DeYarmond Edison is a band of young men with a propensity for sounding old. Their modern elucidation of the singer-songwriter style comes from having soaked up the soul of the past, as well as a vision of the limitless potential for the future of Americana music. They ring it out on their audiences with a mature variety of instrumentation, including piano, banjo, blues harp, vibraphone, pedal steel guitar, organ, an array of electric and cross-acoustic guitars, fretless bass, and a drum set from the 1930's.
The songs are born from seasoned songwriter Justin Vernon (a Bug Music Nashville-published writer), and expanded, colored and filled in by brothers Phil and Brad Cook (who have been with Vernon for nine years), Brian Moen, Joe Westerlund, and Christopher Porterfield. Their stunning list of influences bleed through into their music without ever taking over DYE's own handle on originality. With feet in the grave of the blues, ala Muddy Waters and Mississippi John Hurt, through to the birth of new Americana music from composers such as Bill Frisell and singers like Richard Buckner – without ever leaving behind the gospel of Mahalia Jackson, the high lonesome sounds of Ralph Stanley, the wickedness of Tom Waits, the sensibility of Bonnie Raitt, the R and B of Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, the rock of Springsteen, tenderness of Jackson Browne and the hidden existentialism of John Prine. - From Volume One Mag
The band dissolved in 2006, with the Cooks and Westerlund going on to form Megafaun, and Justin Vernon leading Bon Iver. The band reunited to play two shows in their hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin in October of 2007.
time to know
DeYarmond Edison Lyrics
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In your eyes
And they're like a lake
Just under the night
And the starships rolled
And the ripples flowed
And we slowly swayed
In the rowboat
Our little private resistance
To fold.
And the struggle came
And it took no aim
And it pried and tore
And it marched with a cane
Way off the map
In some laundry mat
We both could feel it
And it broke our back
Now the seasons have trouble passing
Through the creases in my heart.
And it's time to know
That it's time to go
It's time to know
That it's time to go.
Now the magazines
In the grocery isle
Flash bedroom paint
And kitchen tile
And the things it left
When you had to let it go
I could live for better
At least I thought so.
So up your cheekbones
The veracity
That we weren't ready to show
And it was time to know
That it was time to go
And it was time to know
That it was time to go.
Every sailboat thrown
Every failed poem
Every morning dream
Every evening steam
Every sidewalk sale
Every finishing nail
Every dress that's worn
Every baby born.
The lyrics of DeYarmond Edison's song "Time to Know" evoke a sense of nostalgia and regret, as the singer reflects on a past relationship that has ended. The opening lines, "And the moon went still in your eyes / And they're like a lake just under the night," create a vivid image of a moment of intimacy and connection between the singer and their former partner. However, this moment is disrupted by the arrival of "struggle," which "took no aim" and "pryed and tore" until it "broke our back." This struggle seems to represent the challenges and conflicts that arose in the relationship, ultimately leading to its end.
The second half of the song reflects on the aftermath of the relationship. The singer sees "magazines in the grocery isle / Flash bedroom paint and kitchen tile," reminding them of the life they had hoped to build with their former partner. However, they must confront the reality that "the things [they] left / When you had to let it go" are gone forever. In the final lines, the singer reflects on the passage of time and the many experiences that make up a life, from "every sailboat thrown" to "every baby born." Ultimately, the song seems to be about coming to terms with the end of a relationship and learning to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
And the moon went still
The atmosphere was still and calm
In your eyes
In the eyes of someone else
And they're like a lake
The eyes are peaceful and deep
Just under the night
Shrouded in darkness
And the starships rolled
The occasional car passed by
And the ripples flowed
The water's surface was gently moving
And we slowly swayed
The people present were moving slowly
In the rowboat
In a boat far from shore
Tried to guide it
Attempting to steer life in the right direction
Our little private resistance
Our personal struggle
To fold.
To give up
And the struggle came
A significant challenge arrived
And it took no aim
It had no direct target
And it pried and tore
It broke down and destroyed things
And it marched with a cane
It appeared to move slowly
Way off the map
Outside the normal boundaries or expectations
In some laundry mat
Location of the unexpected challenge
We both could feel it
We were both aware of the challenge
And it broke our back
It was too much to handle
Now the seasons have trouble passing
Time seems to keep moving on, regardless of the situation
Through the creases in my heart.
Despite the pain, life still happens
And it's time to know
It's become clear that we need to make a change
That it's time to go
It's time to move on
It's time to know
We need to accept the situation
That it's time to go.
And move on
Now the magazines
The world continues on despite our struggles
In the grocery isle
Even the mundane things seem trivial
Flash bedroom paint
Advertisements for new and improved products
And kitchen tile
Advertisements for home goods
And the things it left
The memories and reminders of what we've left behind
When you had to let it go
When we had to move on from our struggles
I could live for better
Things could be better in the future
At least I thought so.
But this isn't always guaranteed
So up your cheekbones
A sign of a genuine smile
The veracity
True emotion
That we weren't ready to show
That we had tried to keep hidden
And it was time to know
It was time to face the truth
That it was time to go
It was time to move on from the struggles
And it was time to know
We needed to be honest with ourselves
That it was time to go.
And accept that it was time to move forward
Every sailboat thrown
Every failed attempt
Every failed poem
Every instance where inspiration fell short
Every morning dream
Every hope for the future
Every evening steam
Every daydream of what could have been
Every sidewalk sale
Every chance to start anew
Every finishing nail
Every last effort to fix things
Every dress that's worn
Every reminder of what once was
Every baby born.
Every new beginning
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.