Stith comes from a musical family: his father is a college wind ensemble director and former church choir director; his grandfather is professor emeritus in the music department at Cornell University; his mother is a pianist; his sisters sing opera, play piano, tap dance, play timpani and are excellent soft ball players. Stith grew up dreading the family ensemble's appearances in church, preferring instead to draw mazes on the blank sides of church bulletins during services. In fifth grade, a harrowing performance of Phantom of the Opera at a school assembly (accompanied by his mother on piano) nearly turned him off to music for good. He started a noise band in high school, called Starchild (or Starchildren, or The Pool - they never did quite decide); but they preferred painting their guitars over playing them. David wrote a lot of bad poetry during this time.
In college, Stith attempted writing a novel and a children's book, illustrating his work with original woodcut prints. His pursuit of writing and illustration brought him from Rochester to Brooklyn, where he took up work as a graphic designer. While in Brooklyn, Stith befriended Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), and soon after began facilitating, in small technical ways, the recording of her album Bring Me The Workhorse. This, in turn, spurred Stith to begin writing and recording songs of his own. It was a casual, private affair. He spent countless days stored away in his bedroom, sketching folk songs with epic electronic gestures, a rekindling of passions for his first familial love: music.
Stith completed his first catalog of songs for an album called Ichabod and Apple, written and recorded in the first month of his song-writing experiments. His first full length album is Heavy Ghost, on Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Stith collaborates with fellow American John-Mark Lapham (formerly of UK/US quartet The Earlies) under the band name The Revival Hour.
His second studio album "Pigeonheart" was released on July 29, 2016.
just once
DM Stith Lyrics
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I was afraid I would lose you someday
Like I lost me that day
In all my dreams your face is hidden from me
Formless in some velvety shade
What were you hiding from?
Who were you hiding from?
And what is done I can't leave it alone
I have to know I have to know I have to know
And just once just once just once did you love me once?
I've been ready
What did I say? oh no, what did I say?
And what did you want what did you want what did you want?
A life in the dark?
A life in the dark?
And what is done, I can't leave it alone
I didn't know I didn't know
But just once just once just once, did you love me once?
And just once just once just once, did you love me once?
I have been ready for so long
For so long for so long
And I'm not allowed the pity
But did I ever once pretend pretend pretend
And Isaac's barhopping
And Abraham is calling "who's next! who's next?"
And I'm fat and drowsy
I'm fat and drowsy
And I'm fed and drowsy
I'm fed and drowsy
I'll make you a bet, I'll make you bet
You knew it would wash away
In the crying and the gush
And the New England rain
But I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid
And just once just once just once
I could love you once
And just just once just once just once
I could love you once…
Once you loved me...
The lyrics of DM Stith’s song “Just Once” are an exploration of longing, loss, and the desire to know the truth. The song opens with a haunting refrain, “What did I say to send you a rumbling past me?” The singer is haunted by the idea that something he said caused someone he loves to move away from him, and he is struggling to come to terms with this loss. He admits that he was afraid he would lose this person someday, just as he lost himself on a particular day. The loss of self seems to be a recurring theme in the song, indicating that the singer sees himself as a flawed, imperfect person who is not worthy of love.
The singer’s dreams are also filled with uncertainty, as the person he loves is always obscured in some “velvety shade.” He wonders what this person is hiding from and who they are hiding from. He desperately wants to know the truth, to understand what went wrong, but he is unable to let go of what is done. He repeatedly asks if this person ever loved him, if there was even one moment of love between them.
The imagery in the song is powerful and evocative, particularly the reference to Isaac’s barhopping and Abraham calling out “who’s next.” These biblical references suggest a sense of timelessness and continuity, a reminder that these themes of love and loss are as old as humanity itself. Ultimately, the song is a poignant reflection on the human condition, one that speaks to the universal experience of longing and the search for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
What did I say to send you a rumbling past me
I said something that made you angry and made you walk past me forcefully
I was afraid I would lose you someday
I was scared of losing you at some point
Like I lost me that day
Like the day I lost myself
In all my dreams your face is hidden from me
I dream about you, but I can't see your face, it's just a blur
Formless in some velvety shade
Your face is shapeless and covered in a soft, velvet-like darkness
What were you hiding from?
I wonder what you were hiding from me or from others
Who were you hiding from?
I wonder who you were hiding from specifically
And what is done I can't leave it alone
I can't let go of what has happened and I keep thinking about it
I have to know I have to know I have to know
I need to find out the truth, I need to know what happened
And just once just once just once did you love me once?
I wonder if there was one moment when you loved me
What did I say? oh no, what did I say?
I'm worried that something I said caused this situation
And what did you want what did you want what did you want?
I wonder what you wanted from me or in general
A life in the dark?
Did you want to live a secretive life in the dark?
I didn't know I didn't know
I didn't realize what was happening or what I was doing
But just once just once just once, did you love me once?
I still wonder if there was one moment when you loved me
I have been ready for so long For so long for so long
I have been prepared for a long time, waiting for something to happen
And I'm not allowed the pity
I'm not supposed to feel sorry for myself
But did I ever once pretend pretend pretend
Did I ever fake pretending to be someone or something I'm not?
And Isaac's barhopping
Someone named Isaac is going from bar to bar
And Abraham is calling "who's next! who's next?"
Someone named Abraham is calling out for the next person to do something
And I'm fat and drowsy
I'm overweight and feeling sleepy
I'm fed and drowsy
I've eaten and feeling sleepy
I'll make you a bet, I'll make you bet
I want to make a wager or guess with you
You knew it would wash away In the crying and the gush And the New England rain
You knew that our love would be temporary and would end like rain in New England
But I'm not afraid I'm not afraid
But despite knowing the truth, I'm not scared
And just once just once just once I could love you once
Even if it's just for one time, I could love you
And just just once just once just once I could love you once…
I still have the hope that I could love you one day
Once you loved me...
But at one point, you did love me
Contributed by Cooper E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.