Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
New Lover
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are times I cannot speak your name for the catchin' in my throat,
There are things I will not sing for the sting of sour notes.
I feel like a miser, I feel low and mean
For accusing you of stealin' what I offered you for free.
Still it baffles the belief sometimes what thieves we lovers be.
And if you are, I hope he treats you like a lover ought to do.
But whoever makes you happy, it don't really matter who
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
Praise the water under bridges, the time they say will heal
Praise the fonder, that still grows on the absent heart and fields
Praise be to this pain, these days it's all I seem to feel.
Perhaps the fault was mine
Perhaps I just ignored who you're always gonna be,
Instead of who I took you for.
I've been treated worse it's true, still I expected more.
But I will not chase your shadow as you go from room to room,
Droppin' handkerchiefs and daggers, smokin' guns and other clues
For what someone did with someone and who did what to who.
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
I've got a new lover now, I know that she's not mine,
I only want to hold her, I don't need to read her mind,
And she only looks like you when she's in a certain light.
I got a new lover now, she knows just what I need.
When I wake up in the night, she can read me back my dreams,
And she loves them, though she never needs to tell me what they mean.
I hope you've got a lover now, hope you've got somebody who
Can give you what you need like I couldn't seem to do.
But if you're sad and you are lonesome and you've got nobody true,
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
The lyrics to Josh Ritter's song "New Lover" convey the singer's inner conflict as he tries to move on from a past lover while grappling with the pain of the loss. He admits that he cannot pretend that all is well, and the pain he feels is like being haunted by a ghost. The singer struggles to speak the former lover's name as it gets caught in his throat, emphasizing the difficulty he faces while moving on. He also acknowledges that there are some things he cannot sing, alluding to the inability to forget or let go of certain memories.
The singer also confesses that he accused his former lover of theft, stealing what he offered for free. He feels like a miser and lowly for treating her harshly. He acknowledges that "thieves we lovers be," suggesting that when in love, people can do hurtful things, and relationships often involve a lot of emotional pain. The singer does not know who the former lover is with these days, but he hopes she is being treated well, and whoever makes her happy does not matter to him. The line, "I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too," suggests that the singer has moved on and found a new love.
However, the pain of the past still haunts him, and he praises the pain he feels, which is all he seems to feel these days. He realizes that perhaps he ignored who she was and took her for someone else, leading to the breakup. The former lover's presence is still felt, and she drops clues in the form of handkerchiefs, daggers, and smokin' guns. He realizes this and is not willing to follow her shadow from room to room. The singer emphasizes that the new lover is not his but someone he loves holding. She understands him better and can read him back his dreams, making him feel more fulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't pretend that all is well, it's like I'm haunted by a ghost
I can't pretend I'm okay, it feels like I'm being haunted by your memory
There are times I cannot speak your name for the catchin' in my throat,
There are instances when I cannot say your name out loud because of how much it hurts me
There are things I will not sing for the sting of sour notes.
There are songs I cannot sing because they remind me too much of you
I feel like a miser, I feel low and mean
I feel selfish and horrible for accusing you of stealing from me something I gave freely
For accusing you of stealin' what I offered you for free.
For blaming you for taking something I willingly offered for free
Still it baffles the belief sometimes what thieves we lovers be.
It's surprising how we, as lovers, can take things from each other without realizing it
I don't know who you're with these days, might be with someone new
I'm not sure who you're with now, but it's possible you're with someone else
And if you are, I hope he treats you like a lover ought to do.
If you are with someone else, I hope they treat you the way you deserve
But whoever makes you happy, it don't really matter who
As long as you're happy, I don't care who you're with
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
I have moved on and found a new lover, I hope you have too
Praise the water under bridges, the time they say will heal
Let's appreciate the passage of time and how it can heal past wounds
Praise the fonder, that still grows on the absent heart and fields
Let's appreciate the feelings and memories that continue to grow in our hearts and minds
Praise be to this pain, these days it's all I seem to feel.
Let's even appreciate the pain, as it's all I seem to be able to feel nowadays
Perhaps the fault was mine
It's possible that I'm the one to blame
Perhaps I just ignored who you're always gonna be,
Maybe I just didn't want to see what kind of person you truly are
Instead of who I took you for.
Instead of the person I idealized in my head
I've been treated worse it's true, still I expected more.
I've experienced worse treatment before, but I still expected better from you
But I will not chase your shadow as you go from room to room,
I won't keep trying to track you down as you move on from place to place
Droppin' handkerchiefs and daggers, smokin' guns and other clues
Leaving behind hints and clues that you want me to follow
For what someone did with someone and who did what to who.
For trying to find out who did what to whom in regards to our relationship
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
I have moved on and found a new lover, I hope you have too
I've got a new lover now, I know that she's not mine,
I have a new partner, but I'm aware that she's not someone I'll be with forever
I only want to hold her, I don't need to read her mind,
I just want to feel close to her, I don't need to know everything about her
And she only looks like you when she's in a certain light.
She reminds me of you only in certain lighting or situations
I got a new lover now, she knows just what I need.
My new lover understands what I need and how to make me happy
When I wake up in the night, she can read me back my dreams,
She can understand the meaning behind my dreams, even when I can't
And she loves them, though she never needs to tell me what they mean.
She enjoys hearing my dreams, but doesn't always have to explain their significance
I hope you've got a lover now, hope you've got somebody who
I hope you've found someone else, someone who
Can give you what you need like I couldn't seem to do.
Can fulfill your needs in ways that I couldn't before
But if you're sad and you are lonesome and you've got nobody true,
If you're feeling lonely and don't have anyone genuine in your life
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
I would be lying if I said that didn't give me some satisfaction as well
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
I would be lying if I said that didn't give me some satisfaction as well
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FALAH QURESHI
I can't pretend that all is well, it's like I'm haunted by a ghost
There are times I cannot speak your name for the catchin' in my throat,
There are things I will not sing for the sting of sour notes.
I feel like a miser, I feel low and mean
For accusing you of stealin' what I offered you for free.
Still it baffles the belief sometimes what thieves we lovers be.
I don't know who you're with these days, might be with someone new
And if you are, I hope he treats you like a lover ought to do.
But whoever makes you happy, it don't really matter who
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
Praise the water under bridges, the time they say will heal
Praise the fonder, that still grows on the absent heart and fields
Praise be to this pain, these days it's all I seem to feel.
Perhaps the fault was mine
Perhaps I just ignored who you're always gonna be,
Instead of who I took you for.
I've been treated worse it's true, still I expected more.
But I will not chase your shadow as you go from room to room,
Droppin' handkerchiefs and daggers, smokin' guns and other clues
For what someone did with someone and who did what to who.
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.
I've got a new lover now, I know that she's not mine,
I only want to hold her, I don't need to read her mind,
And she only looks like you when she's in a certain light.
I got a new lover now, she knows just what I need.
When I wake up in the night, she can read me back my dreams,
And she loves them, though she never needs to tell me what they mean.
I hope you've got a lover now, hope you've got somebody who
Can give you what you need like I couldn't seem to do.
But if you're sad and you are lonesome and you've got nobody true,
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
From: ST lyrics
KidRockBottom
This song is one of the most wholeheartedly relatable songs I've ever heard. From the line "And she only looks like you, when shes in a certain light." To the very end. Its quite brutal, but absolutely truthful. Listened to this song I don't know how many times and it still hits every time.
Cooper
Absolutely love the last line of the song. It's so perfectly petty. Any time he plays this song live the crowd erupts in cheers at that line because I think we've all had an ex that deep down we'd be happy to hear is sad and lonesome.
Buffy Sexton
Please don't ever stop making music. Your music is the calming breeze to my hectic days.
LanaMT
I heard this song years ago and have spent the last year and a half trying to remember the title. Suddenly the name Josh Ritter popped into my head today ❤❤ im so happy to have found this song again!
Edgar Poe
I love this song wholeheartedly.
Plexa Hedron
Amazing song. One of my favorites of his.
Rynne Bryanne
this is a masterpiece
Justin Strefling
i love the line "But I will not chase your shadow as you go from room to room, dropping handkerchiefs and daggers smoking guns and other clues."
godsinwagons
Me too. I like how it rides a nice line between malice and the politeness of concealing it with a smile.
Ava C
He's utterly brilliant.