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.
Hands In Pockets
Laura Gibson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out through the window of the day
I'll be another waking shadow
Cast on the covers of your bed
Give me another waking moment
Shine against the solemn grate
Tell me the seasons is almost over
So goes another winter slowy
Hands in the pockets of my coat
You'll be first to spin your story
I'll be the last to let you go
Tell me you always go before me
Out along the solemn grate
Tell me the season is almost over
I can wait
When in day light leaves you staring
Out in another under tow
I'll be tired conversation
I'll be waiting, get home
Tell me you always go before me
Out along the solemn grate
Tell me the season is almost over
I can wait I can wait I can wait
The lyrics of Laura Gibson's song Hands in Pockets evoke a sense of longing, of waiting and of watching. The opening line, "Up with the sunrise you'll be staring/out through the window of the day," sets the tone for the rest of the song. There is a tension between light and shadow, between being awake and dreaming. The singer is a "waking shadow," cast on the bed of someone else who is waking up, implying a sense of detachment or distance from the other person.
The chorus of the song is repeated several times, each time building on the themes of waiting and the changing of seasons. The singer seems to be looking for reassurance that things will change, that time will pass, that winter will turn into spring. They ask the other person to tell them that "the season is almost over," suggesting that they are holding onto hope that better days are ahead.
The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, with the singer waiting for the other person to return home. They are tired of waiting and tired of talking, but they will continue to wait until the season changes and their situation improves. The song captures a sense of loneliness and longing that is both universal and deeply personal.
Line by Line Meaning
Up with the sunrise you'll be staring
As soon as the sun rises, you will be peering out through the window, lost in a world of thoughts.
Out through the window of the day
You will be looking out of the window, observing the world as it moves on with its day.
I'll be another waking shadow
I will be a figure in the background, keeping to the corners of the room, not drawing any attention to myself.
Cast on the covers of your bed
My presence will be felt but not seen, my shadow looming over the sleeping body beneath the covers of the bed.
Give me another waking moment
Allow me to enjoy another moment of being awake, seeing the world in all its glory.
Shine against the solemn grate
Let the sunlight stream in, illuminating the room and casting light upon the solemn, gray grate.
Tell me the season is almost over
Give me hope that the long, dreary season is coming to an end, that the sun will soon be shining again.
I can wait
I am patient and can wait for the sun to shine again.
So goes another winter slowly
Another long, drawn-out winter is dragging on slowly, as if time has come to an almost inescapable halt.
Hands in the pockets of my coat
With my hands in the pockets of my coat, I stand there waiting for something, anything to happen.
You'll be first to spin your story
You are eager to share what you've been up to, and you will immediately start telling your story to anyone who will listen.
I'll be the last to let you go
I will be the last one to leave, staying behind to listen to the stories and soak in the moment as long as possible.
When in daylight leaves you staring
During the daylight hours, you may find yourself looking out into the world, lost in your thoughts.
Out in another undertow
Lost in thought, you are swept away in a tide of emotions you can't control.
I'll be tired conversation
I will be there with you, listening to you talk, but I may be too tired to contribute much to the conversation.
I'll be waiting, get home
I'll be there for you when you get home, waiting to hear all about your day and eager to be with you.
I can wait I can wait I can wait
I am willing to wait patiently for you, for the winter to end, for spring to come, for whatever life brings.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Laura A Gibson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind