Mayer Hawthorne (real name Andrew Mayer Cohen) grew up in Ann Arbor, Michig… Read Full Bio ↴Mayer Hawthorne (real name Andrew Mayer Cohen) grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and vividly remembers, as a child, driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. “Most of the best music ever made came out of Detroit,” claims the singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who counts Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, and Barry White among his influences, but draws the most inspiration from the music of Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield and the legendary songwriting and production trio of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland Jr.

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.

Finally Falling
Mayer Hawthorne Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I used to be
A soldier for the single life
I used to think
I'd be the last man standing from '79
I used to say
That love was just a masquerade
I used to lie awake at night
Just thinking, if I'd ever know

But the day that you came into my life
I started to believe it was possible
There's a feeling so unstoppable
I can't control

Could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm starting to think it's true
Could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm falling for you
Oh, I'm falling for you

I used to be
The envy of my married friends
I used to get all of the girls
Phone numbers and I'd never call
I used to say
That love will never tie me down
I'd be a rider, damn man, strong cowboy
My back to the wall

But the day that you came into my life
I started to believe it was possible
There's a feeling so unstoppable
I can't control, can't control

Could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm starting to think it's true
Could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm falling for you
Oh, I'm falling for you

I never knew that I would find
With this old jaded heart of mine
Someone so sweet and fine
I could be with all the lifetime

Now could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm starting to think it's true
Could it be
I'm finally falling
I'm falling for you

Could it be
I'm finally falling
Lord knows I'm overdue
Could it be
I'm finally falling

I'm falling for you
Oh, I'm falling for you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mayer Hawthorne's "Finally Falling" are an exploration of the singer's transformation from a self-proclaimed "soldier for the single life" to someone who has fallen in love. The first verse highlights the singer's past mindset, where he believed that love was just a masquerade and that he would be a "rider, damn man, strong cowboy" who would never be tied down. However, when the person who is the subject of the song enters his life, the singer begins to feel like it's possible to fall in love and experience the joy of being with someone special. The feeling is described as "unstoppable" and beyond the singer's control.

The second verse expands on this theme, highlighting the singer's past experiences with women and how he would never call the phone numbers he was given. He also thought that his friends who were married were envious of his single life. However, when he meets the person who he is now falling for, he starts to believe in love and its ability to tie people down.

The chorus is a repetition of the phrase, "Could it be I'm finally falling," where the singer is pondering whether his feelings for this person are genuine and whether he is truly falling in love. The last verse describes how unexpected this love is, as the singer never thought he would find someone so "sweet and fine" with his "old jaded heart." The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's newfound feelings of love that he can no longer deny.

Line by Line Meaning

I used to be A soldier for the single life
I used to proudly and actively pursue being single and avoiding romantic relationships.

I used to think I'd be the last man standing from '79
I used to believe that I would remain single forever and be known for it.

I used to say That love was just a masquerade
I used to express the belief that love was fake and merely a front for something else.

I used to lie awake at night Just thinking, if I'd ever know
I would often stay up at night wondering if I would ever experience true love.

The day that you came into my life I started to believe it was possible
When I met you, I began to have hope that I could actually find and experience real love.

There's a feeling so unstoppable I can't control
I am overwhelmed with powerful and intense emotions for you that I cannot contain or control.

I never knew that I would find With this old jaded heart of mine Someone so sweet and fine I could be with all the lifetime
I never expected to meet someone as kind and amazing as you, especially with my past experiences and negative outlook on love.

Lord knows I'm overdue
I have been waiting and searching for love for so long that I am overdue for finally finding it.

Oh, I'm falling for you
I am currently experiencing deep feelings of love and falling in love with you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW M COHEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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