Pete Krebs is an independent musician from Portland, Oregon, best known as … Read Full Bio ↴Pete Krebs is an independent musician from Portland, Oregon, best known as a member of the punk-pop band Hazel and a split record with Elliott Smith.

Having already served successful tours in the Northwest punk bands Thrillhammer, Hazel (two albums on Sub Pop records) and the rambunctious bluegrass band Golden Delicious, Pete Krebs has emerged as one of the most consistently engaging contemporary singer-songwriters. Much like his friend and collaborator Elliott Smith, Krebs uses his more rock-oriented roots to drive his intensely introspective songs. Both Krebs and Smith have passed through early periods of extremely stripped down solo recordings to tackling grander ambitions with more sonically dense collaborative works.

Debuting as a solo musician in 1995 on Cavity Search Records, Krebs' starkly acoustic Brigadier immediately established him as one of the more impressive voices in the crowded singer-songwriter idiom.

Abide With Me
Pete Krebs Lyrics

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Anyone can tell you anything
You want to hear
It's easy if they're whispering in
Open ears
So you cross your fingers
'Cause they sound so sincere
But you don't understand how
Things are done around here

'Cause everybody wants a first
Time heart
And everybody wants to crowd
You in
And everybody wants to take
You apart at the skin
Abide with me

Watch where you go watch
Where you're lying
(I guess it's hard to do with
Stars in your eyes)
But don't you know it's just a matter of time
Before you're walking around like
A big fucking surprise

Ruby reds and emerald greens
Painting by number ain't no
Longer what it seemed
As your coloring in all your
Disaster scenes

Wishing to god that you knew
What it means

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pete Krebs’s song Abide With Me explore the theme of trust and the challenges one faces while navigating interpersonal relationships. The opening lines of the song suggest that people will tell you what you want to hear, as long as you are willing to listen. The singer warns the listener to be cautious of easy sincerity and to be aware that not everyone has your best interests at heart. It seems that the singer is expressing a sense of disillusionment with relationships or society in general, as they claim not to understand "how things are done around here". The verses that follow detail the harmful consequences of misplaced trust, including feelings of disconnection, insincerity, and self-doubt.

The chorus, "Abide with me", beckons the listener to seek refuge in the presence of God or a higher power. The phrase "abide with me" is commonly used in hymns and Christian literature as a plea for God's guidance and protection. It is interesting to note that the use of this phrase in Krebs's song draws on this religious connotation, but it is not clear if the singer is seeking comfort from religion, or if "abide with me" is meant to be taken more metaphorically. The song's second verse features a repetition of the phrase "watch where you go watch where you're lying", which highlights the singer's mistrust and fear of deception. The final lines of the song suggest that the act of coloring in "disaster scenes" is futile without an understanding of what it all means.

In summary, the lyrics of Abide With Me are a rumination on the challenges of trust and the need for guidance in navigating our interpersonal relationships. Krebs's use of religious imagery and metaphor adds depth to the song's message, while the specificity of some of the phrases, such as "coloring in all your disaster scenes", create vivid imagery that adds to the song's themes.

Line by Line Meaning

Anyone can tell you anything
People can say anything to you

You want to hear
If it's what you want to listen to

It's easy if they're whispering in
It's easy if they say it quietly

Open ears
To receptive ears

So you cross your fingers
You hope for the best

'Cause they sound so sincere
Because they seem genuine

But you don't understand how
But you don't know how

Things are done around here
Things are done in this place

'Cause everybody wants a first
Because everyone desires a first

Time heart
Newfound love

And everybody wants to crowd
And everyone wants to surround