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.
The News
Mayer Hawthorne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things will never be the same
What we had was all I knew
What we lost is all on you
I've got news for you
We're through
I've got news for you
What we had was all I knew
What we lost is all on you
I've got news for you
We're through
The lyrics of Mayer Hawthorne's song, The News, can be interpreted as a message from someone who has recently gone through a heartbreaking end to a relationship. The repeated lines of "I've got news for you, things will never be the same" suggest that the singer is trying to articulate that the hurt they feel is so significant that their life has been altered in a way that cannot be undone. The phrases "what we had was all I knew" and "what we lost is all on you" emphasize the pain that the singer feels, and points to a sense of betrayal. It seems that the singer believes their partner is responsible for the end of the relationship and the loss of what they once had. The final line of "I've got news for you, we're through" provides a sense of closure to the message, and confirms that the relationship is indeed over.
One could also interpret the song as a message from someone who has made the choice to end their relationship. The lines "what we lost is all on you" could be read as a way of placing blame on the partner and absolving themselves of responsibility. The repetition of the phrase "things will never be the same" could be interpreted as the singer coming to terms with the end of the relationship and acknowledging that they will need to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got news for you
I'm informing you
Things will never be the same
Our relationship has changed for good
What we had was all I knew
Our relationship was my only reality
What we lost is all on you
The blame for what we lost falls entirely on you
I've got news for you
I'm informing you
We're through
Our relationship has ended
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW M COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind