Josh Mease, originally from Houston, Texas, lives in Brooklyn, where he can… Read Full Bio ↴Josh Mease, originally from Houston, Texas, lives in Brooklyn, where he can often be found exploring the abandoned corners of the city, finding peaceful solace in cemeteries, empty swimming pools, and abandoned waterfronts. His debut LP, Wilderness, is the result of these wanderings. It was patched together from various recording sessions in Texas, Connecticut and most notably the closet of his Brooklyn apartment, where neighbors’ loud parties, clanking pipes, and the sound of traffic on the BQE were par for the course. But even amidst the constant noise and distraction just outside his window, Josh Mease has found a space inside his music to daydream. He’s found a safe haven in his own imagination, and luckily Wilderness takes us all there with him.

Besides a trip down to Denton, Texas with bandmates Bill Campbell and Alan Hampton to pitch in basic drums and bass, Mease also took a trip to New Haven for a few weekends to record in a top floor (and possibly haunted) attic studio. Besides this out of town tracking, the songs “Days Like This,” “Neon Ghosts,” “Eleanor,” and “White Diamonds” were all bedroom recordings top to bottom. The result is layer after layer of quiet yet lush and poignant melodies that really make Wilderness the gem that it is.

Wilderness is a testament to Josh’s mind for fantasies. Each song evokes a scene from an imaginary world. The album takes us from the front porch summer swing sing-along “Days Like This” to the day-glo world of “White Diamonds” and ends with the ambient and beautifully strange “Tall Trees.” Mease also shows a talent for love songs. “I See You,” a duet featuring Jess Martins (Via Audio), is a lovely campfire stargazer about finding your other half – and “Eleanor” evokes silent movie imagery from the past. The topics of each song are diverse, but the theme remains that world of Mease’s mind where the music and listener are safe from the daily hustle.

Mirrors
Josh Mease Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You will outlive us all
Everyone you see
Mirror looking back at me
All of our youthful days
Caught up in your gaze
Soon they all will fade away

See all the buildings there

Blocking out the sky
They will outlive you and I
All of the bricks and glass
Standing up so tall
One day may consume us all

But when we go
I hope you know
All the things we leave behind
Monuments to both me and you
Eventually eclipse our kind

You will outlive us all
Everyone you see
Mirror looking back at me
All of our youthful days
Caught up in your gaze
Soon they all will fade away

But when they do
I know that you
Will find another pretty face
Reflecting on until we're gone
And no one's left to take our place

And when we go
I hope you know
All the things we leave behind

Monuments to both me and you
Eventually eclipse our kind

Overall Meaning

In Josh Mease's song "Mirrors," he explores the idea of impermanence and the inevitability of time. Mease addresses a mirror that he sees himself in as a reflection of himself and humanity as a whole. He acknowledges that everything around us is temporary, including ourselves, and that the mirror will outlast us all. Mease understands that the mirror will continue to reflect the world long after we're gone, and that it will eventually "consume us all."

The lyrics further express the sentiment that the things we create, like buildings and monuments, may also outlast us. However, they too eventually face the same fate as we do, fading away with time. Mease offers a sense of acceptance about the impermanence of everything, acknowledging that the mirror will continue to reflect the world, even as it changes over time. Similarly, we will leave our mark on the world in our own ways, but eventually, we will be forgotten.

The song's lyrics convey a poignant message about life's fleeting nature and the importance of cherishing each moment as it comes. It reminds us that we are mere specks in the grand scheme of things, and that our time here is limited. We should strive to create something that will leave a positive impact on the world, just like how the mirror serves as a metaphor for the legacy we leave behind.

Line by Line Meaning

You will outlive us all
We are mortal, but the mirror lives forever and will witness the passing of generations.

Everyone you see
Every person that gazes into the mirror will one day age and die, but the mirror will remain unchanged.

Mirror looking back at me
The singer is staring into a mirror, reflecting on their own fleeting existence compared to the persistence of the mirror.

All of our youthful days
The time of our youth, filled with hope and potential, is fleeting and will soon be gone.

Caught up in your gaze
The artist is mesmerized by their own reflection, recognizing the power of the mirror to capture and hold their attention.

Soon they all will fade away
The singer's youth and vitality are temporary and will inevitably fade and disappear.

See all the buildings there
The singer observes the towering structures that surround them, symbols of human civilization that will outlast their brief existence.

Blocking out the sky
The buildings form an imposing barrier that obscures and diminishes the natural world around us.

They will outlive you and I
The architecture will continue to exist long after the artist and all those around them have passed away.

All of the bricks and glass
The man-made materials that compose the buildings are made to last, the result of human ingenuity and effort.

Standing up so tall
The buildings are a testament to human achievement, impressive in their size and design.

One day may consume us all
The structures we create have the potential to consume our lives and identity, overshadowing our individuality and purpose as human beings.

But when we go
As individuals, we know that death is inevitable.

I hope you know
The singer hopes that the mirror, and by extension future generations, will remember them and the legacy they left behind.

All the things we leave behind
The singer refers to the monuments of culture, creativity, and human activity that may survive us long after we are gone.

Monuments to both me and you
Our collective achievements represent a shared legacy and a testament to the capacity of human creativity and industry.

Eventually eclipse our kind
In time, the physical and cultural artifacts of our civilization will surpass and replace us, becoming the lasting legacy of our existence.

And when they do
The singer anticipates that eventual moment when the legacy of their life and work is overshadowed and replaced by something new.

I know that you
The singer addresses the mirror, knowing that it will be the eternal witness to all that comes after them.

Will find another pretty face
The mirror will continue to reflect the faces of future generations, bearing witness to their beauty and mortality.

Reflecting on until we're gone
The mirror will continue to reflect the lives and times of humanity, even after the individuals who gazed into it have passed away.

And no one's left to take our place
Eventually, there will be no one left to remember or appreciate the lives and achievements of those who came before them.

Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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