Their debut album, "North Hills", was released in 2009. The album, "Nothing Is Wrong", follows in 2011.
More info: www.dawestheband.com
One of Us
Dawes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And put it where her mouth used to be
Turning anybody's ear
About her friends that disappeared
And how she's sailing further out to sea
Your father's spending all of his vacation
Learning foreign names for all his fears
About the data he's collected [?]
Turned out to be just ringing in his ears
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Everything they're telling you is wrong
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Babe I think you know where you belong
Your sister's always mortally offended
At the mispronunciation of her name
Telling all her newest clients
That the "w" is silent
Before she turns them back the way they came
Your brother sends me all his latest poems
About his secret dreams of learning how to dance
He knows these hands are not for you [?]
Asking when you're coming through
So he can tell his supervisor six months in advance
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Everything they're telling you is wrong
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Babe I think you know where you belong
Your old flame is still counting up his money
In a secret lair he built behind the shelf
When a chance at repetition
Leading out into temptation
I'm pretty sure he knows the way himself
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Everything they're telling you is wrong
You look like one of them
But you talk like one of us
Babe I think you know where you belong
The song "One of Us" by Dawes highlights the struggle of an individual who has grown up in a materialistic and self-absorbed family. The first verse describes the singer's mother who has taken all her money and put it where her mouth used to be, indicating that she is only concerned with herself and her own interests. She talks about her friends who have disappeared and how she is sailing further out to sea, suggesting that she is withdrawing from society and becoming more isolated. The second verse talks about the singer's father, who is spending his vacation learning about foreign names for all his fears and the spirits he has detected, which turn out to be just ringing in his ears. This implies that he is trying to escape his own fears and worries through external means.
The chorus emphasizes the contrast between the singer and their family. The singer looks like one of them (their family) but talks like one of us (ordinary people), suggesting that they don't fit in with their family's values and priorities. The lyrics also suggest that everything their family is telling them is wrong, and the singer knows where they belong. The subsequent verses portray the other members of the singer's family who are similarly obsessed with their own interests, including the singer's sister who is overly concerned with the mispronunciation of her name and the brother who is focused on becoming a dancer.
Overall, the song critiques the shallow and self-absorbed nature of the modern world, highlighting the importance of genuine connections with others and a sense of belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Your mother finally took all of her money
Your mother has finally given away all of her wealth
And put it where her mouth used to be
She talked continuously about her missing friends and now she has donated all her wealth to further her cause.
Turning anybody's ear
She influenced a lot of people through her talk.
About her friends that disappeared
She spoke about her missing friends who disappeared without a trace.
And how she's sailing further out to sea
She is using the donated money to continue her search and travels.
Your father's spending all of his vacation
Your father is using all his vacation time
Learning foreign names for all his fears
He is trying to understand his fears (that may be based on other cultures) by learning the corresponding foreign names.
And the spirits he's detected
He felt a supernatural presence
About the data he's collected
Using his research, he collected data to support his supernatural experience.
Turned out to be just ringing in his ears
In reality, it was just a figment of his imagination, and there was no supernatural presence.
You look like one of them
You appear to belong to another social group.
But you talk like one of us
Despite your appearance, you share traits and conversations like us.
Everything they're telling you is wrong
The other social group may give you conflicting information.
Babe I think you know where you belong
I trust that you have a good sense of your identity and know where you fit in.
Your sister's always mortally offended
Your sister appears to be offended by even small mistakes by others.
At the mispronunciation of her name
She is particularly sensitive to people mistakenly pronouncing her name.
Telling all her newest clients
She speaks to her clients
That the "w" is silent
She stresses that the letter "w" in her name should be silent.
Before she turns them back the way they came
She sends them away the same way they came.
Your brother sends me all his latest poems
Your brother often sends me his latest poems.
About his secret dreams of learning how to dance
He is passionate about wanting to learn how to dance.
He knows these hands are not for you
He knows you are not interested in his poetry since it is not your field of interest.
Asking when you're coming through
He is curious when you will next be visiting.
So he can tell his supervisor six months in advance
He wants to plan his work schedule ahead of time.
Your old flame is still counting up his money
Your ex-partner is still focused on counting his money.
In a secret lair he built behind the shelf
He has found a hidden place to keep his money hidden and secured.
When a chance at repetition
He is presented with another opportunity
Leading out into temptation
This opportunity could potentially lead to temptation.
I'm pretty sure he knows the way himself
He is likely to know how to manage himself in this situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: BLAKE MILLS, TAYLOR GOLDSMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind