The “retro” tag is added to almost any contemporary work that sounds like it was originally recorded between 1966 and 1974, and Hawthorne, among the newest contributors to the genre, is aware of how trends come and go. After being introduced to Stones Throw Records label head Peanut Butter Wolf by mutual friend Noelle Scaggs of the Rebirth, even his current boss was skeptical. “He showed me two songs and I didn’t understand what I was listening to,” Wolf recalls. “I asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of – I couldn’t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments.”
And after meeting in person, it was even harder for Wolf to believe that Hawthorne was also the lead vocalist. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer/DJ Mark Ronson. Expectations are high for the admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Hawthorne’s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla – equal parts “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Fall in Love.” “It’s soul,” he explains, “But it’s new.”
Hawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never sang in a choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. “I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,” says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.”
And for those willing to believe anything is possible, be grateful to have Mayer Hawthorne on the scene. It’s not just throwback music anymore – this revival is all about progression.
A Strange Arrangement
Mayer Hawthorne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And from the start you had a heart of gold
You broke the mold
I never thought you would decide
The grass was greener on the other side
Of love's divide
You were everything that I wanted and more
We'll never be like before
Darling me and you, we had a strange arrangement
But you broke all the rules
And I'm through playing the fool for love
Darling yes it's true, we had a grand engagement
But I can't stand by, while you break my heart in two
Ooh, I've got to be a man
Baby I've got to take a stand, so
So now we've gone our separate ways
But in my heart I feel the burning flames
Of love's remains
I'll have to find somebody new
But all who dare will be compared to you
What can I do
You were everything that I dreamed I would find
Now we can't go back where we started
This is the end of the line
Darling me and you, we had a strange arrangement
But you broke all the rules
And I'm through playing the fool for love
Darling yes it's true, we had a grand engagement
But I can't stand by, while you break my heart in two
Ooh, I've got to be a man
Baby I've got to take a stand, so
Darling me and you, we had a strange arrangement
But you broke all the rules
And I'm through playing the fool for love
Darling yes it's true, we had a grand engagement
But I can't stand by, while you break my heart in two
Ooh, I've got to be a man
Baby I've got to take a stand, so
The lyrics of Mayer Hawthorne's "A Strange Arrangement" depicts the end of a relationship that was once strong and steady. The song is sung from the perspective of the individual who was left heartbroken and disillusioned by their partner's decision to end things. From the start, the person had a heart of gold and was everything that the singer had dreamed of finding. However, their partner decided that the grass was greener on the other side and that they wanted something different.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Darling me and you, we had a strange arrangement" which speaks to the unconventional nature of their relationship. It was perhaps not what society would deem to be a typical romance, but the individual was content with the arrangement until their partner decided to break all the rules and leave them. The singer recognizes that they must move on from the relationship, but they know that all who come after their former partner will be compared to them, and no one will measure up.
Line by Line Meaning
We took the long and steady road
We had a slow and deliberate journey towards love.
And from the start you had a heart of gold
You were always kind and giving from the beginning.
You broke the mold
You were unique and different from anyone else I knew.
I never thought you would decide
I never expected you to make the decision you made.
The grass was greener on the other side
Of love's divide
You thought someone else would make you happier than I could.
You were everything that I wanted and more
Now we can't go back where we started
We'll never be like before
You were my ideal partner, but our relationship can never be the same again.
Darling me and you, we had a strange arrangement
But you broke all the rules
And I'm through playing the fool for love
Darling yes it's true, we had a grand engagement
But I can't stand by, while you break my heart in two
Ooh, I've got to be a man
Baby I've got to take a stand, so
Our relationship was unconventional, but you disregarded its rules and hurt me. I can't let it continue and must move on.
So now we've gone our separate ways
But in my heart I feel the burning flames
Of love's remains
We have ended our relationship, but I still have strong feelings for you.
I'll have to find somebody new
But all who dare will be compared to you
What can I do
I must move on from you, but it will be difficult to find someone who matches up to you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW M COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind