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.
YOUR NAME
Meredith Brooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't remember if I smiled
I don't think we talked
But you always hung around a while
And I don't know your name
Yeah, I think that you were tall
I don't remember if I was ever nice to you at all
Suddenly you come undone
You tell me I'm the only one
You hold my head up with a gun
And tell me that we are in love
You touch me, and you want the same
I close my eyes and start to pray
And tell you I will be the way you want
If you will only say your name
You wrote me everyday
I never knew that it was you
I just threw it all away
I didn't know what else to do
Jesus told you to find me
And never ever let me go
And we would be so happy
He promised you that I would know
[Chorus]
I am sorry, so sorry, oh
I am sorry Jesus forgot to tell me
I see that you are crying
I know you only meant to be with me
Maybe I was hasty
I should have listened more carefully
Please, tell me it's not too late
Your decision has been made
Before you pull the trigger
Please, won't you tell me your name?
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Meredith's song "Scream Your Name" talk about a person who has been secretly admiring someone from afar, never having the courage to approach them. The person is described as being "everywhere I walk", but the singer doesn't know their name, only that they were tall. The mysterious person then confesses their love to the singer, holding their head up with a gun, and demanding that they reciprocate. The singer prays and agrees to be with them, but only if they say their name. The song concludes with the singer apologizing to Jesus for not recognizing the person's efforts to contact them and then pleading with the person not to pull the trigger.
The lyrics of the song seem to be about a stalker, someone who has been silently watching the singer, leaving them letters, and then finally snapping and demanding their love. The song explores themes of obsession, fear, and desperation. The singer tries to be sympathetic to the stalker's feelings, but ultimately must stand up for themselves and protect their own safety.
Line by Line Meaning
You're everywhere I walk
I can't escape the memory of you wherever I go.
I don't remember if I smiled
I don't recall if I ever reciprocated your feelings.
I don't think we talked
I don't think we ever had a proper conversation.
But you always hung around a while
But you still stayed close by, hoping for a chance.
And I don't know your name
I am not familiar with who you truly are.
Yeah, I think that you were tall
If I had to describe you, I'd say you were probably tall.
I don't remember if I was ever nice to you at all
I can't say for sure if I treated you kindly or not.
Suddenly you come undone
All at once, you reveal your intense emotions.
You tell me I'm the only one
You declare that I'm the only person for you.
You hold my head up with a gun
You hold me at gunpoint to prove your love for me.
And tell me that we are in love
You insist that our feelings for each other are real and mutual.
You touch me, and you want the same
You touch me, hoping to feel the same passion reciprocated.
I close my eyes and start to pray
I shut my eyes and silently plead for a way out of this situation.
And tell you I will be the way you want
I try to appease you by telling you I'll be whatever you want me to be.
If you will only say your name
As long as you reveal your name to me, I'll do anything you ask.
You wrote me everyday
You sent me letters every single day.
I never knew that it was you
I never knew it was you who was sending me those letters.
I just threw it all away
I carelessly got rid of all your handwritten letters to me.
I didn't know what else to do
I was lost and confused, unsure of how to respond to your advances.
Jesus told you to find me
You believe that you were given divine guidance to pursue me.
And never ever let me go
You feel it is your mission to never let me leave your side.
And we would be so happy
You are convinced that if I accept your love, we'll be happy together.
He promised you that I would know
You believe you have been guaranteed that I will eventually accept your love.
I am sorry, so sorry, oh
I deeply regret everything that has led to this moment.
I am sorry Jesus forgot to tell me
I apologize for being blind to your feelings, despite your faith in divine guidance.
I see that you are crying
I recognize that you are hurting and emotional.
I know you only meant to be with me
I understand that you only have good intentions for our future together.
Maybe I was hasty
Perhaps I acted too quickly without fully understanding your feelings.
I should have listened more carefully
I realize now that I should have paid closer attention to your words and actions.
Please, tell me it's not too late
I beg you to tell me that there is still a chance to make things right.
Your decision has been made
You insist that you have already made up your mind about us.
Before you pull the trigger
Before you do anything drastic or hurtful.
Please, won't you tell me your name?
I plead with you one final time to reveal your identity to me before making any irreversible decisions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MEREDITH ANNE BROOKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind