At that time, she recorded a number of songs that appeared years and years later on the album 'See It Through My Eyes'. Before too long, Brooks joined the rock group The Graces. Though only an underground success, the band recorded and released the well-received album 'A Perfect View' in 1989.
In the wake of the enormous popularity of solo rocker Alanis Morissette in 1995, Brooks landed a major label contract with Capitol Records. She was nearly 39 years old before having her first hit single, titled "Bitch", come out in 1997. The single broke her into the mainstream in a huge way, garnering her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. 'Blurring the Edges' achieved multi-platinum sales and peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200, her fan base growing internationally. She toured in the U.S. and Europe in 1997 and 1998 to support the album.
Brooks recorded her second major release, titled 'Deconstruction' in 1999. The aptly titled album represented a stylistic and thematic shift away from the melodic alternative rock style of 'Blurring the Edges'. Due to a flood of records by female musicians at the time and the record label's decision to have her tour in Europe instead of promoting in the U.S., the album sold poorly, many fans also feeling uncertain about her new sound. Interestingly, Brooks originally wrote the song "Sin City", which appears on this album, for the Nicolas Cage fronted thriller film 'Snake Eyes', directed by her friend Brian De Palma.
In 2002, Brooks worked on her third solo album Bad Bad One on Gold Circle Records, an independent label. Immediately after releasing the album, the label folded and prevented the record from getting promoted or achieving significant sales. Track 11 - 'Shine' - was released as the lead single
The label's demise also interrupted her tour with Melissa Etheridge that summer, causing her and the band to return early to Los Angeles. Also in 2002, Brooks produced Jennifer Love Hewitt's album, BareNaked, and appeared on the VH1 Divas Las Vegas program as a guest guitar soloist with Celine Dion and Anastacia.
In 2004, Brooks signed a new contract with the SLG Records label and released the material of Bad Bad One as Shine. Television psychologist Dr. Phil chose the song "Shine" as the theme for his show.
As of August 2005, Brooks was working on a children's album titled If I Could Be... and continuing to develop new artists as a producer and songwriter.s.
LAY DOWN
Meredith Brooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The walls go up, waiting here, wishing here, wishing here, waiting
You forget I know your tender spots, I can hurt you too,
But I'm the one loving you, so come on and love me
[Chorus:]
Lay down your arms
Lay down, down, down, down
And shoot love to the ground
Lay down your arms
Lay down, down, down, down
Lay with me
So close then the moment's shattered, like nothing mattered
Pushing me, pulling you, pulling me, pushing
Don't want to tear our love apart, I want to give my heart
Can't we start living here, giving
[Chorus]
So we are in love, so we are at war
But we can be on the same side
[repeat chorus]
In Meredith Brooks’ song Lay Down, she sings about the push and pull of a turbulent relationship. The lyrics convey the complexity of the situation with pointed verses and a catchy chorus. The opening lines “your words are quick, and they cut so deep” highlight the intensity of the communication between two people involved in an argument. The next few lines convey the bitterness that emerges in the aftermath of a fight - “the walls go up, waiting here, wishing here, wishing here, waiting...”. These feelings of longing and disappointment are juxtaposed with the knowledge that the other person is just as vulnerable. Brooks sings, “You forget I know your tender spots, I can hurt you too / But I'm the one loving you, so come on and love me”. This contrasts perfectly with the chorus, where the emotions reach a crescendo. As the song progresses, the lyrics ask for a ceasefire of sorts. Brooks pleads with her partner to “Lay down your arms / Why'd you want to go / And shoot love to the ground / Lay down your arms / Lay with me”. She is asking for vulnerability and honesty from the other person, trying to bridge the gaps and bring them closer...
The song also explores the idea that love can be a battlefield, as Brooks sings “So we are in love, so we are at war / But we can be on the same side. The lyrics in the song offer an optimistic outlook that even though love can be complicated, with communication and understanding, it’s still possible to make things work.
Line by Line Meaning
Your words are quick, and they cut so deep
Your words hurt me deeply and quickly, leaving emotional scars.
The walls go up, waiting here, wishing here, wishing here, waiting
I feel guarded and defensive, waiting for you to make a move towards me.
You forget I know your tender spots, I can hurt you too,
You forget that I know your weaknesses and can also hurt you emotionally.
But I'm the one loving you, so come on and love me
Despite any disagreements, I am still the one who loves you and wants you to love me back.
Lay down your arms
Stop fighting and arguing with me.
Lay down, down, down, down
Completely let go of your defenses and open up to me.
Why'd you want to go
Why do you want to continue arguing and pushing me away?
And shoot love to the ground
Why do you want to destroy our love and any chance of reconciliation?
Lay with me
Come be close to me and let us be intimate.
So close then the moment's shattered, like nothing mattered
We get so close to resolving our issues but something always ruins the moment, making all our efforts negligible.
Pushing me, pulling you, pulling me, pushing
We are both trying to get the upper hand in our disagreements, resulting in a back-and-forth struggle.
Don't want to tear our love apart, I want to give my heart
I don't want our love to fall apart and I'm willing to put in the effort to make it work.
Can't we start living here, giving
Let's start living in the present moment and giving our love a fair chance.
So we are in love, so we are at war
We are both in love with each other but our constant fighting makes it feel like we're at war.
But we can be on the same side
We can work together and be a united team to make our relationship work.
Lay down your arms
Stop fighting with me and let's work towards reconciliation.
Lay down, down, down, down
Let go of all your emotional baggage and be open to the possibility of love between us.
Lay with me
Come be close to me and let us be intimate.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
IllBePlayin
Glad to hear she’s still making music.
tmx63
This is from 1999.
THE FAT BAT
I love it! ♥
Bryan Adams
I just love her look she still looks absolutely stunning. Amazing music.
Ryan Rowe
Amazing song! ❤
matthew graham
Meredith nailed this song. I remember Melanie sang this in 1970 the year I graduated, one of my favorites. Thank you.
✿LovelyPanda✿
Gorgeous! 🥰 I'm a huge fan, thanks for uploading this awesome video ❤️
Chris Eddines
All hail the Queen 👸🏽. Glad to see and hear a new song from her. From both of them, actually. 👍👍👍
Kathleen Murphy
Two amazing Queens…how could this ever go wrong..??!! 💚
ChrisHenares
Great song! and I have to say I love the videoclip direction and style.