After The Story broke up in 1994 Brooke went solo, first as Jonatha Brooke & The Story and then simply under her own name. Her first album, Plumb (1995) was followed by 10 Cent Wings (1997) and a harder-rocking album, Steady Pull (2001). In February of 2004 she released Back in the Circus, which marked a first collaboration with songwriter Eric Bazilian (from The Hooters), and a few creative covers. Back in the Circus was released in April 2005 in the UK combining tracks from Back in the Circus and Steady Pull.
2007 saw the release of Careful What You Wish For, on which she continued the collaborations, not only with Eric Bazilian, but also JC Chasez, Nick Lachey and Sally Dworsky (to whom she dedicated "Sally" on Back in the Circus). Her 2008 effort, The Works was a sort of collaborative effort with Woody Guthrie, returning to her folk roots by imbuing Guthrie's words with her own musical style, resulting in a whole that is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts.
She's also contributed to soundtracks (e.g. I'll Try and other tracks on Peter Pan: Return to Neverland), and released Emmanuel (a track that she and Kevin Gilbert were working on when he died), and has her own record label Bad Dog (presumably a reference to Dog Dreams).
Visit her website for current tour information.
www.jonathabrooke.com
Last Innocent Year
Jonatha Brooke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can dress her up, but she can't dance
She'll never take you down like I do
To the dark side of romance
Is nothing really lost if nothing's told
Words just stutter out like crisp twenties you unfold
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent, innocent year
I swirl your name around my tongue like a dare
Such a sweet and bitter test
I fan my future but I cling to the past
Demons at my heel and my mother at my breast
But you're the only one I want to hold
Love just sputters out and leaves you lost and cold
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent year
This my last innocent year
This is my last innocent, innocent year
I know now I loved you (tragically)
Unraveled with your tonic, and gin
I'll remember your face and your taste and your truth
And your beauty through the din
Is nothing ever lost if nothing's told
Words just stutter out like crisp twenties you unfold
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent year
This is my last innocent, innocent
year
The lyrics of Jonatha Brooke's song "Last Innocent Year" depict the feelings of the singer as she looks back on a past relationship. She speaks of the other woman, who she refers to in the third person, indicating a sense of detachment and bitterness. The singer asserts that the other woman will never be able to match the level of passion and intensity that she shared with her former partner. The line, "You can dress her up, but she can't dance," suggests that the other woman may be more superficially attractive or put together, but lacks the genuine chemistry and depth that the singer once shared with her partner.
The use of the phrase "dark side of romance" indicates a sense of danger or perhaps even toxicity in the relationship. The singer acknowledges that there are things left unsaid between her and her former partner, yet she seems resigned to this fact. The repetition of the line, "This is my last innocent year," suggests that the singer is aware that she is on the brink of losing her naivete and entering a more complicated phase of her life. She seems to be grappling with the realities of love and loss, and the pain that comes along with it.
Line by Line Meaning
She'll never know what I know
She will never understand the truth as I do.
You can dress her up, but she can't dance
Despite her appearance, she lacks charm and cannot carry a conversation.
She'll never take you down like I do
She will never bring you to the depths of passion like I can.
To the dark side of romance
Experiencing intense love that involves risk and danger.
Is nothing really lost if nothing's told
If secrets are kept, is anything truly lost?
Words just stutter out like crisp twenties you unfold
Speech stumbles like the unfolding of crisp currency because the truth can be difficult to reveal.
This is my last innocent year
This is the final year of naivete or the last year before experiencing a loss of innocence.
I swirl your name around my tongue like a dare
Mentioning your name is daring and exciting for me.
Such a sweet and bitter test
Loving you is both pleasurable and painful.
I fan my future but I cling to the past
I look towards a better tomorrow, but I am stuck in memories of yesterday.
Demons at my heel and my mother at my breast
Challenges and support are ever present in my life.
But you're the only one I want to hold
You are the only one I desire to be with intimately.
Love just sputters out and leaves you lost and cold
The excitement of love can fade and leave one feeling lost and empty.
I know now I loved you (tragically)
In hindsight, the love I felt was tragically strong or foolish.
Unraveled with your tonic, and gin
Drinking alcohol together caused me to lose control of my emotions.
I'll remember your face and your taste and your truth
I will always recall how you looked, felt, and spoke; with honesty and authenticity.
And your beauty through the din
Despite the chaos, you shone like a beautiful light.
This is my last innocent year
Repeating the concluding message that this is the last year of naivete.
This is my last innocent year
Repeating the concluding message that this is the last year of naivete.
This my last innocent year
Repeating the concluding message that this is the last year of naivete.
This is my last innocent, innocent year
Repeating the concluding message that this is the last year of naivete.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHA BROOKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind