With themes related to the pacific northwest, Gibson writes songs on a nylon-stringed guitar. In November 2004, she self-released an EP, Amends, produced and engineered by Drew Grow, on a laptop, in a house in Newberg, Oregon. Following this initial release, Laura released her debut full-length in November, 2006 titled If You Come to Greet Me on Hush Records. Engineered by Adam Selzer (Norfolk and Western, M. Ward, The Decemberists) and recorded completely on analog tape, songs on If You Come to Greet Me vary from pieces composed with bare-bones guitar and voice, to an orchestra of trumpets, piano, vibraphone, saw, violin, cello, banjo and found sounds. Songs have described as, "haunting portraits of nostalgia and intimacy, of loneliness and wide-eyed hope".
The La Grande Songfacts reports that Laura Gibson's fifth album is titled after La Grande, a small town situated in the forests of the Pacific Northwest where she parked her trailer and wrote and recorded the ten tracks that make up the record. It was released in January 2012.
Gibson's latest album Empire Builder was released April 1st, 2016 on Barsuk Records / City Slang.
Certainty
Laura Gibson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear I heard you closing in
The way of every converstaion ends in someone wondering if they were in the wrong
Take one more honest look
I will apologise I'm sure
seems nothing ends in certainty these days
you hang your frailty up in the rain to see the questions start to bleed around your words
Take one more honest look
I will apologise I'm sure
seems nothing ends in certainty these days
So make believe someone else
another tease - lonely still
Take one more honest looks
I will apologise I'm sure
Seems nothing ends in certainty these days
You say there is no fear in love
or other stories (?)
Conjure up instead
So carve your frozen lips around the words you're meant to say
In Laura Gibson's song Certainty, she vividly paints a picture of a strained conversation between two people who are struggling to communicate effectively. The opening line, "Carve your frozen lips around the words you're meant to say," evokes feelings of tension and fear, emphasizing the difficulty in expressing oneself. The second line, "I swear I heard you closing in," suggests that the other person is also struggling to speak, perhaps even hesitant to do so.
The following lines, "The way of every conversation ends in someone wondering if they were in the wrong/take one more honest look/I will apologize, I'm sure/seems nothing ends in certainty these days," illustrate the uncertainty and doubt that often accompany difficult conversations. Each person is questioning their own words and actions, wondering if they inadvertently caused the conflict. There is a palpable sense of despair and resignation, reflecting the difficulties of communication in an increasingly complicated world.
Throughout the song, there are recurring themes of doubt, loneliness, and confusion. The line "You hang your frailty up in the rain to see the questions start to bleed around your words" paints a particularly poignant image of vulnerability and desperation. But despite the challenging nature of the conversation, there is also an undercurrent of hope. The repeated calls to "[take] one more honest look" and to apologize suggest that there is still a chance for resolution and understanding if both parties are willing to try.
Line by Line Meaning
Carve your frozen lips around the words you're meant to say
Express the words that you want to say, even if your emotions are holding them back.
I swear I heard you closing in
I feel that you're coming closer to revealing your true feelings to me.
The way of every conversation ends in someone wondering if they were in the wrong
Most conversations end with one person thinking they said the wrong thing, which can cause tension in relationships.
Take one more honest look
Make a sincere effort to better understand the current situation.
I will apologise I'm sure
I'm ready to acknowledge my role in the uncertainty of this situation.
Seems nothing ends in certainty these days
It feels like we can't find definite truths or answers in life the way we used to be able to.
You hang your frailty up in the rain to see the questions start to bleed around your words
You lay bare your insecurities and vulnerabilities to try and get closer to someone, but it's a painful process that often only raises more questions.
So make believe someone else, another tease - lonely still
You pretend to be someone else to get attention, but in reality, you're still lonely and no closer to a real connection.
You say there is no fear in love, or other stories (?) Conjure up instead
You may have heard that love is without fear, but the truth is more complex. Instead of clinging to simplistic stories, face the true complexities of emotions.
Contributed by Jordyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.