The bands' story starts in Dayton, Ohio, where Wennerstrom found the name on a multiple choice video trivia game at a bar.
As a songwriting teenager during a time when Guided by Voices and Brainiac were packing local bars and three of the Breeders were still in town, Wennerstrom used to sneak into clubs to check out the scene. "I would just see those people—my music heroes—hanging out at the bar like everyone else," she remembers. "I could see myself in them. It gave me inspiration to do my own thing."
After doing the usual business of playing local shows, the trio set out the following year on a regional tour. One of the first gigs of the trip took them to a bar in Akron, where the Black Keys' drummer Patrick Carney just happened to be one of only a handful of people in the audience. This chance encounter led Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards to Fat Possum Records, with whom they released their debut, Stairs and Elevators, in early 2005.
The band moved on with critical praise in their back pocket, including a four-and-a-half star review from Rolling Stone, which took note that, when Wennerstrom “opens her throat on Stairs and Elevators … she sounds like she’s wailing on the shoulders of giants; her sad and angry vocals channeling all the swagger and spit of a young Robert Plant”
By whatever yardstick you care to measure, it was high time for Erika to get out of Dayton.
In true ascetic discipline, she moved to Austin, Texas in 2007 for a change of inspirational scenery and a new recording project. With the help of producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead), she assembled a group of musicians with whom she gave the songs life and uncovered yet another layer of Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards. Two of the new Bastards aren’t Texas ringers, but fellow Dayton brethren Dave Colvin on drums, and Jesse Ebaugh on bass, who actually played on the original demo that hooked Fat Possum, throw in one Austin native on guitar, Mark Nathan and you’ve got a new unstoppable force that “Take the stage and literally knock everybody down” – NY Times review of the Bastards SxSW record release performance.
The Decemberists’ guitarist Chris Funk said, "It's been a few years since I've had a voice on repeat in my mind. This voice seems to arrive in my ears while sound checking, often before the shows on a pre-show play list and after shows too -- the songs are just perfect and the band has found their spots behind this incredible woman. A unique and enduring artist arrived into our world once again."
The album, entitled The Mountain, (released February 2009) delivers the powerful howl that fans expect from the Heartless Bastards, but also weaves in adventure with mandolins, banjos, strings and Erika’s transcendent voice.
Brimming with confidence and creativity, The album Arrow (released February 2012) sees Heartless Bastards pushing their distinctive sound forward with their most eclectic, energetic collection thus far. The album – the Austin, Texas-based band’s first release with Partisan Records – is marked as ever by singer/guitarist/songwriter Erika Wennerstrom’s remarkable voice, at turns primal and pleading, heartfelt and heroic. Songs like “Parted Ways” and the searing “Low Low Low” expertly capture the Bastards’ multi-dimensional rock in all its strength and spirit. Following upon the difficult introspection of 2009′s acclaimed third album, The Mountain, Arrow stands as a powerhouse new beginning for Heartless Bastards.
“The Mountain was me going through some things after being in a relationship for nine years,” Wennerstrom says. ”This album is kind of like me being comfortable again.”
You Never Know
Heartless Bastards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you hold me in your arms
What a beautiful thing this could be
And I'd risk my heart breaking just to see where this could lead
What else am I going to do, but wonder my days through
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
On this beautiful morning
Oh there's a light in your eyes
And I don't know why sometimes
It makes me want to run and hide
But I'm getting a little older
Getting a little bolder
Getting a little wiser
Getting a little brighter
Ooh....
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
The lyrics to Heartless Bastards' song You Never Know explore the idea of taking risks and opening oneself up to the unknown possibilities of love. The song begins by posing a question to a potential love interest: "If I ask you to stay, would you hold me in your arms?". The singer acknowledges that this could be a beautiful thing, even if it means risking heartbreak. The chorus repeats the phrase "you never know unless you let yourself see", emphasizing the importance of being open to new experiences and opportunities.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on her own growth and evolution. She acknowledges her initial hesitancy, admitting that sometimes the light in her partner's eyes makes her want to run and hide. However, she notes that she is "getting a little older, getting a little bolder, getting a little wiser, getting a little brighter". The song ends with a reiteration of the chorus, emphasizing the importance of taking chances and being open to new possibilities.
Overall, You Never Know is a powerful anthem about the importance of vulnerability and openness in love. The lyrics encourage listeners to take risks and embrace the unknown, knowing that the potential rewards are worth the potential heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ask you to stay
If I ask you to stay with me, to not leave me alone
Would you hold me in your arms
Would you embrace me, comfort me
What a beautiful thing this could be
What a beautiful thing it would be if we could be together
And I'd risk my heart breaking just to see where this could lead
I am willing to take the risk of experiencing heartbreak just to see where this relationship could go
What else am I going to do, but wonder my days through
What else can I do but spend my days wondering about this possible relationship
You never know unless you let yourself see
You will never know what could be unless you allow yourself to explore and experience the possibilities
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You will never know what could be unless you are willing to see the truth and the potential in front of you
You never know until ya do
You will never know the outcome until you take action
On this beautiful morning
On this beautiful day
Oh there's a light in your eyes
Oh, I see something special in your gaze
And I don't know why sometimes
I don't know why I feel this way at times
It makes me want to run and hide
It makes me want to retreat and avoid these feelings
But I'm getting a little older
But I am getting older and hopefully wiser
Getting a little bolder
I am becoming a little more courageous
Getting a little wiser
I am becoming a little more intelligent and prudent
Getting a little brighter
I am becoming a little more optimistic and radiant
Ooh....
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Erika Wennerstrom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mamunur Mamun
Lyrics ...
.
.
If I ask you to stay
Would you hold me in your arms
What a beautiful thing this could be
And I'd risk my heart breaking just to see where this could lead
What else am I going to do, but wonder my days through
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
On this beautiful morning
Oh, there's a light in your eyes
And I don't know why sometimes
It makes me want to run and hide
But I'm getting a little older
Getting a little bolder
Gеtting a little wiser
Getting a littlе brighter
Ooh...
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
Mamunur Mamun
Lyrics ...
.
.
If I ask you to stay
Would you hold me in your arms
What a beautiful thing this could be
And I'd risk my heart breaking just to see where this could lead
What else am I going to do, but wonder my days through
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
On this beautiful morning
Oh, there's a light in your eyes
And I don't know why sometimes
It makes me want to run and hide
But I'm getting a little older
Getting a little bolder
Gеtting a little wiser
Getting a littlе brighter
Ooh...
You never know unless you let yourself see
You never know unless you open up your eyes
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
You never know until ya do
Rodolfo Benitez
So Sweet..
Wahid Bellaf
Thank you 🙏🏽
Susan Zoeckler
What did I just watch? I am utterly charmed.
Mark Wally
Hands down one of the best bands of all time
Andrew Marcellis
You might like band called The Doublejumps if you like listening to Heartless Bastards
Cristian DBC
Amé la canción desde el primer día, gracias por no parar ✨ es bastante sensitiva, emotiva.
Adoro la banda, su música es todo lo que está bien!!
Saludos 🇨🇴
Susana Tavares
Música mágica, colorida e inspiradora.
"You never know it until you do "💙
Ritu Bafna
It's the second song I'm hearing of heartless bastards after only for you . It hasn't let me down :D
Nina
Same here, to me she sounds like a Chrissie Hynde/Adele and MARINA, Patty Smith.