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.
Northern Lights
Gretchen Peters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The days have grown dark and the nights have turned cold
And the hurts that we harbor, the debts that we owe
Are sleeping down under a blanket of snow
It covers the grasses, the bench in the park
The scars in the earth where man's made his mark
And high in the sky there's an unearthly glow
And all our cares seem immaterial
Beneath a light so ethereal
As if all our wrongs could be made right
Oh darling, under the northern lights
We wound and we're wounded by the tiniest acts
We run from our ghosts and we cover our tracks
And we try to make up for mistakes that we've made
With presents and parties and Christmas parades
But I'm tired of the running, I'm taking my leave
And the fire's burning low on this cold Christmas Eve
All that I have is this evening to spend
All that I want is to hold you again
To linger awhile in the mystery
To know the gift that's been given me
Just to lie beside you this Christmas night
Oh darling, under the northern lights
The song Northern Lights by Gretchen Peters is an emotional and evocative song that captures the mood of a cold and dark December night, where the snow covers the pains and hurts of the past. The lyrics are poetic and insightful, capturing the essence of the human experience - the hurts we harbor, the debts that we owe, the tiniest acts that wound us and the mistakes we make. The song speaks of the ethereal beauty of the northern lights, which seems to make all our cares immaterial, as we are transported to a place of wonder and delight.
The lyrics are deep and reflective, and they suggest that our wrongs could be made right if we can feel the wonder and the beauty of the northern lights. The song speaks of the scars that men make on the earth and the comfort of lying beside a loved one on a cold Christmas evening. The song is a reminder of the importance of human relationships and of the beauty that is all around us, even in the midst of darkness.
Overall, Northern Lights is a song that is full of emotion and meaning. It speaks of human experience in a way that is insightful and profound, and it captures the beauty of the natural world in a way that is awe-inspiring and ethereal.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep in December, the year has grown old
Winter is here, it's darkest of all and the year is coming to an end
The days have grown dark and the nights have turned cold
The days have gotten shorter and it's getting colder at night
And the hurts that we harbor, the debts that we owe
We have all our pain and suffering stored within and we owe a debt
Are sleeping down under a blanket of snow
The snow has covered everything just like a blanket, hiding all the pain and suffering
It covers the grasses, the bench in the park
The snow covers all the grass, even the bench in the park
The scars in the earth where man's made his mark
The marks left by humans have been hidden under the snow
And high in the sky there's an unearthly glow
There is an unusual glow in the sky
Like a miracle sent to delight us below
It's such a beautiful sight, like a miracle that has been sent to us to see
And all our cares seem immaterial
All our worries and concerns seem trivial
Beneath a light so ethereal
Under the beautiful, unearthly light
As if all our wrongs could be made right
It feels like all the mistakes we've made can be fixed
Oh darling, under the northern lights
Under the Northern Lights, my love
We wound and we're wounded by the tiniest acts
We hurt and get hurt by the smallest things
We run from our ghosts and we cover our tracks
We avoid our past and try to hide our flaws
And we try to make up for mistakes that we've made
We try to make amends for the mistakes that we've made
With presents and parties and Christmas parades
We try to make up for our mistakes by giving gifts, throwing parties, and celebrating Christmas
But I'm tired of the running, I'm taking my leave
I'm tired of running away from my problems, I'm leaving
And the fire's burning low on this cold Christmas Eve
The fire is burning out on this cold Christmas Eve
All that I have is this evening to spend
All I have is this evening to spend
All that I want is to hold you again
All I want is to hold you again
To linger awhile in the mystery
To spend some time figuring out the mysteries of life
To know the gift that's been given me
To discover the gift of life that has been given to me
Just to lie beside you this Christmas night
To spend time lying down beside you on Christmas night
Oh darling, under the northern lights
Under the Northern Lights, my love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
soundmstr
2018 and I still get tears in my eyes when listening to this song...
Catherine S. Todd
One of my favorites; I'm back listening again. Over and over again.
Catherine S. Todd
Thank you for uploadingthis... such beautiful music, always!