In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Isbell is regarded as an exceptional guitar player. His style is mostly in the alt-country genre, but is also infused with rock and blues elements.
Jason Isbell's debut solo album Sirens from the Ditch was released on July 10th, 2007, on New West Records. With his band The 400 Unit, he toured in support of this release in the US and Canada during the summer and fall of 2007. Both Isbell and the band released a follow-up album, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit on February 17, 2009.
We've Met
Jason Isbell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can tell you don't remember. I can see it in your face.
Should've never left this place.
We've met, before you we're a Christian, before your eyes were blue.
Did all that get you through?
And do you know long I've waited? Do you know how long I'll wait for you?
That's what you used to tell me before I went away.
Would you say the same today?
You knew that I couldn't work the foundry and I couldn't play the fool
and I couldn't stay with you.
And the drunks all think we've made it
And the girls all twist and shake it like they do.
All my playground fears have faded
replaced with grownup nightmares that come true.
We've met
This city was the country. That mountain was the sea.
Did I even look like me?
I bet this town is in your blood now, but it didn't have to be, no it didn't have to be.
We thought we'd find the answers in the troubadours and dancers
Brand new.
Do you think I've learned my lesson?
Did I make a new impression on you?
We've met,
I can tell you don't remember. I can see it in your face.
Should've never left this place.
The song "We've Met" by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit is a reflection on the passing of time and how people change over the years. The singer meets someone they knew in the past, but the person does not remember them. The singer reminisces about their shared past, asking if the person remembers when they were not a Christian or when their eyes were a different color. The singer also reflects on their dreams and regrets, wondering if they could have stayed with their past love or pursued a different path in life.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of regret and longing for what could have been. The singer is haunted by their past and the people they have lost along the way. They question if they have learned their lesson and if they have made a positive impression on the person they are speaking to. The song ends with the realization that time has passed and things have changed, but the memories and emotions remain the same.
Line by Line Meaning
We've met,
We have encountered each other before.
I can tell you don't remember. I can see it in your face.
You have forgotten our previous meeting, and it's evident from your facial expression.
Should've never left this place.
Leaving this place was a mistake.
We've met, before you we're a Christian, before your eyes were blue.
We have previously interacted, back when you were not a Christian and had different eye color.
Did all that get you through?
Did religion and eye color change help you cope with life's challenges?
And do you know long I've waited? Do you know how long I'll wait for you?
Do you have an idea how long I have been waiting to meet you again, and how long I am willing to wait?
Dream big.
You advised me to have great aspirations.
That's what you used to tell me before I went away.
You had given me this advice before I left.
Would you say the same today?
Do you still believe in that advice?
You knew that I couldn't work the foundry and I couldn't play the fool and I couldn't stay with you.
You understood that I was not cut out for manual labor and playing the fool, and our relationship could not work out.
And the drunks all think we've made it And the girls all twist and shake it like they do.
People around us believe that we have succeeded, and girls are dancing to celebrate it.
All my playground fears have faded replaced with grownup nightmares that come true.
I no longer fear childlike things, but adult nightmares that become reality.
This city was the country. That mountain was the sea. Did I even look like me?
This place has changed so much that it is nearly unrecognizable, and I am not sure if I still look the same.
I bet this town is in your blood now, but it didn't have to be, no it didn't have to be.
I assume you have become attached to this place even though it was not compulsory.
We thought we'd find the answers in the troubadours and dancers Brand new.
We believed that artists' songs and dance performances would enlighten us.
Do you think I've learned my lesson? Did I make a new impression on you?
Do you believe I have gained some experience and knowledge? Has your opinion of me changed?
Should've never left this place.
Leaving this place was a mistake.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Isbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hbnnny
Great song from a great album. Jason is one of the greatest song writers of his generation. I think this is the best album that I've heard that's come out in the last 10 years.
Duncan Mcgroyne
Another damn song that makes me cry. I love it!
Scott Goulet
Good album. Jason Isbell is becoming one of my favorite songwriters.
scatman vigoda
it grows on you. got this at the same time as jackson taylor-dark days and i like both a lot, along with jesse dayton and whitey morgan. there's so much good country music, why must there be so much crap?
CEB
His voice is reminiscent of Rod Stewart on this.
Christopher Barrett
.. and the girls all twist and shake it.. like they do..
mondoraptor
did i even look like me?