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.
Let Me Know
Mayer Hawthorne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know that look that you show
Is just a disguise
So if you have been untrue
And you've been with someone new
Oh baby, just let me know
Yeah baby, just let me know
I'm a logical man, don't want to play games
And I know that something is wrong
You're acting so strange
So if you have been untrue
And you've been with someone new
Oh baby, just let me know
Yeah baby, just let me know
If I'm not your one man only, tell me so
Well I'm a confident man, no jealous guy
But you know you're making it worse
Each day that goes by
So if you have been untrue
And you've been with someone new
Oh baby, just let me know
Yeah baby, just let me know
Cause if I found out for certain
That you've been out there flirting
Baby I can't take that hurting no more
Oh, I can't take no more
Darling let me know
In Mayer Hawthorne's song "Let Me Know," he sings about being a genuine, logical, and confident man who doesn't want to play games in his relationship. He suspects that his partner might be hiding something because of her strange behavior, but he wants her to be honest with him about it. He does not want to be lied to, and he knows that the look that she is showing is just a disguise. Mayer Hawthorne urges his partner to tell him if she has been untrue or if she's been with someone new because he wants to know if he's not her one man only.
The lyrics imply that Mayer Hawthorne is willing to forgive his partner if she's been with someone else, but he wants her to be truthful with him. He's a confident man who's not jealous, but he cannot handle the pain of knowing that his partner is flirting with other guys. The song's lyrics are straightforward and are meant to convey a message that honesty is essential in any relationship. Mayer Hawthorne asks his partner to let him know if she's been unfaithful so that he can move on and find someone else who's true to him.
Overall, "Let Me Know" is a song about honesty and trust in a relationship. Mayer Hawthorne's emotional vocal delivery and the song's catchy melody make it easy to connect with the lyrics and feel the pain of someone who's been betrayed in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a genuine man, don't tell me no lies
I value honesty above all and can't tolerate deception or falsehood.
And I know that look that you show / Is just a disguise
I can sense that you're hiding something and that your facade is just a cover-up for your true feelings.
So if you have been untrue / And you've been with someone new / Oh baby, just let me know / Yeah baby, just let me know / If I'm not your one man only, tell me so
If you've been unfaithful and are with someone else, I need to hear it from you directly. If you're not committed to me, let me know so I can move on.
I'm a logical man, don't want to play games / And I know that something is wrong / You're acting so strange
I'm a pragmatic person and don't like to waste time on mind games. I can tell that there's something off with you and that you're not acting like yourself.
Well I'm a confident man, no jealous guy / But you know you're making it worse / Each day that goes by
I have confidence in myself and am not the jealous type, but your behavior is exacerbating the situation and making things more difficult for us.
Cause if I found out for certain / That you've been out there flirting / Baby I can't take that hurting no more
If I discover that you've been actively pursuing others, it will cause me great emotional pain and I won't be able to tolerate it any longer.
Oh, I can't take no more / Darling let me know
I've reached my breaking point and need to hear the truth from you, my love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW M COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
petstrecho
My fateful woman is Angel.
Her favorite song.She sings it in heaven...💓
Moja osudová žena si spieva tuto pesničku v nebi!
denetta24
i have been enjoying all his music!! i am so happy to have discovered him, and i'm trying to tell my friends about him!!
Green-eyed Girl
I love the range he has in his voice. He can sing anything. BTW Mayer Hawthorne is his stage name, the band is the County.
Viola Pressley
This song sounds nice. I wish him much success.
John Doe
this is what you call real music
jrroq
one of my favorite tracks off strange arrangement. also it kind applies to me!
Marshall Lancaster
Dude is legit with that old school sound
Darlene Archuleta
great voice.
Pepito
I can't get this song out of my head
Tyler Caskey
It seems like so many of his songs parallel my love life right now. It's crazy.