My grandfather gave me his old H… Read Full Bio ↴Erik Penny: A Life-Altering Journey
My grandfather gave me his old Harmony electric guitar when I was 10, and, even though I liked the idea of learning to play it, I lacked the discipline to really do anything about it. Plus, it seemed to be chronically out of tune. When I was 16, I formed my first band with some schoolmates, claiming I could play bass and sing. I could do neither, but being in a band seemed a good way to learn. I took the first 3 chords I learned and wrote a song, then another, then dozens more, and eventually wrote a good one. This made me think I should keep at it, and I did: from that high-school band in Texas; through several more bands, first in Texas, then in LA; then finally embarking on a solo career in 2004, I have been going steadily at it ever since.
My mom and dad were both the oldest siblings in groups of 5. They met in high school choir and I was born a few years later. Upstate New York was home for 4 years, until a job for my dad in El Paso, Texas moved the family from the Canadian to the Mexican border. Summers on the St. Lawrence River and the rest of the year in Texas steeped me in 2 distinct cultures and kept me from ever having any connection to any particular place. That sense of wanderlust (along with a small record deal that ultimately amounted to nothing much) brought me to LA in 1997, where I began to re-learn a bunch of stuff I thought I already knew about the music business. I played in a variety of band projects, finally forming the band Penny in 2001. Penny released the 8-track-recorded full-length “Fifteen Electric” in 2002, which was my first attempt at producing and engineering a full record. It was an addictive experience, and I soon put together a proper pro tools studio, and recorded and released my solo debut, the “Summer Stars EP” in 2004; followed by my first LP, “Footprints” in 2006; the “Erik Penny EP” in 2007; and “The Linger Kiss” in 2008.
In October 2008, I moved to Berlin, after a great tour through Germany with my friend Gus Black in May 2008. Gus produced a video for my song “Easier Life” as a going-away present, and the song garnered my first German airplay on Sputnik Radio in Halle. In May, I began work on my new album with Simon Frontzek of Tomte, and we entered the studio to record my new album “Bend”. With the help of new Berlin friends such as Mocky (Feist, Gonzales, Jamie Lidell…), Gabriel Gordon (Natalie Merchant, Roachford…), Frédérique Labbow (Die Happy), and singer/songwriter/producer Mowat (Chinoy), Simon and I spent most of summer 2009 recording 12 songs that reflect a life-changing move around the world and my impressions of my new home and the characters that fill it.
The song “Side of the Road” tells the story of that move, and the accompanying video, shot guerilla-style in Berlin, captures a 3-minute slice of life in Kreuzberg in high summer. With my new album released March 5th, 2010, and my new band and I on the road in spring and summer, the story continues…
Summer Stars
Erik Penny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
never looked so bright as they look to me now
desert air after rain in the night
there are things you remember the rest of your life
there's no need to fall asleep
the dreams you can remember are the ones you can't keep
better you should lay awake
where were you in 1992?
you were trying to learn what the rest of us knew
never said what they wanted to hear
mumbled the words but the message was clear
some would say that there must be a way out of this
when you still have something to say
and they break you down
The lyrics to Erik Penny's song "Summer Stars" speak to the beauty and nostalgia of summertime memories. The first stanza portrays the simple joy of stargazing from the roof of a car, the stars shining bright against the desert air after a refreshing rainfall. The lyrics suggest that memories like these are the ones that stay with us for a lifetime.
The refrain of the song encourages the listener to stay awake and appreciate the present moment, under the glow of the summer stars. The second stanza shifts focus, asking the listener about their whereabouts in 1992. The lyrics mention the pressure to conform and the feeling of being misunderstood, even when one is trying to express their true thoughts and feelings. The final lines of the song suggest that even when one feels broken down, they should never give up on speaking their truth.
Overall, the song is a tribute to the power of memories and the importance of staying true to oneself, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
summer stars from the roof of a car
Observing the summer stars while being stationed atop a car.
never looked so bright as they look to me now
The stars have never looked so bright and radiant to the observer.
desert air after rain in the night
The fresh, clean, and clear feeling of air after a rain on a desert night.
there are things you remember the rest of your life
Certain memories are deeply imprinted in our minds and will remain with us forever.
there's no need to fall asleep
It is not necessary to go to sleep just yet.
the dreams you can remember are the ones you can't keep
Remembered dreams are often fleeting and elusive, impossible to grasp and hold onto.
better you should lay awake
It may be preferable to stay awake for the time being.
under the summer stars
Beneath the gleaming summer stars in the night sky.
where were you in 1992?
Asking about someone's whereabouts and activity during the year 1992.
you were trying to learn what the rest of us knew
The person in question was attempting to acquire knowledge already possessed by others.
never said what they wanted to hear
The singer did not offer the anticipated or desired response.
mumbled the words but the message was clear
The message conveyed was discernible despite unclear or muted speech.
some would say that there must be a way out of this
Some people posit that there must be a resolution or escape from the current situation.
when you still have something to say
The condition for the previous statement is having something to express or convey.
and they break you down
An unspecified entity or group exerts pressure or force against a person, breaking them down.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.