McCarley currently calls Nashville home, but she cut her musical teeth in San Diego, where she’d moved after college to pursue a life that did not feature music at its center. It was during this bout that McCarley met producer/writer/keyboardist Jamie Kenney (the rare partner she felt 100 percent comfortable with), and the two began honing the songs that would make up Love, Save the Empty.
During 2008, she was part of the "Hotel Café Tour" playing across the United States, and also performed at the 2008 SxSW festival. She was also part of the "Ten Out of Tenn" tour in Winter 2008/2009. Erin spent 2009 on the road with various musicians including Brett Dennen, James Morrison, Paolo Nutini and Mat Kearney.
In 2008, McCarley traveled the annual SXSW Music Festival where she was discovered by her label Universal Republic Records. Love, Save the Empty, was released digitally on December 30, 2008 via iTunes debuting #86 on the Billboard Top 200 Album.Chart. A physical album followed on January 6, 2009. The first single from the album, "Pony (It's OK)" was the iTunes Single of the Week for the first week of 2009.
Hello Goodbye
Erin McCarley Lyrics
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Good day, goodnight
You love, you hide
Why?
You spring, you fall
Turned on, turned off
What's wrong, what's wrong, love?
You don't know, you don't know
You don't know.
You say you don't know
You don't know, you don't know what's on your mind
I'd love to hear you say
Anything but silence
You're unaware that I'm so tired
And I've tried to understand
Am I the only one cares here?
I can't let you, let you disappear
Oh oh oh oh
You seem at ease
Then climb your trees
You're different colors
On the age I hope
Inside I choke
I'm falling under, oh
What am I, what am I to do?
What am I, what am I to do?
When you fly too high
I'd love to hear you say
Anything but silence
You're unaware that I'm so tired
And I've tried to understand
Am I the only one cares here?
I can't let you, let you disappear
Oh, oh oh oh
I'd love to hear you say
Anything but silence
You're unaware that I'm so tired
And I've tried to understand
Am I the only one cares here?
I can't let you, let you disappear
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, I've tried to understand
Am I the only one who cares here?
I can't let you, let you disappear
The lyrics of Erin McCarley's song Hello/Goodbye convey frustration and confusion in a romantic relationship that seems to lack communication and consistency. The song explores the highs and lows of the relationship, from moments of love and intimacy to moments of confusion and detachment. McCarley addresses her partner's inconsistency, pointing out that at times they seem at ease and loving, but other times they hide their love and seem uninterested. The repetition of the phrase "you don't know" suggests that her partner is struggling to communicate their true feelings, leaving McCarley feeling uncertain and tired.
The chorus of the song expresses McCarley's desire to hear her partner speak up and communicate, as she is tired of the silences and mixed signals. She questions whether she is the only one who cares about the relationship, showing her willingness to fight for it even when her partner seems to be drifting away. The bridge of the song introduces a sense of vulnerability and hopelessness as McCarley acknowledges her own feelings of falling under and choking, while also questioning what she can do to keep the relationship alive when her partner seems to be flying too high.
Overall, Hello/Goodbye is a powerful and emotional song that captures the complexities of romantic relationships and the struggles of communication and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, goodbye
Despite saying hello or goodbye, our relationship is clearly not stable
Good day, goodnight
Our relationship is like the sun, rising and setting rapidly
You love, you hide
You have love but keep it hidden
Why?
I don't understand why you hide your love
You spring, you fall
You change quickly, from love to indifference
Turned on, turned off
Your emotions quickly shift from one extreme to another
What's wrong, what's wrong, love?
What's the reason behind your mercurial nature?
You say
You speak but not quite out of honesty
You don't know, you don't know
You're either unaware, or don't want to admit your feelings
You don't know.
You're still unsure about your true feelings despite exploring them
You say you don't know
You're avoiding the subject again
You don't know, you don't know what's on your mind
You're not sure what you want in our relationship
I'd love to hear you say
I wish you'd communicate your thoughts honestly
Anything but silence
I'd like any response, rather than just silence
You're unaware that I'm so tired
My patience and energy is running out waiting for you to make up your mind
And I've tried to understand
I'm struggling to make sense of our situation
Am I the only one cares here?
I'm not sure if our relationship matters to you as much as it does to me
I can't let you, let you disappear
I hope that we can work through our differences and that you won't leave me
You seem at ease
You appear comfortable with avoiding your feelings
Then climb your trees
You find distraction in other things
You're different colors
You display a range of emotions
On the age I hope
I hope that maturity will help you make a decision about what you want
Inside I choke
The uncertainty in our relationship is suffocating me
I'm falling under, oh
I'm losing hope for our relationship
What am I, what am I to do?
I'm unsure how to navigate our relationship's turbulent nature
When you fly too high
When your emotions run too hot or too cold
Oh, I've tried to understand
I've made an honest effort to comprehend
Am I the only one who cares here?
I'm beginning to feel like you don't care as much about me as I do about you
I can't let you, let you disappear
I hope you won't leave me, but I can't stop you if you choose to go
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIN MCCARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind