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.
I Was Looking For You
Gretchen Peters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama said I was restless, just made that way
But I was looking for you, I was looking for you
I'd wake up crying and she'd hold me tight
But something about it just didn't feel right
'Cause I was looking for you, I was looking for you
I was looking for you all this time, I was looking for you
A little shelter at sea, a little sign from above
Now that you were looking for me
I used to ride down Main Street in the middle of the night
I was looking for trouble and I found it alright
It was easy to do, I was looking for you
And I thought it was a miracle when you looked my way
And I felt my heart beat when I heard you say
I was looking for you, girl, I was looking for you
I was looking for you all this time, I was looking for you
Hoping I'd find a little light in the darkness
A little shelter at sea, a little sign from above
Now that you were looking for me
One day it's rapture, the next despair
I pulled up at a stoplight and I saw you there
And I saw her too, I was looking for you
Last night I met someone and I looked in his eyes
Took me a minute 'fore I realized
That I was looking for you, I was looking for you
I was looking for you all this time, I was looking for you
Hoping I'd find a little light in the darkness
A little shelter at sea, a little sign from above
Now that you were looking for me
The song "I Was Looking For You" by Gretchen Peters is a poignant piece that explores the complexities of longing and the search for connection. The singer of the song describes feeling an inexplicable hunger throughout her life, something that her mother saw as restlessness. She realizes that what she was really searching for was the missing piece, the person who would complete her. This person may not have been named, but their absence left a void within her that she could not define.
The lyrics of the song also depict the singer's journey of self-discovery, as she recounts the moments where she felt lost and alone, seeking trouble in the hopes of finding someone to fill the emptiness within her. It isn't until she meets the person she has been searching for that she finds the light she has been looking for, a home where she can find refuge. The song is, ultimately, about the idea of destiny and the hope that we will find the people we are looking for in the end.
One of the most interesting aspects of this song is the way that it plays with the idea of searching for someone who may not even exist. The singer doesn't know the name of the person she is looking for, but she feels their absence as a palpable loss. This underscores the idea that sometimes we search for things we cannot define and hope to find them anyway. Another interesting feature of the song is the way that the lyrics alternate between the singer's feelings of despair at not having found what she's looking for, and the moments where she feels real hope and connection. This makes the moments where she does find what she's looking for all the more powerful.
The song also features intricate and poetic lyrics, which express complex emotions with simplicity and nuance. The chords accompanying the song are soft and melancholic, perfectly capturing the bittersweet emotions of the lyrics. It is a beautiful ballad that can speak to anyone who has ever felt a longing for something they cannot quite define.
Chords: Not available.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born with a hunger nobody could name
I was born with an unexplained yearning for something that even my mother couldn't understand
Mama said I was restless, just made that way
My mother believed that my restlessness and longing were just innate aspects of my personality
But I was looking for you, I was looking for you
Ultimately, I was searching for a specific person who could fill the void inside of me
I'd wake up crying and she'd hold me tight
Even when my mother comforted me in the middle of the night, my longing persisted and brought me to tears
But something about it just didn't feel right
Despite her best efforts, my mother's comfort couldn't fully quell my uneasiness and yearning
'Cause I was looking for you, I was looking for you
This persistent restlessness was directly tied to my desperate search for the person I believed could finally bring me peace
I was looking for you all this time, I was looking for you
My search for you consumed me, driving me to constantly seek a sign that you were out there somewhere
Hoping I'd find a little light in the darkness
I searched for you as a source of light in the darkness of my existence
A little shelter at sea, a little sign from above
I hoped that you could provide the stability and guidance I needed amidst the tumultuous ocean of life
Now that you were looking for me
Finally finding out that you were seeking me out as well was a revelation that gave me hope and excitement
I used to ride down Main Street in the middle of the night
My search for you drove me to reckless behavior, like driving down Main Street late at night
I was looking for trouble and I found it alright
My desire to find you lead me down a path of recklessness that sometimes led to trouble
And I thought it was a miracle when you looked my way
When you finally noticed me, I couldn't believe it - it seemed like a true miracle
And I felt my heart beat when I heard you say
Hearing you speak to me only deepened my connection to you and intensified my longing
I was looking for you, girl, I was looking for you
There was no denying it - I was always, always looking for you
One day it's rapture, the next despair
My emotional journey was a rollercoaster, with intense highs and equally intense lows
I pulled up at a stoplight and I saw you there
Even in the most mundane moments, you remained at the forefront of my mind
And I saw her too, I was looking for you
Seeing someone who looked like you only reinforced the idea that I was always on the lookout for you
Last night I met someone and I looked in his eyes
Despite meeting someone new, my search for you remained unfulfilled and I still searched for you in their eyes
Took me a minute 'fore I realized
It took me some time to understand that this new person wasn't you, and never could be
That I was looking for you, I was looking for you
In the end, every encounter and moment was just another reminder that I was always, always searching for you
I was looking for you all this time, I was looking for you
No matter what happened, I could never stop searching for you
Hoping I'd find a little light in the darkness
You were the beacon of hope I desperately clung to throughout my life
A little shelter at sea, a little sign from above
You were my shelter in turbulent times, and the answer to all my silent prayers
Now that you were looking for me
Finally discovering that you too had been searching for me was the ultimate fulfillment of my lifelong desire
Contributed by Nathaniel G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.