According to the Walking In Memphis Songfacts, Cohn was discovered by Carly Simon in the mid-'80s when he was with a 14-piece band called The Supreme Court. Atlantic Records signed him in 1989, but the first attempts to record his debut album with Tracy Chapman 's producer David Kerschenbaum failed. Ten months later, he tried again, producing the set himself with help from the little-known Ben Wisch, who had helped him with his demos. Finally released in 1991 when Cohn was 31 years old, his self-titled debut album was a huge hit, thanks to the massive success of "Walking In Memphis." Cohn won the 1991 Grammy for Best New Artist award, beating out both Boyz II Men and Seal. Cohn never matched the chart success of this song, but like his musical heroes Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne , he remained a critical and artistic success as a songwriter and performer.
He has issued two other studio albums to date, The Rainy Season (1993) and Burning the Daze (1998), both on Atlantic Records. A self-released live compilation, Live 04-05 (2005), is being sold at concerts on his current tour.
He is the most famous graduate of Beachwood High School in Beachwood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. He attended Oberlin College as well. In addition, Cohn is notably married to ABC News journalist Elizabeth Vargas whom he met at the 1999 US Open after being introduced by Andre Agassi. Cohn and Vargas have two sons: Zachary Raphael (born on January 31, 2003) and Samuel Wyatt (born on August 16, 2006). Cohn has two other children— Max and Emily—from a previous marriage.
On August 7, 2005, Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking, following a concert with Suzanne Vega in Denver, Colorado. He was hospitalized and released the next day. The remaining concerts on the tour were cancelled.
Cohn released The Very Best Of Marc Cohn in June 2006, and his 4th studio album, Join The Parade, was released on October 9, 2007. He continues to tour to this day. For photographs and additional information visit Marc's official website, www.MarcCohn.net.
The Things We've Handed Down
Marc Cohn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know who you are
We've been doing fine without you
But, we could only go so far
Don't know why you chose us
Were you watching from above
Is there someone there that knows us
Said we'd give you all our love
Will you laugh just like your mother
Will you sigh like your old man
Will some things skip a generation
Like I've heard they often can
Are you a poet or a dancer
A devil or a clown
Or a strange new combination of
The things we've handed down
I wonder who you'll look like
Will your hair fall down and curl
Will you be a mama's boy
Or daddy's little girl
Will you be a sad reminder
Of what's been lost along the way
Maybe you can help me find her
In the things you do and say
And these things that we have given you
They are not so easily found
But you can thank us later
For the things we've handed down
You may not always be so grateful
For the way that you were made
Some feature of your father's
That you'd gladly sell or trade
And one day you may look at us
And say that you were cursed
But over time that line has been
Extremely well rehearsed
By our fathers, and their fathers
In some old and distant town
From places no one here remembers
Come the things we've handed down
The song "The Things We've Handed Down" by Marc Cohn is a contemplative piece about parenthood and legacy. The singer is addressing their future child, whom they have not yet met, and acknowledging the uncertainty and mystery of what kind of person they will be. The first verse conveys the sense that the singer has been content with their life thus far, but that the addition of this child will change everything. The second verse poses questions about the child's personality and character, wondering if they will take after one parent or the other, or if they will be a unique combination of both. The third verse expresses the hope that the child might help the parents rediscover something that has been lost or forgotten.
The song is poignant and introspective, and evokes a sense of awe and wonder in the face of life's mysteries. The repetition of the phrase "the things we've handed down" reinforces the idea of legacy, and suggests that the child will inherit not just physical traits but also intangible qualities or values. The song touches on the idea that we are all products of our ancestors and the choices they made, and that we have the power to shape the future through the way we raise and influence our children.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know much about you
I have not met you yet and I do not know anything about you
Don't know who you are
I have no idea what kind of person you will grow up to be
We've been doing fine without you
Although we have not met you yet, we have been living our lives and doing okay
But, we could only go so far
However, we know that our lives and family would be incomplete without you and we are looking forward to meeting you
Don't know why you chose us
We do not understand why we were chosen to be your parents
Were you watching from above
Perhaps a higher power was responsible for connecting us
Is there someone there that knows us
It is possible that a higher power knows our family well and had a hand in bringing us together
Said we'd give you all our love
Regardless of how we came together, we promise to love and support you with all we have
Will you laugh just like your mother
I wonder if you will inherit certain traits from your mother, like her sense of humor
Will you sigh like your old man
Similarly, I am curious if you will inherit any traits from your father, like his tendency to sigh
Will some things skip a generation
I have heard that certain traits skip a generation and I wonder if that will be the case with you
Like I've heard they often can
I have heard that it is common for traits to skip a generation
Are you a poet or a dancer
I am excited to see what kinds of talents and interests you will have
A devil or a clown
You could have any personality type - I am looking forward to finding out which
Or a strange new combination of
You may exhibit an entirely unique blend of personality traits and interests
The things we've handed down
These traits and interests could come from a combination of what your parents and ancestors have enjoyed and possessed
I wonder who you'll look like
I am excited to see what you will look like
Will your hair fall down and curl
I am wondering about the specific details of your physical appearance
Will you be a mama's boy
I am curious if you will form special bonds with one of your parents
Or daddy's little girl
Or perhaps you will have a strong connection with the other parent
Will you be a sad reminder
Sometimes seeing you may remind us of what we have lost and missed out on
Of what's been lost along the way
We may feel a sense of loss or sadness when thinking about our experiences leading up to your arrival
Maybe you can help me find her
However, seeing you may also help us rediscover the joys of life that we have missed out on
In the things you do and say
Simply observing you grow and learn and explore may bring us back to those happy places
And these things that we have given you
There are certain traits and interests that have been passed down from our ancestors that we have passed on to you
They are not so easily found
These traits, interests, and experiences were not easy to come by - they have been carefully cultivated over time
But you can thank us later
We hope that one day, you will appreciate the things we have passed down and see the value in them
For the things we've handed down
These things include both physical possessions as well as more intangible traits and experiences that we hope to pass on to you
You may not always be so grateful
We understand that you may not always understand or appreciate the things we have given you
For the way that you were made
You may sometimes be frustrated with who you are and the traits, interests, and experiences you have inherited
Some feature of your father's
Perhaps there are certain negative traits or experiences that you have inherited from your father or ancestors
That you'd gladly sell or trade
There may be times when you feel like you would rather not have a particular trait or experience
And one day you may look at us
There may be times when you feel frustrated or angry with us as your parents for passing on these traits and experiences
And say that you were cursed
You may feel like you have been dealt an unfair hand in life and that we are to blame for it
But over time that line has been
This kind of frustration and anger is common and has been experienced by past generations as well
Extremely well rehearsed
This is a pattern that has prevailed throughout history and is a part of the human experience
By our fathers, and their fathers
Past generations have also felt frustrated and angry with their parents for passing on certain traits and experiences
In some old and distant town
This has been happening for centuries, in towns and cities far away and long ago
From places no one here remembers
As time goes on, we may forget the exact details of past generations and their experiences, but these patterns of frustration and anger will persist
Come the things we've handed down
Despite these patterns, we continue to pass down our traits, experiences, and possessions from generation to generation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARC COHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Atif Khan
Don't know much about youÂ
Don't know who you areÂ
We've been doing fine without youÂ
But, we could only go so farÂ
Don't know why you chose usÂ
Were you watching from aboveÂ
Is there someone there that knows usÂ
Said we'd give you all our love
Will you laugh just like your motherÂ
Will you sigh like your old manÂ
Will some things skip a generationÂ
Like I've heard they often canÂ
Are you a poet or a dancerÂ
A devil or a clownÂ
Or a strange new combination ofÂ
The things we've handed down
I wonder who you'll look likeÂ
Will your hair fall down and curlÂ
Will you be a mama's boyÂ
Or daddy's little girlÂ
Will you be a sad reminderÂ
Of what's been lost along the wayÂ
Maybe you can help me find herÂ
In the things you do and say
And these things that we have given youÂ
They are not so easily foundÂ
But you can thank us laterÂ
For the things we've handed down
You may not always be so gratefulÂ
For the way that you were madeÂ
Some feature of your father'sÂ
That you'd gladly sell or tradeÂ
And one day you may look at usÂ
And say that you were cursedÂ
But over time that line has beenÂ
Extremely well rehearsedÂ
By our fathers, and their fathersÂ
In some old and distant townÂ
From places no one here remembersÂ
Come the things we've handed down
utuberickvick
so much meaning strung into a beautiful melody... what a masterpiece
WesB1972
A master piece of poetry by a musical genius. I love this song.
CaapriceTube
Nice tune!!Marc is such an underrated artist.
Ed Roberts
Absolutely spot on
Donna DiCuffa
My husband used this song when he made a video montage for our son's first birthday. I cry every time I hear it and my "baby" is now 18. Unbelievable how time flies.
Den Kirkwood Tucker
I gave the lyrics to my father with a photo of his new grandson...hit the mark that day
Jason
Found this CD in late '93 maybe early '94, this song always stuck with me, finally my beautiful daughter was born in 2016. We will finally see him live next month. Bucket list check mark!
GwelloBoy
One of the best songs ever written IN MY HUMBLE OPINION
Channel1
Yes. I send the link to friends who are expecting babies.
Richard Norris
Its an opinion shared by Jim Webb, now theres a man who's written a song or two