Edie Brickell is an American singer/songwriter, born March 10, 1966 in Dall… Read Full Bio ↴Edie Brickell is an American singer/songwriter, born March 10, 1966 in Dallas (Oak Cliff), Texas.

In the late 1980s Brickell was the lead singer with the (now renamed) folk-rock group Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, whose 1988 debut album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars was a critical and commercial success. The band's follow-up album, Ghost of a Dog (1990), fared less well. As a solo artist, Brickell released Picture Perfect Morning (1994) and Volcano (2003). In 2006 she reunited with some of the original members of the New Bohemians and they released the Stranger Things album.

Brickell had a role as a folk singer in the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July. Her version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is featured on the film's soundtrack. Many computer users know her from the "Good Times" video which was included as part of the multimedia samples on the Windows 95 installation CD-ROM.

Brickell married songwriter Paul Simon in 1992. They have three children.

Rush Around
Edie Brickell Lyrics

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Must have heard the same song twenty times.
Mama sang and put the make up on her eyes.
We were getting ready to go.
School and the work whistle blow.
Everybody had to rush, rush, rush around.
Rush, rush, rush around.
I remember thinking this just can't be right.
Got to be a better way to live you life.

Slow like a soft Southern breeze.
Nobody take time to breathe.
Everybody had to rush, rush, rush around.
Rush, rush, rush around.
Ooo what you do, I dreamt of you yesterday.
Ooo what you do, you come to me then fade away.
Sometimes a memory is hard to bear.
Don't know how a thing so old could still be there.
When I fell the rain in my soul.
I give it up and I go.

Everybody had to rush, rush, rush around.
Rush, rush, rush around

Overall Meaning

The song Rush Around by Edie Brickell is a reflection on the fast-paced, hectic nature of modern life. The song starts with the singer recounting her childhood memories of her mother putting makeup on her eyes and singing a song repeatedly while they were getting ready to go to school and work. The repetition of the song and the rush to leave is a metaphor for the constant hurry and stress that dominates daily life. The chorus emphasizes this idea with the repetition of "rush, rush, rush around."

The singer then reflects on how she feels that there must be a better way to live life than constantly rushing. She longs for a slow, peaceful existence like a "soft Southern breeze." The irony is that in the rush of life, nobody takes the time to breathe and enjoy the simple pleasures.

The second part of the song shifts to the idea of memory and the weight of the past. The singer talks about a dream she had of someone who then fades away, and how memories can be difficult to bear. She closes the song with a resolve to let go of the weight of the past and to not be caught in the endless rush of life.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the stress and busyness that dominates life today. It highlights the need to slow down, enjoy the moment, and be present in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Must have heard the same song twenty times.
I heard the same song many times

Mama sang and put the make up on her eyes.
My mother applied her makeup while singing

We were getting ready to go.
We were preparing to leave

School and the work whistle blow.
It's time for school and work

Everybody had to rush, rush, rush around.
Everyone had to move quickly and be busy

Rush, rush, rush around.
Repetition of the previous line

I remember thinking this just can't be right.
I thought this lifestyle was not correct

Got to be a better way to live you life.
There must be a better way to live

Slow like a soft Southern breeze.
Things should be slow and gentle

Nobody take time to breathe.
No one has time to relax

Everybody had to rush, rush, rush around.
Everyone had to move quickly and be busy