Performing Songwriter calls Hutchinson, "...A master of introspective ballads filled with understated yearning and an exquisite sense of metaphor." The twenty-six year old describes her style as "lyric-based, folk-pop, with a whole lot of small town idealism and one devastating break up thrown in for good measure." Among her influences she is quick to include poet Mary Oliver along with the likes of David Grey, Patty Griffin, Greg Brown and Shawn Colvin. Her songs are characterized by a weathered but unselfconscious optimism, a love of language and of the natural world. Having grown up in a town of 5,000 people, "just outside the National Historic District," her songs possess all the charm of Lake Wobegon, tempered by a sweet and timeless voice.
I'd Like To Know
Meg Hutchinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's known months without sun
I'd like to know someone
Who's learned how to sleep
When the night's still bright
I'd like to know someone
Who comes from the mountains
Like a wall against my waves
Who knows the quiet time
After the song is sung
Cause I'm quick to love
Quicker to tire
I'm looking for a slower burn
A better kind of fire
I'd like to know someone
With music in their lungs
I'd like to know someone
Who lets stuff off the hook
Throw back the little ones
And when you're not afraid to stay
I won't be afraid of morning
And when you're not afraid to say
I'll never be afraid, to listen
I'd like to know someone
Who knows I came undone once
I'd like to know someone
Who knows deep where they come from
The song "I'd Like to Know" by Meg Hutchinson is a yearning for someone who is introspective, strong, and isn't afraid to be vulnerable. The lyrics suggest that the singer is tired of being quick to love and quick to tire, meaning that it's time to find a deeper connection with someone. The singer expresses a desire to know someone who has "known months without sun," indicating an individual who has gone through difficult times and emerges from them with a sense of inner strength. Similarly, the singer would like to know someone who has learned how to sleep when the night is still bright, meaning someone who is comfortable with the darkness.
The singer also wants to know someone who comes from the mountains, someone who is immovable like a wall against their waves. Additionally, the singer seeks someone who appreciates the quiet time after the song is sung, rather than someone who is always trying to be in the spotlight. The song's lyrics also suggest that the singer wants to form a deep connection with someone who has music in their lungs and someone who isn't afraid to throw back the little ones. The final stanza reveals that the singer would like to know someone who knows they came undone once and someone who knows deep where they come from.
Overall, this song is about the desire to form a deep and meaningful connection with someone who is introspective, strong, and isn't afraid to show vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to know someone
The singer is expressing her desire to meet someone who fits the characteristics she describes in the following lines.
Who's known months without sun
The singer wants to meet someone who has experienced long periods of darkness, sadness, or depression.
Who's learned how to sleep
When the night's still bright
The singer wants to meet someone who knows how to find rest even in the midst of chaos, noise, or discomfort.
Who comes from the mountains
Like a wall against my waves
The singer desires someone who has inner strength, stability, and resilience, able to withstand the emotional storms she goes through.
Who knows the quiet time
After the song is sung
The singer wants to meet someone who values silence, solitude, and reflection, who appreciates the beauty and significance of moments before and after music is played.
Cause I'm quick to love
Quicker to tire
I'm looking for a slower burn
A better kind of fire
The singer acknowledges her tendency to fall in love easily but also to lose interest quickly, and wishes to find someone who can make her heart burn steadily, slowly, and with more depth and meaning.
I'd like to know someone
With music in their lungs
The singer wants to meet someone who breathes, lives, and expresses themselves through music, who understands its power, beauty, and magic.
Who lets stuff off the hook
Throw back the little ones
The singer wants to meet someone who doesn't hold grudges, who can forgive and forget, who doesn't get upset over small things that don't matter.
And when you're not afraid to stay
I won't be afraid of morning
And when you're not afraid to say
I'll never be afraid, to listen
The singer hopes to find someone who can offer her a sense of safety, trust, and openness, who will stick around even when things get tough, who will communicate their thoughts and feelings honestly and respectfully, and who will listen to her without judgment or criticism.
I'd like to know someone
Who knows I came undone once
I'd like to know someone
Who knows deep where they come from
The singer wants to meet someone who accepts her flaws and weaknesses, who acknowledges that she has been through difficult times in her life, and who has a strong sense of self-awareness, history, and purpose.
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.