Prior to the release of his 1989 debut album March, Penn performed the song "This & That" with his band The Pull on a 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live. Before that, he was a member of the Los Angeles band Doll Congress and had appeared as an extra on a few television series, including St. Elsewhere.
March, particularly the first single, "No Myth," brought Penn attention, as well as the 1990 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist. Penn's follow-up albums Free-for-All (1992), Resigned (1997) and MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident (2000) weren't able to match the success of March, although critics praised his songcraft.
Penn met fellow singer-songwriter Aimee Mann in the late 1980s, and during the recording of her album I'm With Stupid (to which Penn contributed vocals), the two struck up a friendship, which blossomed into romance and their 1997 marriage. Together with manager Michael Hausman they formed United Musicians, which is based on the idea of allowing artists to keep copyright ownership of their works and to assist with their promotion and distribution. Penn and Mann live in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. They have no children, but Penn has a son from a previous marriage.
He moved into film scoring after repeated requests from director Paul Thomas Anderson, who had apparently listened to Free-for-All extensively while writing his first feature Hard Eight and wanted Penn to score the film. Penn also scored Anderson's follow-up Boogie Nights (in which he appeared briefly as a recording engineer), The Anniversary Party, Melvin Goes to Dinner and the documentary The Comedians of Comedy.
His fifth album, Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947, was released August 2, 2005, on Mimeograph Records (Penn's own label) and SpinART Records. Penn has said that the album, which may be the first of two parts, is set after World War II and involves "the trauma that a war brings to a person's psychology." [1]
Penn's music "Walter Reed" was used in the fifth episode of House MD's third season, "Fools For Love".
I Can Tell
Michael Penn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatever shoes you had
Whatever made you mad enough
On the promenade you can
Give it a rest
Give it a seat
Or in the glass you can cut your feet
Flesh torn
And everything else seems
A little worse for worn
A simple thing, I admit
Out I never did figure it
I can tell that I'm about to
I can tell when I'm without you
I've seen you juggle
I've seen your best
I've seen you running out of luck you pressed
I've seen the scores on how far up you fessed
Until a thinner air is what you're breathing now
So catch your breath
Don't just stand there holding it
I've seen you die a little death
I'm pretty sure you were here
But lately things tend to disappear
Like the days I never got around to
I can tell when I'm without you
Psychic on the corner
'Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea'
The proprietor gives matches to the girls in line
For Club Diplomacy
Be he's not on to me
Crossed Olympic to collect my fee
But there's no one in this neighborhood who
I can tell when I'm without you
I can tell when I'm without you
I can tell when I'm without you
The lyrics to Michael Penn's song I Can Tell describe a sense of emptiness and longing that arises from being without someone special. The song begins with the artist acknowledging the struggles and frustrations his lover has faced, inviting them to let go of their worries and relax. He understands that life can cause one's ankles and feet to hurt, but nevertheless urges his lover to keep moving forward, to catch their breath and not let their troubles overwhelm them.
The bridge to the song speaks about the knowledge and insight that comes with spending time with someone special. The lyrics suggest that the singer has seen his lover at their best, and also when they're struggling, and still wants to be with them no matter what. He notes that life can be unpredictable, and that sometimes we lose track of the things that really matter - the "days I never got around to".
The song ends with the singer walking past a psychic shop, but knows that he doesn't need a psychic to tell him when he's feeling lost without his lover. The lyrics in I Can Tell use vivid imagery to paint a picture of someone struggling with loneliness and missing the one they love. It's a poignant statement on the power of love to lift us up and carry us through even the most difficult of times.
Line by Line Meaning
Whatever news you had
No matter what news you bring, I am not interested because I know it's not going to be about you and me.
Whatever shoes you had
I don't care if you wear Prada or Crocs, because what matters is that you're not walking beside me.
Whatever made you mad enough
Whatever got you frustrated or upset, I'm here to listen and support you, but now that you're gone, I don't have to pretend anymore.
On the promenade you can
The promenade is a public place where people go to relax, but even there, you can't escape your problems and your memories.
Give it a rest
Take a break from your worries and stress, and try to enjoy the moment without overthinking it.
Give it a seat
Sit down, take some time for yourself, and let your mind wander without any pressure or obligation.
Or in the glass you can cut your feet
You can choose to numb your pain with alcohol or other unhealthy coping mechanisms, but that will only hurt you more in the long run.
Pop a knee
Suffer a minor injury or setback that reminds you of your physical limitations and mortality.
Flesh torn
Experience pain and bleeding that reminds you of your vulnerability and fragility as a human being.
And everything else seems
When you're in pain or distress, everything else in your life seems trivial and insignificant.
A little worse for worn
After all the hardships and setbacks you've faced, you're not as strong and resilient as you used to be.
A simple thing, I admit
I know it's a small and simple thing to miss someone, but it's also a powerful and painful feeling that I can't ignore.
Out I never did figure it
I don't know why you left or why it hurts so much, because I could never understand your motives or emotions.
I can tell that I'm about to
I can feel the sadness and loneliness creeping up on me, and I know that I'm going to miss you even more.
I can tell when I'm without you
I can sense the emptiness and silence in my life, and I know that something important is missing.
I've seen you juggle
I've watched you multitask and prioritize your responsibilities, but now that you're gone, I don't know how you managed to do it all.
I've seen your best
I've witnessed your strengths and talents, but I also know that you had weaknesses and flaws that made you human and relatable.
I've seen you running out of luck you pressed
I've noticed that you were struggling and stressed, and that you tried to appear confident and in control, but deep down, you needed help and support.
Until a thinner air is what you're breathing now
You moved on to a different place or a different person, and now you feel lighter and freer, but I still feel suffocated and trapped in my own memories and regrets.
So catch your breath
Take a moment to relax and regain your composure, because life is short and unpredictable, and you don't want to waste it on worrying or rushing.
Don't just stand there holding it
Don't let your emotions overwhelm you or paralyze you, because you have the power to choose how you feel and what you do.
I've seen you die a little death
I've witnessed your sadness and despair, and it hurts me to see you suffer, even if I can't do anything to alleviate your pain.
I'm pretty sure you were here
I remember the moments we spent together, and I cherish them as a proof that we had something special and meaningful.
But lately things tend to disappear
Time passes and memories fade, and sometimes it feels like all the good things in life were fleeting and impermanent.
Like the days I never got around to
I regret the opportunities and experiences that I missed or delayed, because I was too busy or too afraid to seize them.
Psychic on the corner
Even if there are people who claim to have supernatural powers or insights, I don't believe that they can predict your future or understand your soul.
'Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea'
These are just symbols and rituals that people use to make sense of their lives and their relationships, but they don't have any inherent magic or truth.
The proprietor gives matches to the girls in line
The psychic might have commercial interests and try to lure customers with free gifts or promises of romance and success.
For Club Diplomacy
Maybe the club is a venue where people go to dance or socialize, but it's also a metaphor for the game of love and seduction that people play with each other.
Be he's not on to me
The psychic might think that he can read your mind or your fate, but he doesn't know the depths of your heart and your pain.
Crossed Olympic to collect my fee
You might have to pay a price to hear someone tell you what you want to hear or what you fear, but that doesn't mean that it's worth it.
But there's no one in this neighborhood who
Even if you try to find comfort or companionship in your surroundings, you can't replace the person who left you and took a piece of your soul.
I can tell when I'm without you
No matter what I do or where I go, I can't shake off the feeling that something essential and irreplaceable is missing from my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind