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.
I Should?ve Known Better
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the cards were stacked
It's been a long hard road to hell and back
Your love meant trouble
From the day we met
You won every hand, I lost every bet
Now you think that I, I should've known better
My heart sank when I read that letter
It sank like a stone, it sank like a stone
A cup of cold coffee
Yesterday's mail
Bad love like this is always bound to fail
Your love meant trouble
From the day we met
If you want your things, they're on the front step
Now you'd think that I, I should've known better
Now I think that I should've seen it come
My heart sank when I read that letter
It sank like a stone, it sank like a stone
All alone in my kitchen
All alone in my head
Some things you can't take back once they've been said
I don't know what this love is for
All I know is I don't want it anymore
Now you'd think that I, I should've known better
I, I should've seen it come
My heart sank when I read that letter
It sank like a stone, it sank like a stone
The lyrics to "I Should've Known Better" by Nickel Creek are about a failed relationship and the regret one feels after it's over. The song describes the toxic nature of the relationship, how the singer knew it was doomed from the start, yet they still allowed themselves to fall into it. The cards were stacked against them, and the love they once shared now feels like a burden. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer should have known better, that they should have seen the end coming. It's easy to see in hindsight, as the relationship had a predictable ending.
The second verse adds to the story of the relationship's demise. The image of a cup of cold coffee and yesterday's mail imply that this love is outdated and has lost its warmth. The line "If you want your things, they're on the front step" suggests that the relationship ended abruptly and with little room for discussion. The bridge of the song switches to personal reflection, as the singer is alone with their thoughts in the kitchen. They regret the things that were said, and they don't want this kind of love anymore.
The overall message of the song is that sometimes, we can fall into a pattern of self-destructive behavior, and knowingly engage in a relationship that will not bring us happiness. We may recognize the red flags, but we ignore them, thinking we can change things. The regret that comes after the fact can be all-consuming, as we wish we had listened to our instincts. In the end, the lesson learned is to trust ourselves and recognize when something is not good for us.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long time comin'
This situation has been building up for a while now.
And the cards were stacked
The odds were against me from the start.
It's been a long hard road to hell and back
I went through a difficult journey that took me to some dark places and back.
Your love meant trouble
Your love was always problematic from the start.
From the day we met
This was evident from the very beginning of our relationship.
You won every hand, I lost every bet
You always had the upper hand and I was always the loser in this relationship.
Now you think that I, I should've known better
You believe that I should have been more aware of the situation and avoided it altogether.
Now I think that I, I would've seen it come
Looking back, I realize that I should have seen the warning signs of this problematic relationship.
My heart sank when I read that letter
I experienced a profound feeling of sadness and disappointment when I received that letter.
It sank like a stone, it sank like a stone
My heart felt heavy and hopeless, as if it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
A cup of cold coffee
A metaphor for the bitterness and disappointment that I feel.
Yesterday's mail
This letter was a long time coming, and its contents were expected.
Bad love like this is always bound to fail
A relationship as problematic as this was always destined to fail, no matter how hard we tried.
If you want your things, they're on the front step
I'm done with this relationship, and I want you out of my life for good.
All alone in my kitchen
An expression of my deep loneliness and feelings of isolation.
All alone in my head
My thoughts and emotions are consuming me, and I feel like I'm going crazy.
Some things you can't take back once they've been said
Words can hurt deeply, and sometimes they can't be unsaid, no matter how much we wish they could be.
I don't know what this love is for
I can't understand the purpose or meaning of this love, and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it.
All I know is I don't want it anymore
I've had enough of this relationship, and I want to move on with my life without you in it.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CARRIE ANN NEWCOMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind