Born in California to a musical family, when she was one year old her family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado In college in the summer of 1997, Herzig formed the band Newcomers Home with Tim and Laurie Thornton and Andrew Jed. Two years later, Herzig released Weightless. She produced the album herself, recorded it at home using Pro Tools, and played most of the instruments: electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, keyboards, and percussion, in addition to her singing and songwriting. The song "Jack and Jill" appeared on the TV shows One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars, while several others appeared on Grey's Anatomy.
Her next album, Apple Tree (2008), was more pop-oriented. Her 2011 album was entitled The Waking Sleep. She then released Walk Through Walls (2014) and Moment of Bliss (2018).
Herzig has spent years playing festivals such as Bonnaroo and Summerfest and touring as a headliner and as support for Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, The Fray, and as a member of 10 out of Tenn. She has had her music licensed for innumerable film, TV and commercial uses. Including over 10 songs on Grey’s Anatomy and most recently her song “Lost and Found” was featured in the trailer for Disney's Saving Mr. Banks and in a commercial for Carnival Cruises. Herzig can be heard on RAC's EP with their song collaboration "We Belong," featured on KCRW. Herzig also co-produced songs on Ingrid Michaelson's 2014 Lights Out album, including her first single “Girls Chase Boys.”
How The West Was Won
Katie Herzig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How the ocean let all the sailors come
They came over one by one if only just to see
I don’t know how happiness gets hidden in the wilderness
I’m leaving in the morning with my paddle and my lime
I don’t know how to find you when
Waiting for the dark to make it’s way back into light
And you will hold me in your arms
And you will hold me in your arms
Maybe I’m just a pilgrim who is trying to make sense of you now
Pray the wind will take me where the space meets up with time
Where you will hold me in your arms
Katie Herzig's "How The West Was Won" is a contemplative song that has subtle spiritual undertones. The song's chorus speaks of being held in someone's arms, and it's not clear whether the arms belong to a human or to a divine entity. The song's first verse speaks of the origin of the West and how the ocean let the sailors come, but it is not clear how the land was won. The second verse talks about how happiness can get lost in the wilderness, but the singer is leaving in the morning with a paddle and a lime, suggesting a readiness to face the unknown, despite the potential for difficulties.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is searching for something or someone, but they don't know how to find it. The darkness of the night can obscure what they are looking for, and it is only when the light comes back that they can hope to find what they are seeking. The mention of a lighted window symbolizes a beacon of hope or a safe haven, but the singer seems to emphasise the waiting or longing for the light to return. The song's last verse suggests that the singer is a pilgrim striving to understand, and the wind may take them where they will find what they're looking for. The chorus, repeated twice, is a plea for comfort and refuge, suggesting that the song's message is one of hope and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t know how the west was won
I am uncertain about how the western part of the country was colonized and developed
How the ocean let all the sailors come
I am curious about the ocean’s influence in allowing explorers and settlers to travel across the sea to this land
They came over one by one if only just to see
The early settlers made their way to America one at a time, perhaps just for the purpose of seeing this new and foreign place
I don’t know how happiness gets hidden in the wilderness
I wonder why happiness can be elusive in nature, despite its beauty and wonder
I’m leaving in the morning with my paddle and my lime
I will depart early with my canoe and fruit, prepared for a personal journey through nature
I don’t know how to find you when
I struggle to understand how to seek you out and connect with you during times of darkness
All I’ve been is a lighted window
I have been an illuminated sign of hope or a beacon of light, waiting for someone to find their way to me
Waiting for the dark to make it’s way back into light
I anticipate the return of light after being surrounded by darkness or uncertainty
And you will hold me in your arms
I long for your embrace and comfort during difficult periods
Maybe I’m just a pilgrim who is trying to make sense of you now
Perhaps I am simply a wanderer searching for answers to understand you better
Pray the wind will take me where the space meets up with time
I hope that the wind will guide me to a place where time and space converge, allowing for profound experiences
Where you will hold me in your arms
Where I will finally be in your embrace, and feel a sense of completeness and peace
Contributed by Jacob E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.