When a teenage Reeves encountered the works of Bob Dylan and James Taylor, it set off a chain of events. First he began working on his own songwriting, combining the classic singer/songwriter style with more modern influences like Radiohead and Sufjan Stevens. He then dropped out of college and moved from Iowa, where he then lived, eventually landing in California. The second person he met upon arrival was future pop star Colbie Caillat. The two hit it off immediately and it didn't take long for their friendship to turn into a songwriting partnership, one that would create the foundation for Caillat's hit album Coco. The songs that weren't reserved for Coco ended up on Reeves' EP Hearts Are Magnets, which appeared in 2006 on the Dancing Squirrel label. The full-length The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache followed in 2007.
Reeves signed to Warner Bros Records in 2008 with the help of Kara DioGuardi and released an album and an EP with the label. He again self-released an album in 2011 with The Lovesick.
New Hampshire
Jason Reeves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the morning in New Hampshire
And casts a shadow on the pavement
Where we used to walk together
Put in a small town made of hills and trees
And these dream's all you've got to believe
This is what you dream
'Cause she is from New Hampshire
She said, she wants to see it all
Putting on her make-up
She is making her last telephone call
She says, she's leaving me now
My eyes are following the lines
That lead away from New Hampshire
'Cause she's gone out of view
And taken with her clarity and laughter
Put in a big town made of hard and scary things
All you've got to believe
In is what you dream
I know she will make it, somehow
'Cause she is from New Hampshire
She said, she wants to see it all
Putting on her make-up
She is making her last telephone call
She says, she's leaving
Why is growing up so bad for love?
It takes us further from what means the most to me
The most in us has gone away
But she is from New Hampshire
She said, she wants to see it all
Putting on her make-up
She is making her last telephone call
She says, she's leaving me now
She says, she's leaving me now
She says, she's leaving me now
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
The lyrics to Jason Reeves's song "New Hampshire" speak about the pain of losing love and the journey of self-discovery that often follows. The first verse describes a lonely yellow light being swallowed by the morning in New Hampshire, casting a shadow on the pavement where the singer used to walk with their lover. The image invokes feelings of nostalgia and melancholy.
The following verse contrasts the small, idyllic town of hills and trees where the singer dreams of a better future with the harsh reality of the big town filled with hard and scary things. The singer believes in the power of dreams and knows that their lover, who is leaving them, will make it somehow because they are from New Hampshire.
The chorus repeats the phrase "she is from New Hampshire" and emphasizes the theme of leaving behind the familiar to pursue new dreams and opportunities. The bridge laments the loss of youth and innocence as the singer wonders why growing up has to be so bad for love. The song ends with a final chorus that serves as a plaintive goodbye to the lost love and the state of New Hampshire itself.
Overall, the lyrics to "New Hampshire" speak to the universal experiences of heartbreak, hope, and the bittersweet nature of growing up and chasing one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
A lonely yellow light gets swallowed
The only light in the morning fades away
By the morning in New Hampshire
The morning in New Hampshire is always lonely
And casts a shadow on the pavement
The light that used to brighten the pavement is now gone
Where we used to walk together
They used to walk together in the morning light
Put in a small town made of hills and trees
Imagine a small town surrounded by hills and trees
And these dream's all you've got to believe
All that's left to hold onto is hope and dreams
This is what you dream
This town is everything they ever wanted
I know she will make it, somehow
He believes that she will succeed no matter where she goes
'Cause she is from New Hampshire
She has the strength and resilience of someone from New Hampshire
She said, she wants to see it all
She has big aspirations and wants to explore the world
Putting on her make-up
She's preparing to leave
She is making her last telephone call
She is saying goodbye to the one she loves
She says, she's leaving me now
She is leaving him for good
My eyes are following the lines
He's watching her path to see where she goes
That lead away from New Hampshire
Her path is taking her far from their small town
'Cause she's gone out of view
He can no longer see her
And taken with her clarity and laughter
She has taken away the light and happiness in his life
Put in a big town made of hard and scary things
Now imagine a big town that is filled with difficult and frightening things
All you've got to believe
All you have left is faith
In is what you dream
Your dreams are what you hold onto
Why is growing up so bad for love?
Why does adulthood have to ruin relationships?
It takes us further from what means the most to me
Growing up takes us away from the things that are most important
The most in us has gone away
The best part of them is now gone
She says, she's leaving me now
She is leaving him for good
New Hampshire
The place where their love began
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.