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.
Sabra Girl
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strange, the paths on which we tread.
Led me to you, unlikely but true.
Sabra girl, clouding my view.
Rainy the day, the first time we met.
Deep was the dark, forever my day.
It didn't seem wrong to sing a sad song.
Early the morning, you're sad, the good bye.
With a wave of your hand and a smile of your eye.
So lately did meet, no sooner to part.
Sabra girl, homeward must start.
Rosie, the lines you wrote with your hand.
Reading between them, to misunderstand.
I made the mistake you said not to make.
Yes, reading your letters, conviction did grow.
I thought it a chance; I knew I must go.
It's hard to believe I could be so naive.
Sabra girl, flattered but deceived.
Now you just told me that friendship is off.
I'm forced to repair the breach in my wall.
Illusions and dreams, as usual, it seems.
Sabra girl, they've been my downfall.
Lonely, the life and dismal the view.
Closed is the road that leads to you.
Since better can be, as friends we'll agree,
Sabra girl, time will cure me
The Nickel Creek song "Sabra Girl" tells the story of a protagonist who has lived a lonely life until they come across the Sabra girl. The singer reflects on the strange paths that brought them together, and how the girl has clouded their view. The first time they met was on a rainy day that seems deep and dark, but it wasn't wrong to sing a sad song with her. There is a sense of inevitability about their relationship, even though it is only fleeting. The Sabra girl has to go back home and the singer has to face up to the fact that their illusions and dreams have once again let them down. Friendship is all that remains, and they realise they must go their separate ways.
The song is full of emotion and longing, with a sense of melancholy that is typical of Nickel Creek's music. The singer is introspective, reflecting on their own naivety and the mistakes they have made. However, the Sabra girl is never portrayed as a villain, more as a mysterious figure who has briefly entered the singer's life. The lyrics are full of evocative imagery, such as "Rosie the lines you wrote with your hand" which conjures up the image of a love letter with all its possibilities and pitfalls.
Overall, "Sabra Girl" is a haunting and beautiful song that captures the essence of fleeting love and the bittersweet nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonely, the life that I once led.
I used to live a lonely life
Strange, the paths on which we tread.
We take unexpected journeys in life
Led me to you, unlikely but true.
Despite the odds, we found each other
Sabra girl, clouding my view.
My feelings for you are distracting me
Rainy the day, the first time we met.
It was a gloomy day when we first encountered each other
Deep was the dark, forever my day.
I was going through a dark phase, and it seemed endless
It didn't seem wrong to sing a sad song.
I was in a melancholic mood and found solace in sorrowful music
Sabra girl, seen you before.
You seemed familiar to me, like I had seen you before
Early the morning, you're sad, the good bye.
You were sad when we said goodbye early in the morning
With a wave of your hand and a smile of your eye.
You left with a friendly gesture and a charming smile
So lately did meet, no sooner to part.
We met recently and had to part soon after
Sabra girl, homeward must start.
You had to leave to go back home
Rosie, the lines you wrote with your hand.
I read the words you wrote on paper
Reading between them, to misunderstand.
I misinterpreted what you wrote
I made the mistake you said not to make.
I ignored your warning and made an error in judgment
Yes, reading your letters, conviction did grow.
I became more convinced of my feelings for you after reading your letters
I thought it a chance; I knew I must go.
I saw it as an opportunity and knew I had to pursue it
It's hard to believe I could be so naive.
I am surprised at how foolish I was
Sabra girl, flattered but deceived.
You made me feel special, but I was misled
Now you just told me that friendship is off.
You said we can't be friends anymore
I'm forced to repair the breach in my wall.
I have to fix the emotional damage this has caused
Illusions and dreams, as usual, it seems.
I realize that my perceptions of reality are often unrealistic
Sabra girl, they've been my downfall.
You and my feelings for you have brought me down
Lonely, the life and dismal the view.
My life is still lonely, and my outlook is bleak
Closed is the road that leads to you.
It seems like I can no longer reach you
Since better can be, as friends we'll agree.
We can still salvage a friendship out of this situation
Sabra girl, time will cure me
With time, I will heal and move on from my feelings for you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind