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.
Songs We Used To Sing
Edie Brickell Lyrics
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That broken home broke my heart.
We must be strong when we don't wanna.
When darkness falls into your arms.
And I remember melodies
Of songs we used to sing.
Doot doot n doo doo
The rain falls.
And everyone rushes in.
Doot doot n doo doo
The rain falls on.
Out in the yard, playin' cards in the summer.
Cicadas calling through the trees.
It wasn't hard for us all to come together.
It wasn't hard for us all to leave.
And I remember melodies. of songs we used to sing.
Doot doot n doo doo
The rain falls.
Doot doot n doo doo
And everyone rushes in.
Doot doot n doo doo
The rain falls on.
I remember melodies of songs we used to sing.
Long forgotten melodies of songs we used to sing
The opening lines of "Songs We Used to Sing" by Edie Brickell suggests that the singer has plunged into a depth of sorrow or heartbreak, as "sank like a stone into rainwater" is a poetic way to express feeling dragged down into a sad place. The next line, "that broken home broke my heart," may hint at personal turmoil or the end of a relationship that was once rooted in a literal or figurative home.
The lyric "we must be strong when we don't wanna" signals that the singer is aware of the need for personal resilience in the face of hardship, but also that it's not always easy to maintain that strength. When "darkness falls into your arms" it's as if sadness or grief is a tangible thing that can envelope someone, making the need for strength even more important. However, the singer uses comfort and nostalgia for "melodies of songs we used to sing" to combat the sadness.
The chorus describes the sound of a rain that falls on everyone, with each person reacting in their way to the downpour. It's a metaphor for the unpredictability of life with its ups and downs, with some people seeking shelter, while others embrace the wetness. The final line, "long forgotten melodies of songs we used to sing," brings home a sense of loss for things/people that were once treasured, but are now in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Sank like a stone into rainwater.
I felt heavy and sad, like a rock sinking into a pond.
That broken home broke my heart.
Growing up in a house full of problems hurt me deeply.
We must be strong when we don't wanna.
Even when we feel weak or hopeless, we have to keep pushing forward.
When darkness falls into your arms.
When you feel lost or alone, sometimes the only comfort you can find is in someone else's embrace.
And I remember melodies
Of songs we used to sing.
I think back on happy memories of singing along to old tunes.
Doot doot n doo doo
The rain falls.
The sound of the rain is soothing and constant, like a simple melody.
Doot doot n doo doo
And everyone rushes in.
When rain starts, people naturally seek shelter and company from each other.
Out in the yard, playin' cards in the summer.
We used to spend carefree afternoons outside, playing games and enjoying the warm weather.
Cicadas calling through the trees.
We could hear the loud chirping of cicadas in the background, adding to the lazy, peaceful atmosphere of the day.
It wasn't hard for us all to come together.
It wasn't hard for us all to leave.
When we were young, it was easy to gather or disperse in a group. We were carefree and didn't worry about social dynamics as much.
Long forgotten melodies of songs we used to sing
As time passes, some details of happy memories fade away, but the feeling of joy and togetherness remains.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: EDIE BRICKELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind