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.
Christmas Eve
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your message to me read
"I really need to talk to you today"
We sat in your car that night
Cried and said it all
Then parted knowing nothing
You headed north
Stumbling through the door, I hit the ground
And there I laid
With ten thosuand words to say
That all amount to one thing
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Now it's New Year's eve
So I fake like I'm all right
To say I'm moving on would be a lie
'Cause I still believe
Though you're wounded and so am I
That we still have something
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Over yet
Over yet
Over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
Please, darling, wait
It's not all over yet
(It's not over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
(Please, darling, wait)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(It's not all over yet)
(Please, darling, wait)
The song "Christmas Eve" by Nickel Creek tells a story of two people who were in love, but separated due to a misunderstanding. The song starts with a message that one of them sent to the other person saying they needed to talk. The two of them met up in a car on Christmas Eve, where they cried and let it all out. After that, they parted ways without any resolution. One of them went North while the other went South.
The lyrics depict the struggle of the singer who still has feelings for their ex-partner even after they went their separate ways. The singer evidently struggles with the idea that it's all over, and that they still have something left with their partner, which they convey through the repeated phrase "Please, darling, wait. It's not all over yet." They try to convince their partner to give them another chance, but they feel as though their partner is wounded, just as much as they are.
The song's lyrics are deep and emotional, creating a beautiful story of love, loss, and hope. The song exhibits a powerful message of reconciliation and hope in the face of loss and misunderstanding.
Line by Line Meaning
It was Christmas eve
The scene is set. The story begins on Christmas Eve.
And your message to me read
You received a message which gets the plot going.
"I really need to talk to you today"
The message was about how someone wants to talk to the singer.
We sat in your car that night
The singer meets the person who sent the message and they sit in their car.
Cried and said it all
Emotions run high, and both parties admit everything they have been holding in.
Then parted knowing nothing
The conversation didn't yield a definitive resolution, and both people parted ways with no certainty or answer.
You headed north
One person went north after their meeting.
And I made my way back south
The singer went back south.
Stumbling through the door, I hit the ground
The singer returned home only to fall down, possibly in emotional exhaustion or physical fatigue.
And there I laid
The singer remained there, possibly feeling defeated.
With ten thousand words to say
There are a lot of emotions to express and possible things that can be said to this person.
That all amount to one thing
Despite everything, the only thing that matters is the next line.
Please, darling, wait
The singer pleads with the person they met to wait for them.
It's not all over yet
There's still hope and something worth fighting for. It's not over yet.
Now it's New Year's eve
The story continues, several weeks or months after Christmas Eve, on New Year's Eve.
So I fake like I'm all right
The singer puts on a facade to hide their emotions and appear happy.
To say I'm moving on would be a lie
Even though they're trying to act like everything is okay, they know that they haven't moved on from the person they met.
'Cause I still believe
The singer still believes in their relationship with the person they met on Christmas Eve.
Though you're wounded and so am I
Both parties are hurt in some way, but the singer holds on to hope.
That we still have something
Despite everything, the singer believes there is still a chance for them.
Please, darling, wait
The plea from earlier is repeated to this point of the song.
It's not all over yet
The hope from earlier is reaffirmed.
Over yet
Repetition of the previous line.
Please, darling, wait
Repetition of an earlier line, which is still very important.
(It's not over yet)
Additional lyric to emphasize the repeating lines and the hope it carries.
(Please, darling, wait)
Additional lyric to emphasize the repeating lines and the plea it carries.
(It's not all over yet)
Additional lyric to emphasize the repeating lines and the hope it carries.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER SCOTT THILE, SARA WATKINS, SEAN WATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind