The end of 2008 saw Grieves enlisting the help of friend and collaborator Budo to co-produce Together/Apart bringing his signature swiss-army knife, multi-instrumental backdrop to Grieves' hauntingly poignant narrative. The album began taking shape in New York as the two built off the success 88 Keys and Counting had generated and paired it with the intensity they developed from their live performances. The recording process began to shadow the theme of the album as it saw tracks recorded in Colorado and Washington in addition to New York, infusing it with a mixture of regional influences while still maintaining a cohesive sound. As the album neared completion the title took on a double meaning for Grieves as he explored new subject matter in the absence of trust, refuge in addiction, acceptance and honesty in self-reflection, and trying to find his place in the world without forgetting his roots.
Another Love
Grieves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he's never there for me x2
Baby its killing me, that I may have to leave, go
A friend of mine once told me when I was out on the road
That you have an artist inside you and you cannot be controlled
And any way that you choose it, its gonna show
And if anyone tries to limit you, you need to let them go
Between trying to chase my dreams and providing you with your needs
And yea there's a fine line between it
Love colliding in battle over the use of its meaning
And now you label this as my fault, talk with your friends
Like you've been living with the ghost of the man you go to bed with
And I need you to understand that what I've been blessed with
Is more than an investment, and isn't here to test you please
I know this is not expected, at times you feel neglected
And our love is a death wish, but I know one way to say it
I love you and wish for you to stay, I heard you saying things like
My baby just cares for me
My baby just cares for me (I heard you saying things like)
But he's never there for me
But he's never there for me (I heard you talking like)
Baby its killing me, that I may have to leave, go (heard you wanna)
There's nothing more painful than failing at love
Pack your whole life up and cover in dust
Baby I feel the tension in between us is growing stronger
And your faith in me is diminishing into nothing at all
And that's disappointing because I sacrificed a lot for you
Never did I lie to you and stray from the truth
Huh, and still you look at me and treat me as the bad guy
Giving me those sad eyes, every time I ask why
And if that's our past time, then why do you put up with it
And why are you in love with me if you can barely stomach it
It's fragile, and I know I'm distant and bashful
Hit the road for two months and didn't even ask you
On the real, I shouldn't really have to
I've dreamt of this for years, and I'm gonna take it by the handful
And now I gotta try and choose between the two of you
Seeing you hit that door is like watching you at my funeral saying
My baby just cares for me
My baby just cares for me (I heard you saying things like)
But he's never there for me
But he's never there for me (I heard you talking like)
Baby its killing me, that I may have to leave, go (heard you wanna)
How would you expect
Close your eyes and make this better
Now for better
How would you attempt
To change the weather, when its raining and our hearts still let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go
Both choruses
in the song "Another Love" by Grieves feat. Helen Chance revolve around the idea that the singer's significant other cares for him but does not support his artistic dreams or provide emotional support. The first verse highlights the conflict between pursuing his passion for music and maintaining a healthy relationship with his partner. He feels torn between investing in his own growth and catering to his partner's emotional needs. This emotional turmoil is further brought out in the second verse, where the singer reflects on the tension between him and his partner. He acknowledges that their relationship is deteriorating, and even though he has not lied to her or been unfaithful, she treats him as the bad guy.
The repeated line, "Baby, it's killing me that I may have to leave, go," shows that the singer recognizes that he may have to choose between his dreams and his relationship. The song depicts the pain of letting go of something that is familiar but no longer serves one's ultimate purpose. The ending of the song suggests that even though the singer acknowledges the pain of parting ways, it is necessary for him to pursue his dreams fully, and he hopes that his partner will understand.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby just cares for me
My partner loves me, but their love is not enough to sustain our relationship.
My baby just cares for me (I heard you saying things like)
I have heard you express that I am not meeting your emotional needs, despite your love for me.
But he's never there for me
Although my partner loves me, they are not present in our relationship and do not meet my needs.
But he's never there for me (I heard you talking like)
You have expressed to me that my partner is absent in our relationship and does not meet my needs.
Baby its killing me, that I may have to leave, go
The emotional pain of feeling neglected and unfulfilled in my relationship may lead me to choose to end it.
A friend of mine once told me when I was out on the road
While I was on a journey, a friend gave me advice.
That you have an artist inside you and you cannot be controlled
My friend believed that I have a creative spirit that cannot be confined or dictated by others.
And any way that you choose it, its gonna show
My artistic expression will manifest in whatever way I choose to express it.
And if anyone tries to limit you, you need to let them go
If someone tries to hold me back or stifle my artistic expression, I should separate myself from them.
Now I'm having trouble trying to find an even medium
I am struggling to balance my pursuit of my artistic dreams with my responsibility to provide for my partner.
Between trying to chase my dreams and providing you with your needs
There is a conflict between my desires to pursue my artistic passions and my obligations to support my partner.
And yea there's a fine line between it
There is a delicate balance between pursuing my artistic ambitions and providing for my partner.
Love colliding in battle over the use of its meaning
Our relationship is in conflict as we struggle to find a shared understanding of what love means to us.
And now you label this as my fault, talk with your friends
You blame me for the issues in our relationship and discuss them with your friends.
Like you've been living with the ghost of the man you go to bed with
You feel disconnected from me and it is as if you are sleeping with a stranger.
And I need you to understand that what I've been blessed with
I want you to recognize and appreciate the talents and opportunities that have come into my life.
Is more than an investment, and isn't here to test you please
My artistic pursuits are not simply an investment or a test of our relationship.
I know this is not expected, at times you feel neglected
I understand that my artistic goals are not what you anticipated and that you sometimes feel ignored or undervalued.
And our love is a death wish, but I know one way to say it
Our relationship may be doomed, but I still love you and want you to stay with me.
There's nothing more painful than failing at love
The pain of a failing relationship is one of the worst experiences imaginable.
Pack your whole life up and cover in dust
Leaving a relationship requires a difficult and painful process of packing up one's life and saying goodbye.
And your faith in me is diminishing into nothing at all
Your trust and belief in my ability to be a good partner is disappearing completely.
And that's disappointing because I sacrificed a lot for you
It is frustrating that I have made significant sacrifices for our relationship, yet still feel like it is failing.
Never did I lie to you and stray from the truth
I have always been honest with you and have never lied or hidden anything from you.
Huh, and still you look at me and treat me as the bad guy
Despite my honesty and effort in our relationship, you continue to view me as the one at fault for its problems.
Giving me those sad eyes, every time I ask why
You respond to my inquiries about the state of our relationship with sadness and disappointment.
And if that's our past time, then why do you put up with it
If our relationship is characterized by sadness and disappointment, why do you continue to tolerate it?
And why are you in love with me if you can barely stomach it
If our relationship is causing you so much distress, why do you still love me?
It's fragile, and I know I'm distant and bashful
Our relationship is delicate, and I realize that I have been emotionally distant.
Hit the road for two months and didn't even ask you
I left for an extended trip without even checking in with you or considering how it would affect our relationship.
On the real, I shouldn't really have to
In reality, I have no obligation to seek your permission or approval for my artistic pursuits.
I've dreamt of this for years, and I'm gonna take it by the handful
I have been dreaming of pursuing my artistic passions for years, and I am now actively taking steps to achieve them.
And now I gotta try and choose between the two of you
I am now faced with a difficult decision between pursuing my artistic dreams and salvaging our failing relationship.
Seeing you hit that door is like watching you at my funeral saying
The pain of watching you leave our relationship is akin to watching you mourn over my own funeral.
How would you expect
What did you hope to achieve?
Close your eyes and make this better
Try to block out the negativity and envision a better future for us.
Now for better
Let's work together to make things better.
How would you attempt
What would be your effort to improve things?
To change the weather, when its raining and our hearts still let it go
How can we improve the situation when our hearts are already hurting and filled with emotional pain?
Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go
We must let go of our past hurt and pain in order to move forward and salvage our relationship.
Contributed by Harper J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.