Pratt was raised by her mother, who exposed her to a broad range of artists, including Tim Buckley, X, and the Gun Club. She learned to play the guitar around the age of 15, after her older brother gave up playing his Stratocaster. She took his guitar and started practising with the T. Rex album, Electric Warrior. She was soon able to play the guitar parts of the whole record. She eventually began recording songs at the age of 16, using her mother's Fender guitar amp and microphone.
After she moved to San Francisco, she was introduced to Tim Presley's solo project, White Fence, through Presley's brother, who was her roommate for three years. In the following years, Presley heard Pratt's demo songs through her then-boyfriend, who had posted her songs on Facebook. He eventually contacted her to release her music.
Pratt's self-titled debut album was released in 2012 through Presley's label, Birth Records. Produced by Craig Gotsill, the album featured the songs that were originally recorded in 2007 over analogue tape. The initial 500 pressings of the sold out in less than two weeks. It received attention from many music websites and magazines, including Pitchfork (website), Consequence of Sound[3] and PopMatters.
In January 2014, she revealed the studio version of a new track, "Game That I Play."
In October 2014, Pratt announced her sophomore album, On Your Own Love Again.
In October 2018, she announced her third album, Quiet Signs, and released a video for a new track, "This Time Around." Pitchfork reviewed the song, giving it the Best New Music designation and noting a stylistic shift, comparing it to "a Tropicalia version of a Christmas song, or a ’60s jukebox standard playing in a beach town diner during the off-season."
According to Philip Cosores of Consequence of Sound, Pratt's music "displays a lyrical and musical range without straying from a palette of picked acoustic guitar and raw, bending vocals" and nods to "60′s folk, California classic rock, and the early 2000′s freak folk." She is compared to various folk artists, including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Sibylle Baier, David Crosby and Karen Dalton. She also expressed admiration for Ariel Pink.
Night Faces
Jessica Pratt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was dragging my feet across the broken hall
I remember sad faces in the mirror by me
In a song goes blank faces in the drivers seat
You know I spent a million tears tryina pick myself up on these years
And I ended whole... now
Nor call you... comes the tears you rain down
You call me later than the ...that end
Some days are long and some days are old
I was dragging my feet across the broken one
I remember sad faces in the mirror by me
In a song goes blank faces in the drivers seat
You know I spent a million tears tryina pick myself up on these years
And I ended whole... now
Nor call you... comes the tears you rain down
You call me later than the ...that end
Used to cry no tears... cry no tears
Again, again, uh, again
Used to cry no tears... cry no tears
Again, again, uh, again.
The lyrics of Jessica Pratt's song "Night Faces" portrays the emotional turmoil of an individual's journey to self-discovery. The singer describes her struggles as she walks through a broken hallway, feeling the weight of past pains and disappointments. It seems that she encounters sad faces in the mirror that reflect the bad experiences she has had, and blank faces in the driver's seat, indicating that she feels directionless and aimless.
The lyrics tell the story of someone who has been through a lot but has managed to pick themselves up and become whole again. They have shed a million tears, but they no longer cry now. The line "Nor call you... comes the tears you rain down" suggests that the singer is trying to move on from a past relationship that caused them sadness and pain. Despite this, they continue to receive tears from their ex-partner's continuous attempts to reach out to them, but they choose not to respond.
The repetition of the lines "Some days are long and some days are old; I was dragging my feet across the broken one" creates a sense of resignation and fatigue. Yet, the final lines "Again, again, uh, again; used to cry no tears... cry no tears" suggests an ongoing struggle to maintain this newfound sense of peace and detachment. In summary, the song is a beautiful metaphorical journey of a person struggling to move on from their past and finding the strength to become whole again.
Line by Line Meaning
Some days are long and some days are old
Days can feel endless and time can move slowly
I was dragging my feet across the broken hall
I was moving slowly and lethargically through a place that was already in disrepair
I remember sad faces in the mirror by me
I recall seeing my own reflection looking unhappy and troubled
In a song goes blank faces in the drivers seat
In a musical composition, there are blank expressions on the faces of those driving, perhaps suggesting a lack of direction or purpose
You know I spent a million tears tryina pick myself up on these years
I have shed countless tears trying to move forward and make progress with my life
And I ended whole... now
Despite the struggles, I have come out the other side feeling complete and whole
Nor call you... comes the tears you rain down
When I don't call you, my tears fall like rain
You call me later than the ...that end
You reach out to me after things have already fallen apart
Used to cry no tears... cry no tears
I used to be emotionally numb and unable to cry, but now I do
Again, again, uh, again
This cycle of pain and emotion continues repeatedly
Writer(s): Jessica Pratt Copyright: Domino Publishing Co. Ltd.
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
E1Z0
Some days are long and
Summer days are hard
I was dragging my feet across the parking lot
I remember sad faces in the mirror behind me
And I saw those blank places in the driver's seat
You know I spent a million tears
Trying to dig myself out all these years
And I had a hard time to get me down
No, I call you Delaney
'Cause the tears you rain down
And you call me lady when the chips are down
And you say, "Cry no tears"
I hear you sayin'
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
Some days are long and
Summer days are hard
I was dragging my feet across the parking lot
I remember sad faces in the mirror behind me
And I saw those blank laces in the drivers seat
You know I spent a million tears
Trying to get myself out all these years
And I had a hard time to get me down
You know I call you Delaney
'Cause your tears that you rain down
And you call me lady when the chips are down
And you say, "Cry no tears"
I hear you sayin'
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
Again, mmm, again
"Cry no tears," they say
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
NPC #6,669
Ethereal voice.
Felipe Fernandes
really love her! "on your own love again" is one of my fav albuns ever
Stephanie Bare
Has a Woodstock-ish feel due to the intimacy of her music and the amplification, it may be unintentional, but I like it.
phoatoh joe
Beautiful voice.
TheKorina15
lovely!!!!!!
E1Z0
Some days are long and
Summer days are hard
I was dragging my feet across the parking lot
I remember sad faces in the mirror behind me
And I saw those blank places in the driver's seat
You know I spent a million tears
Trying to dig myself out all these years
And I had a hard time to get me down
No, I call you Delaney
'Cause the tears you rain down
And you call me lady when the chips are down
And you say, "Cry no tears"
I hear you sayin'
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
Some days are long and
Summer days are hard
I was dragging my feet across the parking lot
I remember sad faces in the mirror behind me
And I saw those blank laces in the drivers seat
You know I spent a million tears
Trying to get myself out all these years
And I had a hard time to get me down
You know I call you Delaney
'Cause your tears that you rain down
And you call me lady when the chips are down
And you say, "Cry no tears"
I hear you sayin'
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
Again, mmm, again
"Cry no tears," they say
"Cry no tears" is the refrain
"Cry no tears" again
imawiseman101
Sounds fine when it's being recorded direct-in, but this was one of the most disappointing sets of the weekend. Nothing against Jessica, who played and sang beautifully, but the disappointment was due to the poor scheduling conflict that ruined the intimacy of her set. Next time you book a quiet act...don't pit them up against an artist with deafening 808s blasting across Union park. Pls.
ladybugmerringue
Her voice is even better live
MsCygnusX1
Beautiful.
g jb
Desert island music WOOOOOOW