Though born in New York, Peter's was raised in Boulder, Colorado, and then moved to Nashville in the late 1980s. There, she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, as well as for Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with Bryan Adams. She has twice been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song, in 1995 and 1996, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 2003.
Peters has released a string of studio albums of her own. The title track of her 1996 debut album The Secret of Life was later recorded by Faith Hill in 1999.
In the case of her new album, 'Blackbirds,' "juice" is certainly understatement. Recorded in Nashville, the album features a who's who of modern American roots music: Jerry Douglas, Jason Isbell, Jimmy LaFave, Will Kimbrough, Kim Richey, Suzy Bogguss and more. But it's not the guests that make 'Blackbirds' the most poignant and moving album of Peters' storied career; it’s the impeccable craftsmanship, her ability to capture the kind of complex, conflicting, and overwhelming emotional moments we might otherwise try to hide and instead shine a light of truth and understanding onto them.
'Blackbirds' is, in many ways, an album that is unafraid to face down mortality. But rather than dwell on the pain of loss, the music finds a new appreciation for the life we're given.
If anyone can open up that conversation, it's Peters. Inducted into the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014, she has long been one of Music City's most beloved and respected artists, known never to shy away from darkness and struggle in her writing. Martina McBride's recording of her stirring "Independence Day," a song that deals with domestic abuse, was nominated for a Grammy and took home Song of the Year honors at the CMAs, and her work has been performed by everyone from Etta James and Neil Diamond to George Strait and Trisha Yearwood. "If Peters never delivers another tune as achingly beautiful as 'On A Bus To St. Cloud,'" People Magazine wrote, "she has already earned herself a spot among country's upper echelon of contemporary composers."
'Blackbirds' follows Peters' 2012 album 'Hello Cruel World,' which NPR called "the album of her career" and Uncut said "establishes her as the natural successor to Lucinda Williams." If anything, though, 'Blackbirds' truly establishes Peters as a one-of-a-kind singer and songwriter, one in possession of a fearless and endlessly creative voice.
Careful How You Go
Gretchen Peters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No place special, just around
The snow fell down like feathers from the sky
And all the good people were in their beds
With the reading lamps on overhead
And the curtains drawn against the night
Quiet now
Softly now
House to house to garden gate
People waiting on buses that left too late
Too late now, they're wishing they were home
It gets slippery here, so watch your step
We don't want to break the spell just yet
The ice is thin, but maybe it will hold
Quiet now
Softly now
Careful how you go
On a midnight survey of the town
No place special just around
The snow fell down like feathers from the sky
The song "Careful How You Go" by Gretchen Peters is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that tells the story of a person walking alone through a snow-covered town at midnight. The images created by Peters' lyrics evoke a sense of quiet desperation and introspection. The snow falling like feathers from the sky creates a feeling of softness, but also of suffocation -- the kind of suffocation that comes from being alone in a world that is cold and indifferent.
The person walking through the town is careful not to slip on the ice or disturb the spell of the night. They pass by houses and garden gates, imagining the people inside sleeping soundly with their reading lamps on and curtains drawn against the night. The lyrics suggest a yearning for the warmth of home and human connection, but the person remains alone in the cold, watching the world go by.
The repetitive refrain of "quiet now, softly now, careful how you go" reinforces the idea of caution and carefulness, but also of being gentle and mindful of the world around us. "Careful How You Go" is a song that speaks to the universal human experience of wanting to find one's way in the world, of wanting to be seen and heard, and of wanting to connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
On a midnight survey of the town
I went out to explore the town in the middle of the night
No place special, just around
I didn't have a particular destination in mind, just wanted to wander around
The snow fell down like feathers from the sky
It was snowing heavily, and flakes were falling gently from the sky
And all the good people were in their beds
Most people in the town were asleep in their beds
With the reading lamps on overhead
Some people who were still awake had their reading lamps turned on
And the curtains drawn against the night
Many people had their curtains closed to block out the darkness outside
Quiet now
I should be quiet and not disturb the peacefulness of the night
Softly now
I should move in a gentle and quiet manner
Careful how you go
I need to be careful where I step and move slowly and cautiously
House to house to garden gate
I walked around the town, passing through different houses and gardens
People waiting on buses that left too late
There were some people waiting at the bus stops who missed their buses
Too late now, they're wishing they were home
Those people were now regretting not being able to reach their homes on time
It gets slippery here, so watch your step
The snow and ice make the ground slippery, so I need to be extra cautious
We don't want to break the spell just yet
The peaceful ambiance of the night should not be disturbed just yet
The ice is thin, but maybe it will hold
The ice on the ground is not very strong, but there's a chance it might hold my weight
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kate o'keeffe
Nice