several bands, including Immigrant Union and The Olivettes before focusing on her solo work. In 2012, Barnett started her own record label, Milk! Records, and recorded her debut EP I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris in a friend's lounge room and released it later that year. Late 2012 also saw the release of a new single, "History Eraser," which was backed with Jen Cloher's "Mount Beauty" for a split seven-inch release.

In 2013, Barnett released her second EP, How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. Along with "History Eraser," the EP spawned a second single, "Avant Gardener." Her second EP received international acclaim, taking her and the band, Dave Mudie (drums), Bones Sloane (bass) and Dan Luscombe (guitar) all around the world.

Barnett would later combine those two EP releases into one for The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, which was released internationally on 20 May 2013 via House Anxiety/Marathon Artists. It was named the album of the week by Stereogum.

Barnett's debut LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, was released in 2015 to widespread acclaim. At the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, she won four awards from eight nominations. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the 2016 Brit Awards.

In 2017, she released Lotta Sea Lice, a collaborative album with Kurt Vile.

Barnett's second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released in 2018.

Don't Apply Compression Gently
Courtney Barnett Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tell me what you're thinking, what you're thinking about
Tell me when you're finished maybe I'll come around
Had enough to bring me all the way to the ground
I don't have to tell you what I'm thinking about

You have made your bed, I know better than to sleep in it
Better off dead than the hell that will become of it
You have hurt my head but I'm not denying

That I did not bring it on myself

I take pieces of myself from everyone around me
I'm not individual enough for you
I replicate the people I admire
But at least I'm not bitter and sad

I may not be 100% happy but at least I'm not with you.

Overall Meaning

In Courtney Barnett's song Don't Apply Compression Gently, the singer is asking someone else to share their thoughts with her. She is interested in what they are thinking about and is open to being influenced by their point of view. She suggests that, once they have finished speaking, she may "come around" to their way of thinking. However, she also recognizes the risk of being too receptive to other people's ideas, as they are likely to bring her down. She metaphorically describes being brought down to the "ground" and warns that it is not a place she wants to be.

The singer also refers to a person who has hurt her head, suggesting that they have caused her emotional pain. She acknowledges that she played a role in this injury, but does not go into detail about how or why. The lyrics suggest that the other person is responsible for creating a situation that makes it difficult for her to function. The singer emphasizes her own autonomy and decision-making power by stating that she is "not denying" any responsibility she may have for the situation.

The singer concludes the song by describing her sense of self as not fully formed. She describes herself as lacking in individuality and as someone who "replicates the people [she] admires." However, she also asserts that she is "not bitter and sad," suggesting that she is content with who she is, even if she is not entirely unique. The final line of the song expresses her relief at no longer being with the other person, suggesting that their relationship was part of the reason for her lack of individuality.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me what you're thinking, what you're thinking about
Share your thoughts and ideas with me, tell me what's going on in your mind

Tell me when you're finished maybe I'll come around
Once you have conveyed everything, I might start feeling differently

Had enough to bring me all the way to the ground
When things go wrong, it can take me down and make me feel overwhelmed

I don't have to tell you what I'm thinking about
I don't need to share everything with you, some things are private

You have made your bed, I know better than to sleep in it
You have created your own problems and I won't make them mine

Better off dead than the hell that will become of it
It's better to not exist at all than to suffer the misery you're in

You have hurt my head but I'm not denying
Your actions have had a negative impact on me, and I'm not ignoring that fact

That I did not bring it on myself
I acknowledge that part of the issue is my own doing, but you also played a role

I take pieces of myself from everyone around me
I learn and grow from observing and being influenced by the people in my life

I'm not individual enough for you
You want me to be unique and different, but I feel like I'm just like everyone else

I replicate the people I admire
I try to emulate and imitate the qualities of those I respect and look up to

But at least I'm not bitter and sad
Despite my struggles, I'm still able to maintain a positive outlook and not let negativity consume me

I may not be 100% happy but at least I'm not with you.
Even though I still have my own issues to work through, it's better than being in a toxic relationship with you

Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS