Messersmith is not only a musician is half-truth, but also a storyteller. His first full-length release The Alcatraz Kid is a moving collection of acoustic-driven lullabies with titles like “Novocain” and “Beautiful Children” that innocently question the purpose of things to come. The integrity of these delicate songs immediately struck a chord with critics and fans alike, and captured the attention of Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, who offered to produce Messersmith’s follow-up album, The Silver City.
The Silver City was a natural progression in sound and reflection: the compositions grew fuller and more dynamic with a classic-pop feel inspired by the Beach Boys and Beatles: While the topics focused on midlife struggles with tracks like “Dead End Job” and “Miracles.” Local and national attention soon followed with NPR and college stations around the country, followed by U.S. tours and sold-out shows in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis.
The Reluctant Graveyard bookends this trilogy of lifelong (ahem, literary) observations with songs like “Lazy Bones” and “Organ Donor,” and sonically continues on the ’60s chamber pop path Messersmith set out with his sophomore release. He continues to share stages with notables such as Sondre Lechre and The Watson Twins, and has been featured on MTV and Ugly Betty.
Bubblin'
Jeremy Messersmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm uptight
Why carry so much heaviness?
Troubling, troubling, troubling how
One moment
I'm frozen
December rises suddenly I'm
Lover, I can't say what I mean to say
Lover, I will put all these words away
Lover, I don't know how to make you stay
Unspoken
I'm broken
Only silence winning out
Sputtering, sputtering, sputtering out
So lonely
No, tell me
Belly full of butterflies
Fluttering, fluttering, fluttering out
Lover, I can't say what I mean to say
Lover, I will put all these words away
Lover, I don't know how to make you stay
Somewhere there's a place for us
Tell me what you've done to us
I'll hold her
Never own her
I can't name the feelings
Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling out
The lyrics in Jeremy Messersmith’s “Bubblin” tell a story of love and struggle to communicate. The song is about two people who have a hard time expressing how they feel about each other, and the frustration that comes with it. The first paragraph sets the tone, with the singer recognizing that he is uptight while his lover is all right. He questions why he carries so much heaviness, and how troubling it is. The second paragraph is about freezing up in the moment, and how stuttering takes over. He can’t seem to say what he means to say, and he’s struggling to communicate. The third paragraph is about being broken and how silence is winning, as words spurt out in a sputtering manner. The fourth paragraph is about feeling lonely, with a belly full of butterflies, and how he does not know how to make her stay. The last paragraph is about bubbling feelings that are unnamed, and how he can’t hold them in.
The song could be interpreted as a relationship that is not being fully realized due to lack of communication. Both parties are struggling to express their feelings and are instead left with feelings that bubble out inside. At the same time, the song could also be interpreted in a broader sense of communication in general, and how it can be challenging to convey our thoughts and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
She's all right
The subject is doing fine.
I'm uptight
The singer is very anxious.
Why carry so much heaviness?
Why hold on to so much negativity or sadness.
Troubling, troubling, troubling how
It's unfortunate or distressing how something is happening.
One moment
At a certain point in time.
I'm frozen
The singer is paralyzed or stuck, unable to act or think appropriately.
December rises suddenly I'm
The time of year has changed and the singer feels a sudden shift in their mood.
Stuttering, stuttering, stuttering out
The artist is having trouble communicating their thoughts or feelings.
Lover, I can't say what I mean to say
The artist is struggling to express what they want to say to their lover.
Lover, I will put all these words away
The artist will hold back their words, keeping them to themselves.
Lover, I don't know how to make you stay
The singer is unsure of how to make their lover want to stay with them.
Unspoken
Something has not been expressed or spoken out loud.
I'm broken
The singer is emotionally hurt or damaged.
Only silence winning out
Nothing is being said or communicated, and this lack of communication is taking over.
Sputtering, sputtering, sputtering out
Words or thoughts are awkwardly and poorly coming out.
So lonely
The artist is experiencing a lot of solitude.
No, tell me
The artist wants to hear and understand something specific.
Belly full of butterflies
The singer is experiencing a lot of nervousness or anxiety, especially in their stomach area.
Fluttering, fluttering, fluttering out
The anxiety or nervousness is overwhelming and interfering with the singer's thoughts or actions.
Somewhere there's a place for us
There may be a better or more suitable place for both the artist and their lover.
Tell me what you've done to us
The artist is asking their lover for an explanation of how they got to their current state or what they have done to contribute to the situation.
I'll hold her
The artist will embrace their lover.
Never own her
The singer will not try to control or possess their lover.
I can't name the feelings
The artist is having trouble putting into words their emotions and sensations.
Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling out
The feelings are coming up and out, becoming hard to contain or control.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.