One hails from St. Louis, has a band, and has been quietly and steadily building a fervent following across the country, stepping outside his role as one of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefers to front his own band, The Peter Mayer Group. Melding a unique and eclectic writing style, a distinctive voice, and virtuoso musicianship, Peter and his band create compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance.
The other is a folk singer and hails from Stillwater, MN. This Peter writes songs for a small planet—songs about interconnectedness and the human journey; about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Whimsical, humorous, and profound, his music breaks the boundaries of "folk" and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very heart of life itself.
This second Peter began playing the guitar and writing songs when he was in high school. He studied theology and music in college and then spent two years in seminary. After deciding that the priesthood wasn't for him, he took a part-time job as a church music director for eight years, while performing at clubs and colleges and writing and recording his music. In 1995, he quit his job and started touring full-time. Since then, Peter has gradually gained a dedicated, word-of-mouth following, selling out shows from Minnesota to Texas, New England to California. He has eight CDs to his credit, and has sold over 50,000 of them independently.
Fall
Peter Mayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm standing on the edge
I'm about to jump
And fall in love
With you again
Somebody call on a world
Renowned hypnotist
To talk me out of this
In love with you again
Somebody dial the operator
Send a signal of distress
This is a sink
Or swim situation
Send an SOS
Somebody call on a janitor
To clean up this mess
I don't want to fall
In love with you again
Cause when I fall in love with you
I fall and fall is all I do
So catch me when I fall
Or don't do anything at all
Don't pretend to be my guide
Please don't lead me on especially
When I'm standing here
Ready to jump
Don't give me a backup
Don't give me a parachute at all
I don't want to slow down
If and when I fall
Just call on a babysitter
To put this feeling to rest
So I won't fall in love
With you again
Somebody call a firefighter
To bring me down from this ledge
I don't want to fall in love
With you again
Cause when I fall in love with you
I fall and fall
Is all I do
So catch me when I fall
Or don't do anything at all
Don't do anything at all
The song "Fall" by Peter Mayer is a tale of unrequited love - a person who is on the verge of falling in love with someone all over again. The singer is standing on the edge of a figurative cliff, ready to jump and fall in love with their past lover once more. They ask for help in the form of a negotiator, a hypnotist, and an operator; all to prevent them from falling back into this trap. However, in the end, they accept that they might fall, and plead with their love interest to catch them when they do, instead of leading them on or pretending to guide them. The lyrics convey the singer's desperation to avoid falling into the same cycle of love and heartbreak with this person.
The song's sombre melody in minor key accompanies the lyrics' melancholic themes. The melancholic tone evokes the desperation of wanting to escape a love that constantly brings intense pain. The repetition of the phrase "falling in love" emphasizes the cyclical nature of the singer's emotions and demonstrates how all-consuming their feelings are. The use of different professions in the chorus, such as firefighters and janitors, reinforces the idea that the singer needs any help they can obtain to avoid falling in love once more.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody call a negotiator
Requesting for assistance to negotiate with feelings
I'm standing on the edge
In a precarious position where emotions are about to take over
I'm about to jump
About to take the leap of faith
And fall in love
Embrace love once again
With you again
The person in question is the recipient of the love
Somebody call on a world
Request for a renowned hypnotist
Renowned hypnotist
Expert who can put a halt on this emotional ride
To talk me out of this
To prevent from committing to love once again
I don't want to fall
Desire to not repeat the past mistakes
Somebody dial the operator
To seek immediate help
Send a signal of distress
In dire need of assistance
This is a sink
A dangerous plunge into a sea of emotions
Or swim situation
Sink or Swim choices
Send an SOS
Request for urgent help
Somebody call on a janitor
Requesting for the cleanup crew
To clean up this mess
To make amends for the past errors of love
Cause when I fall in love with you
Personalized view of what loving someone feels like
I fall and fall is all I do
Unable to break the cycle of falling in love
So catch me when I fall
Please prevent me from falling deeper into love
Or don't do anything at all
Sometimes love doesn't work out, and it is okay
Don't pretend to be my guide
Please don't pretend to know everything about love
Please don't lead me on especially
Please don't make empty promises
When I'm standing here
When one is at their most vulnerable
Ready to jump
Ready to take the leap in love once again
Don't give me a backup
Don't give me a way out of love
Don't give me a parachute at all
Don't give me false hope, in case love fails again
I don't want to slow down
Desire to push forward into love without hesitation
Just call on a babysitter
Request for help in handling complicated emotions
To put this feeling to rest
To make sure that love doesn't reignite again
Cause when I fall in love with you
Reiteration of personal feelings with love
I fall and fall
Unable to break the cycle of falling in love
Is all I do
Emphasis on the personal struggle with falling in love
So catch me when I fall
Please protect me from falling deeper into love
Or don't do anything at all
Sometimes love doesn't work out, and it is okay
Don't do anything at all
Personal choice on what to do with love
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.