Jaffe's musical journey began while attending boarding school in Millbrook, New York. It was during this time that he adopted the name Del Water Gap, inspired by the sight of it handwritten on the back of a box truck. Initially, Jaffe played drums in a noise rock band, where he had limited opportunities to showcase his vocals. Seeking further education in music and sound production, he pursued studies at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU.
While Del Water Gap was originally a band, it eventually transitioned into Jaffe's solo project. The lineup underwent changes during his college years, including a collaboration with singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, who was involved for a six-month period. Jaffe and Rogers initially connected during their freshman year of college, and they released the song "New Song," recorded in 2014. Collaborations have played a significant role in Jaffe's career, as he also worked with Claud on the single "My Body" and co-wrote and produced Claud's "Never Meant To Call."
In 2018, Jaffe signed with Terrible Records and released the single "Laid Down My Arms." This was followed by the release of the singles "Chastain" and "Theory of Emotion" as a lead-up to his third EP, "Don't Get Dark," also under Terrible Records.
Del Water Gap signed with Atlantic Records in 2020, and subsequently released the tracks "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" and "Mariposa." The song "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" gained significant attention when actresses Margaret Qualley and Kaitlyn Dever shared an Instagram video of themselves participating in a "socially distant dance party" to the song during the initial summer of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Del Water Gap joined Mom + Pop Music, releasing the single "Hurting Kind" along with a music video co-directed by Charlie Plummer. The video received support from MTV, and images from the shoot were featured in GQ. Del Water Gap's debut album was released with Mom + Pop Music in October 2021, followed by a headline tour and a support tour alongside Jeremy Zucker.
I Hope You Understand
Del Water Gap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bread knife to my throat
You cracked a smile and kissed me
And you cut me like a loaf
But lying on the gurney
Bleeding like a pig
I took your hands and worried
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
I wanna take you with me
Airplane food for two
I'll put you in my suitcase
And come out barely bruised
I'm so scared of the distance
I'm scared of how you feel
When you're back in his living room
And I'm holding back tears
Now I'm sucking on a stranger
And I'm picturing you move
You speak to me in languages
You learned in boarding school
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
I don't wanna move out west
Wait on tables in Venice
Beg my brother for money and a credit card for the rest
Falling sicker and sicker of the bartering with myself
Sign my life to a label
Getting famous and getting shelved
No I don't wanna fol-
I don't wanna follow
"Do you have anything to say?"
"What do I have to say?"
"Anything else?"
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
The lyrics of Del Water Gap’s song “I Hope You Understand” describe the pain and longing of a lover who is not reciprocated in the way that they want. The first verse describes a disturbing dream in which the lover is killed by their partner. Despite this violence, however, the lover remains devoted and worries about how their partner will live without them.
The rest of the song reveals the complexities of the relationship. The lover is scared of the distance between them and worries about their partner being with someone else. They even picture their partner speaking in languages they learned at boarding school while they are with another person. The mention of an airplane and suitcase suggest a desire to escape with their partner, but there is a sense of resignation towards the end of the song. The singer doesn’t want to follow a conventional path, but they are also resigned to the idea that they may deserve the pain they’re experiencing.
Overall, "I Hope You Understand" reflects the complexities of relationships and the hurt and longing that can come with love. The emotional intensity of the song, along with the vivid dreams and imagery, make for an impactful and thought-provoking piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream you killed me
I dreamt that you killed me
Bread knife to my throat
You killed me with a bread knife at my throat
You cracked a smile and kissed me
You smiled and kissed me after killing me
And you cut me like a loaf
You killed me like cutting a loaf of bread
But lying on the gurney
As I lay on the stretcher
Bleeding like a pig
Bleeding profusely
I took your hands and worried
I held your hands and worried
How without me you'd live
How you would manage to live without me
Even when it's hurting
Even when it hurts
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you know how much you mean to me
And maybe I deserve it
Maybe I deserve to be killed in the dream
I wanna take you with me
I want to be with you always
Airplane food for two
Sharing airplane food together
I'll put you in my suitcase
I'll take you with me in my suitcase
And come out barely bruised
And come out almost unscathed
I'm so scared of the distance
I'm afraid of distance between us
I'm scared of how you feel
I'm scared of how you feel about me
When you're back in his living room
When you are in his living room
And I'm holding back tears
And I'm trying not to cry
Now I'm sucking on a stranger
Now I'm kissing a stranger
And I'm picturing you move
And I'm imagining you moving
You speak to me in languages
You speak to me in different languages
You learned in boarding school
You learned these languages in boarding school
I don't wanna move out west
I don't want to move to the west
Wait on tables in Venice
Work as a waiter in Venice
Beg my brother for money and a credit card for the rest
Ask my brother for money and a credit card to survive
Falling sicker and sicker of the bartering with myself
Getting tired of negotiating with myself
Sign my life to a label
Sign my life away to a record label
Getting famous and getting shelved
Getting famous but then ignored by the label
No I don't wanna fol-
No, I don't want to follow
I don't wanna follow
I don't want to follow the traditional path to fame
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Do you have anything to say?"
"What do I have to say?"
"What do I have to say?"
"Anything else?"
"Is there anything else you want to say?"
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Gabe Goodman, Mike Adubato, Samuel Holden Jaffe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind