Where McKeown cites The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as an influence on her music, the Philadelphia Weekly recently described McKeown's music, saying:
"More singer-songwriters should follow the lead of Erin McKeown, the kooky songbird who's proved both playful and daring throughout her career. With a lilting delivery and chameleonic instrumentation, she even slipped into French for "Coucou", a gem off her unlikely standards album Sing You Sinners. But with McKeown, is anything really unlikely?"
McKeown's latest record, Hundreds of Lions, was released under Righteous Babe Records on October 13, 2009. Additionally, "CabinFever", a series of web concerts recorded in 2009 are available at McKeown's website.
McKeown began her career in the folk scene. She released her first album, Monday Morning Cold, on her own label (TVP Records), travelling throughout New England while still a student at Brown University in order to promote the record. Although she had begun studying ornithology, she graduated from Brown with a degree in ethnomusicology.
Earlier works include the roots and folk-orientated Distillation (2000), mainly pop and swing-orientated Grand (2003), We Will Become Like Birds (rock and pop, 2005) and the jazz and swing-orientated Sing You Sinners (2006, USA: 2007)
Considering she's praised for vivid and entertaining live shows, Erin McKeown released several live records such as an EP featuring live performances on KCRW Radio in 2006 and live recordings from Sirius FM by the end of 2009.
You Don't Know
Erin McKeown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hold myself away
Yeah, but listen to the sound of a house running
Well all houses are the same
And all the sadness in your heart
It won't bring me back to you, no
Yeah but, doesn't it make you wonder how a love,
A love made so easily could shy beneath november's harvest moon
Dark in a stranger's open kitchen
Well, i stripped you to your bare feet and more
Yeah, it makes me feel so foolish now
Thinking of everything i did
Tell me, i was pretty at the time
Was i pretty at the time?
I'm afraid for you to hear me say these words
It's the same every, everyone i've hurt
But i will try to remember how you wandered away
To follow some long echo of a bird
And all the sadness in your lonesome countryside
Well, it won't bring me back to you, no, no
Trust me, you don't want me around
And i'm too always fond of leaving...
And i'm too fond of always leaving you
You don't know how much i loved you
No, you don't know how much i loved you
No, you don't know, you don't know...
You don't know how much i loved you
Now, you don't know
Erin McKeown’s “You Don’t Know” is a heart-wrenching song about a failed relationship, steeped in regret, nostalgia, and unrequited love. With lines like “Who am I to sing a love song, I hold myself away,” the singer acknowledges their emotional distance and inability to fully commit to the relationship. The singer describes the memory of stripping their lover in a stranger’s kitchen with a mix of desire, regret, and foolishness. They reflect on how their lover left them to follow an “echo of a bird” and how sad and lonely they feel without them. Despite their overwhelming love for their lover, the singer recognizes that they are not good for them and vows to stay away, acknowledging their tendency to leave.
The song’s lyrics tap into universal and relatable themes of lost love and regret. It takes a poignant and vulnerable look into the aftermath of a romantic relationship, highlighting the painful realities of missed opportunities and missed connections. The repeated refrain, “You don’t know how much I loved you,” emphasizes the singer's yearning for their lover and the fact that the love was not recognized and reciprocated. Erin McKeown’s haunting and raw vocal delivery adds to the poignancy of the lyrics, making the song emotionally moving.
Line by Line Meaning
Who am i to sing a love song
I am not confident enough to express my feelings in a love song
I hold myself away
I keep myself distant from intimate relationships
Yeah, but listen to the sound of a house running
Despite my reservations about love, the sound of a busy household is comforting to me
Well all houses are the same
Every household resembles other households in many ways
And all the sadness in your heart
Although you are hurting, I cannot fix your pain
It won't bring me back to you, no
Your sadness won't make me come back to you
Yeah but, doesn't it make you wonder how a love,
Isn't it curious how a relationship that started so easily can end so abruptly?
A love made so easily could shy beneath november's harvest moon
A love that sparked easily could vanish as quickly as the moon disappears into the darkness of the night
Dark in a stranger's open kitchen
I am in a dim stranger's kitchen
Well, i stripped you to your bare feet and more
I got you to your most vulnerable state when we were together
Yeah, it makes me feel so foolish now
I feel ridiculous about what I did with you now
Thinking of everything i did
Recalling my past actions towards you
Tell me, i was pretty at the time
Can you assure me that I was good-looking then?
I'm afraid for you to hear me say these words
I fear your reaction when I confess what I feel
It's the same every, everyone i've hurt
I have hurt others in the same way before
But i will try to remember how you wandered away
I will try to recall that you left me willingly
To follow some long echo of a bird
You followed your heart, even though it led you far away
And all the sadness in your lonesome countryside
The sadness in your rural town cannot be cured by me
Well, it won't bring me back to you, no, no
Your sadness won't make me return to you
Trust me, you don't want me around
It's better if we don't see each other
And i'm too always fond of leaving...
I have a habit of always walking away from relationships
And i'm too fond of always leaving you
I keep leaving you behind, and that trend won't end
You don't know how much I loved you
You are not aware of the depth of my love for you
No, you don't know how much I loved you
You have no idea how much I cared about you
No, you don't know, you don't know...
It's clear that you completely lack awareness of my emotions
You don't know how much I loved you
My feelings for you were profound and overwhelming
Now, you don't know
And you will never grasp the enormity of my love for you
Contributed by Arianna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.