Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion grew up in a musi… Read Full Bio ↴Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion grew up in a musical family: his father was director of the Yale concert and marching bands, his mother sang in jazz bands, and his siblings, Randy (a conductor/arranger in L.A.) and Laurie (a violinist), were both avid music students. Young Jon didn't deal with instruction or practice well, but his natural affinity for improvisation and melody more than made up for his impatience. Unwilling to conform to the conventional school system, Brion attended special education class at Hamden High School in New Haven, CT, and the day he turned 17, he left school for good. Moving to Boston in 1987, the young musician formed many bonds that he would keep long into his professional career, including producer Mike Denneen (owner of Q Division, Boston's premier studio and record label) and 'Til Tuesday vocalist Aimee Mann. Also while there, Brion tuned his improvisational musical abilities: "I used to watch TV with an unplugged electric guitar, on the couch, and commercials would come on and I'd try to play along. It was one of the prime things I concerned myself with for several years, getting to the point where if I heard it, I could play it. Then I started working on getting my brain to do multiple things at once. And having my hands translate them." This proficiency led to increasingly frequent studio work on the West Coast, eventually resulting in his move to L.A. While in California, he and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Falkner formed the Grays, an underground superstar group which released the 1994 album Ro Sham Bo, before quickly fading as the other members (Falkner, Dan McCarroll, and Buddy Judge) went on to individual musical success. Throughout the '90s, Brion found himself increasingly in demand in the studio, producing and collaborating on albums by Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, David Byrne, and the Eels and soundtracks including the Grammy-nominated Magnolia.
Recently, Brion experimented Hip-Hop style as producer on Kanye West last album, "Late Registration". The result is brilliant, with real-life instruments mashed up with heavy beats. To complete this mutation, Kanye West did a live recording of his record at the mythic Abbey Road Studio, Jon Brion being the missing link between Hip Hop and The Beatles pop music.

In addition to his prolific studio work, he also has held a long-term position as "the house band" Friday nights at the high-profile Hollywood nightclub Largo. At his live shows, the crowd can expect anything from guest appearances by Aimee Mann, Michael Stipe, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, or Grant Lee Phillips, and Brion is infamous for making up songs on the spot (often from titles shouted from the audience). He also is beloved for his quirky cover versions of songs by Cheap Trick, the Beatles, and Cole Porter, proudly likening his on-stage antics to "spraying musical Raid on the classics, until each dying song flips on its back and wiggles its little musical legs in surrender." Whatever music he was involved in, his eclectic touch undeniably shaped the sound of many progressive alternative musicians throughout the '90s.

Gotta Start Somewhere
Jon Brion Lyrics

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I might not have anything to offer you
I might not have anything to say that's new
But you've gotta start somewhere
Oh, you've gotta start somewhere

So infinite and scary too
Just ask for it
And it's coming true

I continue in hope I have a follow-up
And if I do then you might not ever shut me up

But you've gotta start somewhere
Oh, you've got to start somewhere

So I prepare to follow through
Why should I care
What it is to you?

Get a load of the lengths I got to avoid
Even admitting that I'm qualified
And I'm aware of the need to let it ride

But you've gotta start somewhere
Oh, you've gotta start somewhere
Yeah, you've gotta start somewhere

If, and, or but will have to do
This story's what I'm sticking to
For it might not address the need for more
And it might be less than I'm hoping for
It's just what It's coming to
Just ask for it and it's coming true

But you've gotta start somewhere
Oh, you've gotta start somewhere

Yeah, you've gotta start somewhere
Just ask for it and it's coming true

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Gotta Start Somewhere" by Jon Brion explore the theme of taking steps towards growth and change, despite feeling uncertain or unprepared. The singer admits that they might not have anything new or remarkable to offer, but that it's important to begin somewhere. The idea of beginning something new is portrayed as both infinite and scary, but the singer maintains hope for a positive outcome. They acknowledge their fear of being shut down or rejected, but the desire for growth and self-expression is more important.

The lyrics suggest that the fear of failure can hold the singer back from expressing themselves fully, and that they may be holding themselves back from acknowledging their own strengths and abilities. The line "Get a load of the lengths I got to avoid/Even admitting that I'm qualified" suggests that the singer may be downplaying their own abilities or accomplishments, perhaps due to past experiences of rejection or negative feedback. However, they are determined to persevere and continue towards their goals.

The final lines of the song emphasize the power of asking for what you want and watching it come true. The repetition of "you've gotta start somewhere" amplifies the message of the song, encouraging listeners to take the first step towards their own goals and aspirations.

Line by Line Meaning

I might not have anything to offer you
I may not have anything valuable to give you

I might not have anything to say that's new
I may not have any new ideas to express

But you've gotta start somewhere
But you have to take the first step

Oh, you've gotta start somewhere
Oh, you really have to start somewhere

So infinite and scary too
The possibilities are endless and also daunting

Just ask for it
Just request it

And it's coming true
And it will come true

I continue in hope I have a follow-up
I persist in the hope that I have a backup plan

And if I do then you might not ever shut me up
And if I have one, then I might never stop talking

So I prepare to follow through
So I am ready to see it through

Why should I care
Why should I be concerned