He has toured extensively since 2008 and has opened for alt-country pioneer Steve Earle, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and folk rocker M. Ward among others. Pug released his first full-length album, Messenger, in February 2010. In 2010 he also went to the United Kingdom and played the main-stage of the Cambridge Folk Festival. Since that time, he has released two further full-length albums: 'The Great Despiser' in April 2012, and 'Windfall' in March 2015.
Pug released The Flood in Color in July 2019.
www.joepugmusic.com
The First Time I Saw You
Joe Pug Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw crimson, I saw dark blue
Saw the ocean we would drive to
To say our goodbyes
I saw winter, I saw new moons
Saw a heavy-hearted bridegroom
Saw the color of your bedroom
Don't ask me how I knew
Was the first time I saw you
The first time I saw you
I saw somebody that I knew
I recognized you
From our first glance
See I seen my share of counterfeit
I used to have mine 'round a bit
Once you've seen yourself ungenuine
There ain't no goin' back
Don't ask me how I knew
Was the first time I saw you
Last time I saw you
By the ocean like we both knew
Now I guess that I'm supposed to
Tell you that I'm doin' fine
But it was the last time that I held her hand
Was the last time that I gave a damn
I don't think I'll ever understand
Why I never found the time
I saw crimson, I saw dark blue
Last time that I saw you
The last time that I saw those two
Was the first time I saw you
In Joe Pug's song "The First Time I Saw You," the lyrics tell a story of love and loss. The first verse sets the tone of the song with the singer describing the first time they saw the person they fell in love with. They saw the colors crimson and dark blue, which may symbolize passion and sadness respectively. They also saw the ocean they would later drive to say their goodbyes. The imagery of the ocean adds to the theme of loss and heartbreak. The singer saw winter and new moons, which could represent endings and new beginnings. They saw a heavy-hearted bridegroom, which may foreshadow the relationship's eventual demise. The color of the person's bedroom is seen in the whites of their eyes, which could symbolize how they saw their lover everywhere they looked.
In the second verse, the singer explains how they recognized their lover right away. They had seen enough counterfeit in their life, which could mean that they had experienced many fake relationships before. But when they saw their lover, they knew right away that it was genuine.
The last verse shows the sadness and regret that the singer feels about the relationship's end. They saw crimson and dark blue again, but this time it was the last time they saw their lover. They held each other's hands for the last time, and the singer knows they will never understand why they couldn't find the time to make it work. Overall, the song tells a bittersweet love story that captures the pain of loss and missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
First time I saw you
From the moment I first laid eyes on you
I saw crimson, I saw dark blue
I saw vivid colors that made an impression
Saw the ocean we would drive to
I saw a symbol of our future together
To say our goodbyes
Where we would someday have to part ways
I saw winter, I saw new moons
I pictured different parts of the year with you
Saw a heavy-hearted bridegroom
I saw the image of a man with mixed feelings
Saw the color of your bedroom
I saw an intimate detail of your life
In the whites of your eyes
In the clarity of your gaze
Don't ask me how I knew
I can't explain how I had this deep feeling
Was the first time I saw you
It was a feeling that hit me instantly
I saw somebody that I knew
I felt like I had met you before
I recognized you
I understood something about you
From our first glance
From the first moment we saw each other
See I seen my share of counterfeit
I have encountered my fair share of fake people
I used to have mine 'round a bit
I have been dishonest in the past
Once you've seen yourself ungenuine
Once you recognize your own dishonesty
There ain't no goin' back
There is no undoing your actions
Last time I saw you
The most recent time we met
By the ocean like we both knew
At the place where we shared a meaningful moment
Now I guess that I'm supposed to
I feel an obligation to
Tell you that I'm doin' fine
To pretend that everything is okay
But it was the last time that I held her hand
The last physical touch we shared
Was the last time that I gave a damn
The last time I felt any emotional investment
I don't think I'll ever understand
I don't believe I will ever comprehend
Why I never found the time
How I could have let an opportunity pass me by
Last time that I saw you
The time I saw you before we parted ways
The last time that I saw those two
The last time I saw the colors that reminded me of you
Was the first time I saw you
It was the moment that first drew me to you
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@trishah137
Lovely ballad from a seriously poetic songwriter.
@colleenchartier3680
So bittersweet, one of my favorites.
@cedricvandepitte3372
Joe, for me this is one of the best love songs ever written and I thank you for that. I Hope you're doing well and like me, you find inspiration in new and old songs, lyrics, books and life in general. These are strange and extraordinary times that could bring the best of us to the surface. I hope this is the case for you and really look forward to your future work. kind regards from the old continent
, cedric
@nathanthomas3016
You should do a cover of the Mountain Goats' "This Year" on piano one of these Sundays! Listen to that chorus, it's been that type of year.
@mamamary2001
Beautiful...❤️
@jevanthompson9979
Lovely piece Joe
@mikemiles5802
Wasted your time as a carpenter music has always been your calling well done joe
@mikemiles5802
Its not steve Earle but it'll do till steve gets here