The press has likened Landes to "the grand old dames of country" and in the same breath The Black Keys and The White Stripes (Uncut). She’s also garnered comparisons to Cat Power and Pavement, an interesting mix that made even NPR’s David Dye wonder.
Raised in the fertile musical fields of Branson, Missouri and Louisville, Kentucky, Landes came to New York City in 1999 and did a cannonball into the music scene. While holding down several jobs to pay the rent, she abandoned university (NYU) and began to intern at some of the best studios in the city. "I had very little experience", she says. "I was just really, really curious. Dangerously curious in the studio… I picked heros like Tchad Blake and Brian Wilson and took a flying leap."
What started as a job getting coffee for engineers has blossomed into a truly enviable resume; among others she has worked with Phillip Glass, Ryan Adams, Hem, Joseph Arthur, The Earlies and Josh Ritter in the studio. Working late into the night, and often sleeping at the same studios she was interning in, Dawn began producing and recording her own songs after hours. "I wanted to get the sounds in my head onto tape exactly as I heard them. And that’s not an easy thing, there are a lot of sounds in there!"
After meeting the band Hem in the studio, Landes joined them on the road as an 8th band member (vocals and glockenspeil) and opening act. Her performing career started to gain speed. Her first full-length, «dawn’s music» was released in France in 2005, followed by extensive touring in Europe and two other European releases; «234» a 7-song EP released in the UK and finally «Fireproof», released worldwide in 2007. Since then her music has become the stuff of whispers and internet buzz, and her touring schedule has put her on the road with artists such as Feist, Jose Gonzales, Midlake, Suzanne Vega, Martha Wainright, The Swell Season…(the list goes on) At times solo, at times with a revolving cast of musical guests, her shows have the guileless and vibrant quality of a work of art in constant creation.
Landes penned the end-credit song for the movie «Savage Grace» starring Julianne Moore and plucked the WST Bluegrass band from a BBQ in Austin, TX to help her record her version of the Peter, Bjorn and John classic, «Young Folks.» Rumor has it, James Blunt liked it so much he covered dawns cover of the song! In 2007 Landes became the co-partner, designer and full-time dry-waller of Saltlands Studio in Brooklyn. «What if we get bored?» Dawn sings in the Fireproof gem, «Kids in a Play.»
As a solo artist, Landes has put out a number of albums:
* Dawn’s Music (self-released-US/Ocean Music-Europe) 2002
* two, three, four (Boy Scout recordings-UK) 2006
* Fireproof (Cooking Vinyl-US/Fargo Music-Europe) 2008
* Sweetheart Rodeo (Cooking Vinyl) 2010
Official Website: www.dawnlandes.com
Straight Lines
Dawn Landes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?
Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks
Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young
The lyrics of Dawn Landes's song "Straight Lines" are nostalgic and sentimental, taking the listener back to memories of childhood and old times with a friend. In the first verse, the singer recalls their youthful playfulness and innocence, including games and modifying song lyrics. However, there is a sense of sadness and loss in the repeated line "I don't want to say it's breaking my heart, and I don't know where to start," suggesting that something has changed and the relationship is no longer the same. The second verse mentions adventures and pretend play, but again there is a sense of longing as the singer remembers things they did together that they won't go "back, back again" to.
Overall, "Straight Lines" is a bittersweet reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the difficulty of navigating changing relationships. The image of missing the "straight, straight lines" adds to the sense of loss, as straight lines suggest order and stability, while the passage of time disrupts those lines.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when we were young
Reflecting upon a time in the past when they were kids
How you asked everyone to marry you
Recollecting how the singer's friend pretended to propose to people when they were young
All of those songs we sung
Reminiscing all the songs they used to sing together as kids
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Recalling how the lyrics of the songs were altered by the singer's friend to make the characters die in a tragic way
Remember when we were right
Thinking back to a time when everything seemed perfect
God threw his darts at stars in the night
Metaphorically describing how the stars looked like darts thrown by God in the night sky
I had a kite
Recalling how the singer had a kite as a toy
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
Remembering how the singer's friend owned a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like
Noting how the friend never actually enjoyed their bike
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
Expressing hesitation in admitting heartbreak
And I don't know where to start
Admitting confusion about where to begin explaining the heartbreak
Old friends are falling apart
Recognizing how their friendship has deteriorated over time
Time like the name of a man
Time is personified like a name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
Acknowledging that they can both complain about time passing by and changing things
I miss the straight, straight lines
Longing for the simplicity and straightforwardness of the past
Remember when we got caught
Recalling a time when they got in trouble for doing something they weren't supposed to
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
Describing what they were caught doing - playing with dirty hands and pretending to use drugs
We never got
They never got away with misbehavior
Give me all your money
Acting out being bank robbers and asking each other to hand over imaginary money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Imagining themselves as both the robbers and the cops playing out pretend scenarios
Make-believe rocks
Referring to things they pretended to have or use during their imaginative playtime
Remember when we held hands
Recalling a time when they were close friends who held hands
Red rover and marching band
Remembering games they played together - Red Rover and marching band
You had a tan
Noting how the friend had a tan from staying outside for too long
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Commenting on how their friend's tan made him look more grown-up
Never going back, never going back again
Acknowledging that they can never go back to that time again
The old times
Mentioning the past as a time when they were happy and carefree
The old times
Repeating the idea that the past was a simpler and happier time for them
Remember when we were young
Once again reflecting upon their youth and the memories they shared
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
andra white
Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?
Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks
Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young
curiousted
Charming video, Dawn. It fits your music perfectly. Nice job by all involved.
Mark Ogilvie
Thanks, Dawn for putting in a plug for community gardens and having fun with friends. Love your music!
mike crisp
Absolutely love this song & the new video is awesome
Mobarak Adil
Absolutely amazing , beautiful lyrics and voice
andra white
Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?
Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks
Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again
I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines
The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young
dawns31
I really love this song and your video is great. Thank you!
Spooky-Pastel
I know this is widely known by Harry Potter fans but I really want Telltale to use this as their last song for the final season of the walking dead on the last episode during the credits. This is also a beautiful song and I love it so much
OasisDNA
This song is absolute perfection.
stickylittleleaves
LOVE THIS SONG one of those feel good songs that make you happy like yellow submarine lol
Drew Drewski
Dawn is an absolute angel.. So talented !!