The two families, the Watkinses and the Thiles, met after Sean Watkins and Chris Thile had mandolin lessons with the same music instructor, John Moore. Sara Watkins studied with Moore's bandmate, Dennis Caplinger. The band name came from a song by Byron Berline, who was Sara Watkins' fiddle instructor.
Nickel Creek's first performance was at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad, California in 1989 with Scott Thile, Chris's father, playing string bass. Sean Watkins was only twelve years old at the time. At the start Chris Thile played guitar and Sean Watkins played mandolin but later they decided to switch instruments. The band played many bluegrass festivals throughout the 1990s, and the band members were home-schooled to accommodate their tour schedule. Nickel Creek's first two albums were Little Cowpoke (1993) and Here to There (1997).
The group received two Grammy nominations: Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for the song "Ode to a Butterfly". The trio was nominated at the CMA Awards for Best Vocal Group and the Horizon Award and were named one of the "Five Music Innovators of the Millennium" by TIME Magazine in May 2000. Nickel Creek's "The Lighthouse's Tale" video was nominated for a CMT "Flameworthy Video Award" for Group/Duo Video of the Year.
In 2002 the band released their fourth album, This Side, produced by Alison Krauss. It was a departure from their previous releases which were purely bluegrass. Although the core influence of bluegrass remained, other genres such as indie rock and folk rock were present in their music included cover songs Spit on a Stranger by Pavement, and Should've Known Better by Carrie Newcomer.
In 2005 the band released their fifth album, Why Should the Fire Die? with more rock and pop influences. The album debuted and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard bluegrass chart.
In late summer 2006, via Billboard and their official website, Nickel Creek announced that at the end of the year they would no longer be recording as a group and their tour, scheduled through 2007, would be their last for an indefinite period of time so band members could expand their musical horizons.
The band had plans to record its final performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in November 2007 but the idea was later "scrapped".
The band released a new album in the spring of 2014. They also played a handful of live shows and festival dates, including a concert at the Ryman Auditorium, the last venue the band played when it played its last show.
Can't Complain
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cleared her head and made her wonder why
I helped her live, and made her wanna die
But she, can't complain, she can't complain
She tried to date a friend of mine
I was at his house when she came to say goodbye
He stood her up, and she took it as a sign
We took off for the weekend had quite a time
Shared everything we'd ever tried
I told her I could love her, I told her I could lie
So she can't complain, she can't complain
She didn't care she saw me in her life
I left it up for her to decide
She couldn't see the end of me, nor could I
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain
She moved here, about the first house she could find
I moved in and we locked ourselves inside
I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds
So we can't complain, we can't complain
I cheated on her with a friend of mine
There are no days that we don't fight
But remember, I warned her, and I'm a guy
So she can't complain, no she can't complain, she knows,
She can't complain, she can't complain
No she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
The lyrics depict a tumultuous relationship between two people where one person seemingly causes the other a lot of emotional pain and yet, in spite of it all, the other person persists in staying with them. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of it as the singer talks about how he has both made the woman in question smile and cry, cleared her head and made her wonder why he is doing what he is doing. He claims to have helped her live while also making her want to die. The relationship appears to be filled with contradictions and complexities as both parties seem to be struggling with their own emotions about it.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about how the woman he is involved with tried to date a friend of his, but the friend stood her up and she came back to him. It is unclear whether this made things worse or better between them. They go on a weekend trip together and share everything they have ever tried. The singer tells her he could love her but also that he could lie to her, leaving her in a state of confusion as to where she stands with him. Despite all of this, she decides to move in with him and they seem to be locked in a relationship that neither of them really understands.
The lyrics are deeply melancholic in nature and seem to depict a sense of resignation and helplessness on the part of the woman. She cannot complain despite the pain and suffering that she has had to endure because she feels trapped in the relationship. The song touches on themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I made her smile, and made her cry
I had an impact on her emotions, bringing her both joy and sorrow
Cleared her head and made her wonder why
I helped her gain clarity, opening up new possibilities and questions for her
I helped her live, and made her wanna die
I was a significant presence in her life, providing experiences both positive and negative
But she, can't complain, she can't complain
Despite the ups and downs of our relationship, she has no complaints about how things turned out
She tried to date a friend of mine
She pursued a romantic interest in someone close to me
I was at his house when she came to say goodbye
I happened to be present when she ended things with him
He stood her up, and she took it as a sign
Her date didn't show up, which caused her to see it as a sign to end things
And I can't complain, I can't complain
I have no complaints about how the situation played out
We took off for the weekend had quite a time
We went on a fun weekend adventure together
Shared everything we'd ever tried
We were open with each other about our experiences
I told her I could love her, I told her I could lie
I was honest with her about my capacity for love and deception
So she can't complain, she can't complain
Despite my honesty about my flaws, she has no complaints about how things turned out
She didn't care she saw me in her life
She wanted me to be a part of her life
I left it up for her to decide
I allowed her to have agency in our relationship
She couldn't see the end of me, nor could I
Neither of us could predict how our relationship would end
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain
Despite the uncertainty of our future, I have no complaints about how things are going
She moved here, about the first house she could find
She found a residence in the area
I moved in and we locked ourselves inside
We committed to living together in close quarters
I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds
We became entwined in each other's thoughts and emotions
So we can't complain, we can't complain
Despite the potential challenges of living together, we have no complaints about how things are going
I cheated on her with a friend of mine
I was unfaithful with someone I knew
There are no days that we don't fight
Our relationship is characterized by frequent conflict
But remember, I warned her, and I'm a guy
I disclosed my inclination toward infidelity, and attribute it to my gender
So she can't complain, no she can't complain, she knows,
Despite my cheating and our frequent fights, she has no complaints or surprise about how things are going
She can't complain, she can't complain
Overall, she has no complaints about our relationship
She can't complain, she can't complain
Despite any issues that arise, she has no interest in complaining about our relationship
She can't complain, she can't complain
Overall, she is content with our relationship and has no complaints
She can't complain, she can't complain
Ultimately, she has a generally positive outlook on our relationship, and doesn't feel the need to complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
Despite any shortcomings or issues in our relationship, she is content and has no complaints
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS THILE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Youknow Dawae
I made her smile, I made her cry
Cleared her head and made her wonder why
I helped her live, I made her want to die
But she can't complain, she can't complain
She tried to date a friend of mine
I was at his house when she came to say goobye
He stood her up and she took it as a sign
But I can't complain, I can't complain
We took off for the weekend, had quite a time
Shared everything we'd ever tried
I told her I could love her, told her I could lie
So she can't complain, she can't complain
She didn't care if she saw me in her life
I left it up for her to decide
She couldn't see the end, neither could I
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain
She moved here, bought the first house she could find
I moved in, we locked ourselves inside
I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds
So we can't complain, we can't complain, mmm
I cheated on her with a friend of mine
There are no days when we don't fight
But remember, I warned her, and I'm a guy
So she can't complain, no she can't complain
She knows she can't complain
She can't complain
No, she can't complain...
No, she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
No, no, she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain
ttiger86
An amazing song. Always enjoyed Nickel Creek
Gardiner Bryant
This song is heart-wrenching
Youknow Dawae
I made her smile, I made her cry
Cleared her head and made her wonder why
I helped her live, I made her want to die
But she can't complain, she can't complain
She tried to date a friend of mine
I was at his house when she came to say goobye
He stood her up and she took it as a sign
But I can't complain, I can't complain
We took off for the weekend, had quite a time
Shared everything we'd ever tried
I told her I could love her, told her I could lie
So she can't complain, she can't complain
She didn't care if she saw me in her life
I left it up for her to decide
She couldn't see the end, neither could I
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain
She moved here, bought the first house she could find
I moved in, we locked ourselves inside
I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds
So we can't complain, we can't complain, mmm
I cheated on her with a friend of mine
There are no days when we don't fight
But remember, I warned her, and I'm a guy
So she can't complain, no she can't complain
She knows she can't complain
She can't complain
No, she can't complain...
No, she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
No, no, she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain
David Richmond
The 4th verse is missing from the lyrics:
She didn't care she saw me in her life
I left it up for her to decide
She couldn't see the end of me, nor could I
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain
Justin Humphrey
I love the sound of the first 25 seconds
Nate Lucchese
This song brought me to tears.
Denese Allen
Thank you for putting it up there. Here. whichever.
Lidi Menagerie
Love
SmittenTheKitteninMittens
always dies
Desi Rood
Cool