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.
GREEN
Peter Mayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were looking for something
that I buried long ago
I wish you could see yourself now
Your reflection is fading
Outside of this light
You are very small
There is no more reason to think that no time
Since you are lost I'll leave those years buried
Leave them buried long ago
I think I will be myself now
That small space, your suffocating
Outside of my sight
You will only fall
I wish you could see yourself now
Your reflection is fading
Outside of this light
You are very small
When you think of yourself now,
In that reflection you made clear
outside in this night
I can only watch you fall
When you think of yourself now,
Is that reflection you made clear
outside in this night
I can only watch you fall
In Peter Mayer's song "Green", the lyrics are highly metaphorical and convey a deep sense of frustration and disappointment towards someone who is unable to see how their own actions are causing their downfall. The singer starts off by saying that they took matters into their own hands since the people they were relying on never showed up. This sets the stage for a narrative that is all about taking control, even if it means leaving the past behind.
The next set of lines in the song reveals that the singer is talking to someone who is searching for something that has been buried long ago. Although it is not clear what this refers to, it suggests that the person is fixated on something that is not serving them well. The singer wishes that this person could see themselves as they truly are, as their reflection is slowly starting to fade. The sense of being small is emphasized, as if the person is starting to shrink in size as they become more and more lost.
The singer then decides that they will be themselves, rather than trying to accommodate the other person's needs. They see the other person as being suffocating and overwhelming in their small space. The repeated line "I wish you could see yourself now, your reflection is fading" reinforces the idea that the other person is losing their grip on reality. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer can only watch as the other person falls further into their own darkness, and that there is nothing more that they can do to help.
Overall, the song captures a sense of helplessness and frustration when faced with someone who refuses to see reason. However, it also emphasizes the importance of taking control and being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
They didn't call so I thought I would take matters into my own hands
Since I didn't hear from you, I decided to take charge of the situation
You were looking for something that I buried long ago
You are searching for something that I buried in my past and left there
I wish you could see yourself now. Your reflection is fading
I hope you realize how much you are changing and slipping away from who you used to be
Outside of this light, You are very small
When you are not in the spotlight, you are not as big or powerful as you think
There is no more reason to think that no time is worth this ending
There is no longer any reason to believe that this separation is not worth the time and effort
Since you are lost I'll leave those years buried, Leave them buried long ago
Because you are lost and cannot find your way, I will not dig up the past and leave those years where they belong
I think I will be myself now, That small space, your suffocating
I think it's time for me to be true to myself and leave that small space where you suffocate me
Outside of my sight, You will only fall
When I am not there to watch out for you, you will only fail
When you think of yourself now, In that reflection you made clear outside in this night, I can only watch you fall
When you think of yourself now, and see yourself in that clear reflection in the darkness, I can only stand by and watch as you fall
I wish you could see yourself now, Your reflection is fading, Outside of this light, You are very small
I hope you realize how much you are changing and slipping away from who you used to be, and how insignificant you are outside of the spotlight
When you think of yourself now, Is that reflection you made clear outside in this night, I can only watch you fall
When you think of yourself now, and see yourself in that clear reflection in the darkness, I can only stand by and watch as you fall
Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.