Jansen was so close to giving it up before she even began. But a year after deciding to give music a try she tried to make waves with advance copies of her EP Trauma (released summer 2006). June 12, 2009, she released her second EP, Bells, featuring single Single Girls, accompanied by a music video.
In the U.S., Jansen is a fixture in the constellation of artists associated with Los Angeles nightclub The Hotel Café — a musical haven, creative incubator, and ultimately, national launching pad for such confessional-minded artists as Sara Bareilles, Priscilla Ahn, and Joshua Radin, whom Jansen toured with in 2008 and in 2011. Jansen’s songs were used in various television shows on MTV and ABC.
Jansen, being half American, half Dutch, was invited to The Netherlands in 2009 for a series of appearances, which led to her signing with Universal Music. Debut album Bells (composed of Jansen’s two previously released EP’s 2007’s Trauma and 2009’s Single Girls, plus “Use Somebody”), has already gone platinum in Jansen’s native Holland and reached a #1 position on iTunes. Propelled by “Single Girls” and a stunning cover of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” which has spent more than 6 months lodged in the Top 25 on the Dutch singles chart.
Jansen hit the road in Europe with her pal William Fitzsimmons as a member of his band as well as his support act. In 2010 she sold out both headline tours of her own in The Netherlands, after which she toured in Germany, Austria, UK as fans spread the word.
The year 2011 was yet another exciting year, with Jansen’s debut album Bells being released in the US, the rest of Europe and China, with tours set up on these continents as well.
Jansen is currently working on her next album.
The End
Laura Jansen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And worked it out
Until the bitter end
And I suppose
I should've known
What was waiting 'round the bend
I didn't know that soft could go hard
I bet you wonder at the words in your mouth
I bet you wonder at the sound
We break the promise
And we take it back
We move in silence
This is the end, the end, the end
We try, we fail, we crawl
We let the pieces fall where they may
And the picture fades
So go on and break my heart
It's always been caught off guard
In the end, there is nothing left to say
And the secrets you keep under your tongue
Are turning two into no one
I bet you wonder at the words in your mouth
I bet you wonder at the sound
We break the promise
And we take it back
We move in silence
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the end, the end, the end
The plane falls,
And it goes on and on in circles, spinning round
Let it go, let it go
I can't take it with me, can't take it with you
We break the promise
And we take it back
We move in silence
This is the end, the end, the end
We break the promise
And we take it back
We move in silence
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the end, the end, the end
In Laura Jansen's song "The End", she is reflecting on the end of a relationship that she had put a lot of effort into fixing. She acknowledges that she should have seen the end coming, but she didn't understand that kindness can turn to cruelty and that soft things can become hard. Jansen also recognizes that both she and her partner broke promises and took them back, moving in silence, which ultimately led to the end of their relationship.
Throughout the song, Jansen expresses a sense of resignation and acceptance of the end of the relationship. She sings about letting go and not being able to take anything with us. She also acknowledges that she is caught off guard by heartbreak, and that there is nothing left to say at the end. The repetition of the phrase "this is the end" emphasizes the finality of the situation and the acceptance of it.
Overall, "The End" is a melancholic but insightful song that explores the painful reality of the end of a relationship. Jansen's lyrics are honest and relatable, making this song one that many listeners can connect with.
Line by Line Meaning
We had a go
We attempted to make it work
And worked it out
And figured out how to navigate our issues
Until the bitter end
Until the very end, despite hardships and challenges
And I suppose
And I should have realized
I should've known
I should have recognized
What was waiting 'round the bend
The inevitable trouble that was to come
I didn't know that kindness was fleeting
I didn't realize that kind gestures and actions could be temporary
I didn't know that soft could go hard
I didn't know that gentle people or situations could become tough and difficult
I bet you wonder at the words in your mouth
I imagine you are puzzled by what you said
I bet you wonder at the sound
I imagine you are confused by the noise
We break the promise
We failed to keep our word
And we take it back
We try to retract and make up for our mistakes
We move in silence
We make changes without communication or explanation
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the conclusion of our relationship or situation
We try, we fail, we crawl
We attempt, we falter, we struggle to make progress
We let the pieces fall where they may
We allow outcomes to happen without intervention or control
And the picture fades
And our image, memory, or vision disappears
So go on and break my heart
So feel free to hurt me emotionally
It's always been caught off guard
I have been surprised at every turn
In the end, there is nothing left to say
Ultimately, there are no words or actions left to address the situation
And the secrets you keep under your tongue
And the private information you conceal from others
Are turning two into no one
Are causing both of us to feel isolated and disconnected
The plane falls,
The situation or relationship deteriorates
And it goes on and on in circles, spinning round
And the problems or issues persist endlessly, without resolution
Let it go, let it go
Release the situation, allow it to be over
I can't take it with me, can't take it with you
I cannot bring this with me into the future, neither can you
This is the end, the end, the end
This is the culmination, the conclusion, the finality
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Genevieve
just discovered Laura Jansen - she has a beautiful voice...
Soldi
LOVE IT!!
xxxPostItxxx
chills all over my body
OhSnapIt'sSid
wow this song is amazing :)
patchkitten
this is so beautiful. Made me cry. :)
Athena Jian
luv this song so much.
TheLovinganna
lovee it!
evietjhie
ik hou van die lied het is geweldig(L)
August Tha 2nd
haven’t heard this in a while
ChrisinatorS
Shit! This song is making me so happy! Wow! Best moment I've had today:)